MSQ Launches End-to-End Sustainable Production Agency M3 Labs

MSQ has launched a new global end-to-end Ai and People-Powered production agency, M3 Labs, to help businesses Make, Manage and Measure their marketing content, with data, tech, media and sustainability at the core of its operations.

M3 Labs will bring together all of MSQ’s group-wide production expertise for the first time, uniting the capabilities under one entity with teams operating in London, Amsterdam, New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai and Singapore.

As agencies continue to decouple capabilities – resulting in disparate services and more layers for clients to navigate – M3 Labs will focus on joining the disciplines up by putting production at the heart, recoupling data, creative and media to deliver culturally relevant content faster and more effectively.

The agency will combine MSQ’s brand and creative studio expertise with its cutting-edge Ai and tech tools, incorporating bespoke workflow management systems, sustainable platforms and MSQ’s Data offer to ensure speed and cost reductions and more valuable outcomes.

M3 Labs will be led by global managing director, Darren Khan, and executive chair, Mark Cramphorn, with support from production leaders across MSQ. They will report to MSQ executive director, Kate Howe.

Darren joined MSQ in July last year to launch MSQ’s Source offer, which uses an instantly accessible community of content creators around the world to connect clients with the best director, creator and influencer talent. The approach means that content can be developed with the same production rigour but in faster and more sustainable ways and Khan – who is also an Advisory Board member of AdGreen – has already worked with the likes of Expedia and Land Rover to produce campaigns.

Prior to MSQ, Darren was the founder of remote production business Travlrr. He had also been the managing director UK & Europe for Genero, and led commercial teams at Bauer Media and ITV.

Mark has held senior positions at some of the world’s largest agencies, including Bartle Bogle Hegarty, TBWA, Publics and EDC, and most recently has been consulting on various projects with Khan and MSQ.

Amongst the specialists within MSQ supporting M3 Labs will be global production leads Robin Shek and Andy Edmonds, operations director Dasha Dollar-Smirnova and head of content Neil Bennett.

Robin is the co-founder of Brave Spark, MSQ’s Creative Studio, which has produced award-winning campaigns for the likes of Zalando, Asics and Trivento. In addition to supporting M3 Labs, he will retain his role at Brave Spark, joining-up the studio’s additional in-house production expertise when necessary.

Andy became the general manager of MSQ Asia in March 2022, having previously been Media.Monks’ APAC senior regional growth director. He has worked closely in that time with MSQ’s production teams in Singapore, notably Elmwood, and will run the M3 Labs offer across the region.

Dasha has worked at some of Europe’s foremost production networks, overseeing transcreation, digital and video content at agencies including Hogarth Worldwide, OLIVER and Prodigious Worldwide. She has been leading transcreation and product development projects at MSQ since November last year.

Kate says, “Joined-up Thinking has sat at the heart of MSQ’s recent success and by joining up the brilliant production talent we have across the group with our ever-evolving range of market-leading products and services, we believe we have a truly industry-leading audience-led production solution. Our suite of capabilities means we can create more targeted messages to the right audiences at the right time, saving clients time and money without compromising on quality, all whilst providing the more sustainable and measurable outcomes that brands crave.”

Darren says, “M3 Labs will help brands connect more effectively with customers by creating more assets, optimised and personalised in more efficient ways, at greater speed and, crucially, with sustainability baked in from the start. Our sustainable production results in a 35% cost saving and an 80% reduction in carbon emissions, which is a win for our clients and a win for the planet.”

Mark says, “Developments in Ai and tech have transformed the world of production, and MSQ’s breadth of knowledge and product development in this area allows us to join up our expertise and provide a cutting-edge solution that genuinely delivers on what clients need. Whether marketers are struggling with the personalisation of their content, want to reduce waste or increase the sustainability of their production process, M3 Labs can bring in the right specialists and tools at the right time to help them thrive in this ever-changing production landscape.”

Launching a sustainability-driven production business is another key step in MSQ’s sustainability journey. The group achieved B-Corp accreditation in May 2023 and has set formal Science-Based Targets, signing up to the Million Tree Pledge and appointing a Chief Sustainability Officer. MSQ also publishes its progress in sustainability through a dedicated Sustainability Report, providing an in-depth look at the business’ total emissions and emissions per head, as well as breaking down its Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions.

This article first appeared on LBB Online here.