Behind the Screens: Meet Producer Tessa Young

Welcome back to Behind the Screens, where we get to know employees that make up the team behind your campaigns. This month I’m joined by Tessa Young, Senior Spot Production Specialist, who provides insights into the creative partnerships between Cox Media and clients. 

Thanks for chatting with me, Tessa! Can you introduce yourself, and tell us a little bit about your background?

I’m Tessa Young and I’m a Producer with Cox Media. I started in the fast-paced and exciting world of broadcast news at Channel 7 in Omaha, Nebraska. I was in school for broadcasting at the time, but a mentor at the station recommended I switch to English and communications, and it was a lightbulb moment for me.

I just took off – I was writing for radio, television, composing speeches and telling stories. Eventually I went to work at Creighton University as a senior media producer, where my job was to tell stories. I was trusted to do profiles on students, esteemed tenured professors, and outstanding alumni all over the country. I was inside the Pentagon twice, which I love to tell people. I fell in love with asking questions and more importantly, listening to their answers.

Eventually I came to Cox Media in 2015 and it’s been wonderful ever since.

What a journey to get here! Can you describe your role and how you interact with different teams across our regions?

I produce commercials and designs for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Omaha, and right now I’m lucky to start a relationship with the team in Virginia as a creative consultant. I love the variety and challenges of my job.

On any given day, I could be producing a spot for casino in Oklahoma in the morning, then a couple hours later producing a spot for a car company in Kansas, and then working on a profile piece for Girls, Inc., a non-profit in Omaha. I wear many hats!

Can you give us insight into how you might work with clients?

After a Cox Media consultant meets with a client and they decide they want to develop creative as part of their campaigns, that’s where I come in. I sit down with the clients and understand what they need to create – sometimes they just need a :30 script, or other times they need a full commercial shoot.

My favorite clients to work with are small businesses or start-ups, who may not have a lot of cash to spend and come to us with a picture, some toothpicks, and a piece of tape. It’s the most satisfying to work with them because that’s when we get really creative, and we’re able to watch them grow.

Often, our clients think of Cox Media as their advertising partner, but may not be aware of the creative and production services we offer. What is the benefit in partnering with us to develop their advertising creative?

Our clients are proud of their business and brand, and they want to talk about it. I believe we’re in the right place at the right time to help tell that story. Quality creative – from commercials to long-form content – comes from collaboration, and that’s part of our culture. And that collaboration creates a more personal, long-lasting relationship than just the commercial creation.

Another thing that makes us effective at our jobs is that we’re also audience members. I can put myself in those shoes and figure out the type of messaging and visual that would make me take action.

The last thing I’ll mention about partnering with us is that it’s truly a one-stop-shop. We have the people who can brainstorm, script, shoot, and edit. And of course, as an advertising partner, we able to get things on the air, online, and clients can take advantage of targeting and other audience-reaching tools. There’s no reason to go anywhere else.

My last questions is – if there is one thing about Cox Media you’d like our clients to know, what would it be?

I would say that we are only as good as their happiness with us – that’s what we strive for. We do our best to put ourselves in the shoes of our clients and their audiences. We have an outstanding group of highly creative people who really care about client success.

Thanks for speaking with me, Tessa! It is great to learn more about the creative services that Cox Media offers to our clients!