Good Emperor and “The Itch of the Entrepreneurial Producer”
Good Emperor is a production service company that’s reshaping the way brands and agencies approach content creation. At the helm of this operation is Marcus Eley, who founded the company in 2021, and since then has dedicated it to fast, cost-effective, and high-quality solutions tailored to the ever-growing demands of social and digital media.
Versatility sits at the heart of Good Emperor’s ability to partner with brands of all sizes, and create impactful work across video production, animation, photography, and everything in between. Marcus brought years of experience from leading roles in top creative agencies to Good Emperor and understood what brands wanted from the get-go: speed and value. More importantly, he knew that to achieve it, he and Good Emperor had to be adaptable. “It’s why I left a full-time creative agency role as I could see things shifting (again!) and didn’t want to be left behind. It’s the itch of the entrepreneurial producer,” he says.
But behind the need for speed and the constant strive for bettering the creative output is Marcus’ true love for the work. Even today, he says he feels honoured to receive a brief and a budget to execute it – a mentality that shines through Good Emperor’s continued success. So, in his own words, the company was born out of the industry’s necessity and his own desire.
To find out more about how Good Emperor navigates industry shifts, builds unmovable client relationships and tackles challenges from integrating AI to producing with limited resources, LBB’s Zoe Antonov caught up with Marcus.
LBB> What inspired you to start Good Emperor, and what was your vision for the company when you first founded it? How has this vision evolved over time?
Marcus> It was a combination of things. The experience of setting up an internal production model at Crispin Porter demonstrated to me first-hand what clients are screaming out for from their agencies, especially when it comes to the production of their social content. That was speed and value. In addition to this I was starting to hear about more brands pulling creative services in-house. This gave me the confidence and belief that a production-service model really could be beneficial to marketers and their in-house agencies. Good Emperor was born out of both necessity and desire.
LBB> What are the core pillars and values that guide the company’s approach to each project?
Marcus> Speed, value and where possible, always trying to elevate the work. These are values I try to bring to every content brief whether it comes from a large tech brand, a small start-up manufacturer, or a mid-sized financial services organisation. I try not to have a pre-conceived idea or opinion about the clients I work with. Every project has its merit in some form or another, and quite often the ones you wouldn’t expect much from can yield the most satisfying outcomes.
LBB> The production industry has seen significant changes over the years with the rise of digital media and AI. How has Good Emperor adapted to these shifts, and how do you see the role of a producer evolving in the next decade?
Marcus> It really has and adapting is key. It’s why I left a full-time creative agency role as I could see things shifting (again!) and didn’t want to be left behind. It’s the itch of the entrepreneurial producer.
Being small has its advantages and being able to react quickly without internal sign-off is a key part of this and means I can work quickly when sharing ideas and production solutions. Most brands I work with trust me to plug-in the right solution to their brief. They don’t necessarily need to have an opinion about a particular creative partner working on their business, they’ve got plenty of other stuff to worry about, that’s my job. This is how the modern-day production partner should be now. Not an extension of the business but as an integral part of it, pulling in the same direction. As for AI, it’s a tool and a brilliant one. I’ve worked with it to enhance but not replace. Yet.
LBB> Throughout your journey with Good Emperor, what have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a company, and how did you overcome them?
Marcus> Getting new business, retaining existing business, all things that people who start and run a business face daily. The big difference to when I started is I now try and work with a wider range of clients, both large, medium, and small on a variety of different projects. There’s usually some value in every brief, whether it’s a creative opportunity or a chance to forge new relationships and open doors to other opportunities.
LBB> What are some projects or pieces of work that you’re most proud of, and why do they stand out to you as highlights of Good Emperor’s work?
Marcus> One of the first projects for Good Emperor was working with the in-house agency for Three UK on a social-first idea to create storytelling content using the Honor Magic 4 Pro mobile and showcasing its brilliant camera capabilities along with Three’s 5G network. They didn’t have internal production, so I doubled up as their in-house agency producer and produced the work through Good Emperor. I’m particularly proud of this one because it allowed me to demonstrate to the IHA and client team how bringing production in-house to a project can elevate it and even though the budget parameters were pretty tight, the production worked because the creative was good, the team were tight and there was an inherent trust in how I pulled it together and who we worked with. The film went on to earn freelance director, Jack Howard, a bronze award at Kinsale Sharks for best comedy direction.
The other project is a recent video content job for FLY, a UK boxing equipment and sportswear manufacturer. I got to the founder through a mutual contact and asked if I could help him make a film. He agreed and with one of my trusted videographers, the talented Josh Brand, we made a film together that punches above its weight. It’s a good example of what can be done when you take a punt and get given limited resources but can still produce a well-crafted piece of content.
LBB> Good Emperor has access to a network of top-tier creative talent. What criteria do you use to identify and manage creative partners, and what do you believe makes a partnership successful?
Marcus> I have people I trust who I’ve worked with before and that shorthand allows for good things to happen. I like working with new people and uncovering hidden gems, it’s the lifeblood of production. Word of mouth and previous work still rank highly but I try to meet as many people as possible just to gauge the chemistry. I work in partnership with every partner along the journey, so we’re in it together. Paying people on time cannot be overstated and is something I’ve done since day one even if sometimes it’s at the expense of my own cash flow!
LBB> Building strong client relationships and a cohesive team are vital in production. How do you ensure that your team and your clients are aligned and share the same vision for a project?
Marcus> If communication is a strategy, then that’s the most important one for me. Even the simple jobs benefit from alignment between partners. That’s just good business. No need for a 50-slide treatment but I like to ensure that we’re aligned on tone and a one-to-two-page document outlining the tone helps set things off on the right path. I’ve worked with clients who haven’t seen this before and it’s a really easy win for early added value.
LBB> As Good Emperor continues to grow, what are your ambitions for the company?
Marcus> World domination? Definitely not. Good feedback and repeat business come top of the list for me.
LBB> For those who aspire to become producers and contribute to the industry, what advice would you offer based on your experience and the lessons you’ve learned building Good Emperor?
Marcus> Play to your strengths. The opportunities for producers to be more than just one thing are now better than they were when I started out. Be inquisitive and go and get it rather than wait for it to come to you. Energy still goes a long way and that can sometimes be downplayed. I feel lucky when a client gives me the responsibility of a brief and a budget to go and produce a thing. I don’t think that will ever change.
