August, 2026.- APR is a global marketing production advisory that partners with the world’s top brands to optimize marketing investments across the content supply chain and Patrick Lafferty has been very fortunate to walk in the shoes of the clients, the agencies, and the content creators that the agency works with. That perspective helps him understand the needs and wants of all parties, and most importantly, solve the range of challenges they all face. These experiences have also given him the humility to know that it truly takes a team—folks with other deep experiences—to fully meet everyone’s needs.
In this interview, Lafferty, incoming CEO of APR, and Jillian Gibbs, Founder, discuss where the next real growth opportunity lies for the agency. The greater the disruption, the change, the transformation, the greater the need for consultative services. No one can know everything, and keeping up with the volume and speed of change is individually impossible. There are opportunities to help clients work through change and to help them look at all the pieces holistically across 360° marketing production. The work can be better if thought through as an integrated ecosystem, and it can be done faster and less expensively when viewed that way.
Lafferty also shares his contrarian bet: human creativity will grow in importance. AI will be used more and more to make work. But that work will only be great if humans apply the illogical, fantastical, messy, maddening art of birthing stuff that has never been birthed before. AI will enable this creativity, but it will not replace human conception.
Gibbs reflects on the advice she gave Lafferty during his transition: foster a collaborative environment and treat people well. At APR, they live by the African proverb: sticks in a bundle are strongest. Building good working relationships, encouraging clear communication, and empowering the team will ultimately yield better results and more efficient problem-solving.
On mispricing, Lafferty notes that brands are overpaying for celebrity talent—which can be a multiplier but only if the idea is great—and underpaying for integration across the entire ecosystem.
CEO Patrick Lafferty: Congrats on the new role. You have a dynamic and robust background; how will that help inform your approach to leadership at APR?
I have been very fortunate to walk in the shoes of the clients, the agencies, and the content creators that we work with. Doing so helps me understand the needs and wants of all parties, and, most importantly, this perspective helps me solve the range of challenges they all face. These experiences have also given me the humility to know that it truly takes a team, folks with other deep experiences, to fully meet everyone’s needs.
You’re stepping into this role at a moment when the entire industry structure- holdcos, indies, in-house studios- is being rewritten at once. Where do you see the next real growth opportunity for APR?
The greater the disruption, the change, the transformation, the greater the need for consultative services. No one can know everything and keeping up with the volume and speed of change is individually impossible. That is where a team of experts is most needed. So there are opportunities to help clients work through change. And, there is also great opportunity to help them look at all the pieces holistically across 360° marketing production. The work can be better if thought through as an integrated ecosystem. And, it can be done faster and less expensively when viewed as an integrated ecosystem.
What’s the most contrarian bet you’re making as APR’s new CEO — something the industry doesn’t yet believe but will in a few years?
Human creativity will grow in importance. AI will be used more and more and more to make work. No doubt. And, that work will only be great if humans apply the illogical, fantastical, messy, maddening art of birthing stuff that has never been birthed before. AI will further enable this crazy creativity, but it will not replace human greatness conception.
APR Founder Jillian Gibbs:Jillian, what piece of advice did you give Patrick during his transition from President to CEO?
Foster a collaborative environment and treat people well. At APR we live by the African proverb: Sticks in a bundle are strongest. Building good working relationships, encouraging clear communication, and empowering the team will ultimately yield better results and more efficient problem-solving.
How will your role evolve? What will your day-to-day look like?
As founder and a lifelong production optimist & expert, I’m excited to share the perspective I’ve built over the years by mentoring our Center of Excellence video leads while also supporting all APRites across the organization who want to tap into my wisdom. Continuing to invest in our people, and in the craft of production itself, is an important part of how I contribute as we move forward as well as helping to support the team to move our client and industry forward.
You wrote a book on creative production; is there a follow-up in the works?
Building on the foundation of The Marketer’s Guide to Creative Production, I’m passionate about amplifying the use of AI in creative production. I’m in the midst of creating content that speaks to today’s industry and the importance of understanding when AI is a creator, an enabler, or an optimizer.
Both: Where’s the real mispricing in marketing production right now? What are brands overpaying for, and what are they underpaying for?
Patrick Lafferty: Overpaying for: Celebrity talent. Celebrity talent can be a huge multiplier but the idea must be great to unlock this multiplier effect.
Underpaying for: Integration. The consumer expects the various instances she interacts with a brand to be complimentary, to be the continuation of a story that flows and builds. Too much work is done separately in silos, at the brand, at the agency, at the production company. Few are investing in integrating this work and creating the multiplying effect.
What is a takeaway from all your years in the business that might surprise others?
Jillian Gibbs: The one consistent thing is change and the real challenge for marketers is to attain continuity. Teams evolve, roles shift, and many marketers only engage in complex production work periodically, sometimes once a year or less. Early on, I believed that training alone would be enough. That once you equipped someone with the right knowledge, they could carry it forward. In reality, that’s not how it works.
Consistency doesn’t come from any one individual; it comes from having a clear process and sustained expertise surrounding it. When that’s in place, teams are able to move faster, make better decisions, and navigate complexity with far more confidence.
