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7 things you need to find a great video production company

19th June, 2017

Without video content in your marketing mix, it is difficult to really compete in today’s business environment. Whether it’s on your own website, on social media platforms, or high-end television commercials, video is the way to tell a great story to the customer and invoke that precious emotional connection. So, what do you need to be sure of before you make the important decision to hire a video production company?

 

1. Write a great brief

 

No company can give you an effective quote or presentation without having some idea of what you’re looking for.

 

Even if you don’t have a clue about the technical details (that’s their job after all) you can outline what videos you think you need, how they’ll be used, what you’re hoping to achieve and, not forgetting, a bit about your company, product or service.

 

video production company briefing

 

But be open-minded on the creative side as the production company may have some great ideas, and they are the experts – it’s their expertise that you’re buying in.

 

2. Don’t be put off by new companies with less experience

 

It’s true that a company’s track record is really important, but it’s also true that a new company has more to prove and (arguably) needs to work harder in order to build their reputation.

 

It’s always worth getting a quote from companies who haven’t yet been all the way around the block – everyone has to start somewhere

 

3. Get several quotes

 

It’s time-consuming and can often be quite complex getting quotes, particularly getting ones that are like-for-like but it’s a must. The detail in the quote shows you exactly what you’re getting for the money, equally, lack of detail raises questions that should be asked!

 

In the end you probably do get what you pay for but not necessarily. Don’t assume that everything’s included if it isn’t shown in the detail – it may not be, so ask the question.

 

Finding a team to create videos for your business can take significant investment but one that’s well worth it, if you end up with an outstanding and effective marketing tool for your company.

 

4. What’s it supposed to look like?

 

Have a look at previous works of the businesses that you approach. Often a presentation will be a demo reel, a series of clips put together to music to make maximum impact.

 

Look at past works for other clients, see how well they have been received, look for comments, shares, likes and reviews.

 

5. How they get there

 

It makes sense to find out about their approach to your project, and to check out turnaround times, number of editing ‘passes’ or changes allowed before delivery. Make sure you know and understand what their expectation is of you and your company too.

 

6. Communication

 

video production company briefing

 

Can you get on with the creative directors and account managers? Are you basically singing from the same hymn sheet? It’s astonishing how difficult it can be to communicate ideas, it’s hard to tell a company that this is not at all what you had in mind when someone has poured their heart and soul into a production that they thought would delight you, and your deadline is looming and the costs are rising. Communication is key.

 

7. Seen it all before

 

Try to avoid off-the-shelf formulaic production which is just the same old themes regurgitated time and again with just the name changed to suit the next product.

 

video production company mapping

 

Tired old content is not going to generate the public interest or the results that you’re paying for. Look for a bit of spark, adventure, a professional approach and the best you can get within your budget.

 

 

Hopefully the above suggestions will give you a starting point, give you a degree of confidence to go out there and get that fabulous video made which will elevate your business to greater heights.

 

Are you hunting for a great video production company right now? Get in touch – let’s talk about your project.

what is integrated marketing colour wheel

What is integrated marketing?

19th June, 2017

A few years ago we went to Disneyland, and bumped into Gaston, of animated Beauty and the Beast fame. By way of introduction, he said to us;

“Hello, pleased to meet me, aren’t you?”

Whilst the youngsters in our party found him hilariously funny at the time, it stuck with us. The reason for that is thus: when you introduce yourselves to your customers, whilst you wouldn’t actually introduce yourself in that way, what you’re aiming for is that that is exactly how you should make your customers feel. Pleased to meet you. A saviour. Font of all knowledge. Solvers of problems. Key to their success.

 

So, hi. We are DHP (Devilishly Handsome Productions – oh, yes we are!). Pleased to meet us, aren’t you?

 

Integrated marketing

 

Anyone who’s done any kind of marketing qualification will have had the words ‘integrated marketing’ seared into their brain. But what really is it?

 

“Integrated Marketing is an approach to creating a unified and seamless experience for consumers to interact with the brand/enterprise; it attempts to meld all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and social media, through their respective mix of tactics, methods, channels, media, and activities, so that all work together as a unified force. It is a process designed to ensure that all messaging and communications strategies are consistent across all channels and are centered on the customer.” (Source: Data and Marketing Association)

 

Well, there you go then. But when we start drilling down, and pulling this definition apart, what do we find? The most important part of the statement is right at the end!

 

The customer is always right

 

what is integrated marketing customer

 

No doubt about it, we’ve all had those days where we don’t necessarily agree with that statement, but the customer most certainly has to be the focus of your marketing strategy. If you don’t do that, then however amazing your marketing content is, it can’t succeed because you haven’t appealed to the most important entity of all!

 

To complicate things further, because your customer isn’t necessarily the end user of the product or service, you have even more customers (or stakeholders) to satisfy.

 

For example, if your objective was to increase iPhone sales by writing a marketing strategy for Apple, Apple would be your customer but wouldn’t be the end user of the product.

 

Much of the focus of marketing strategy is on finding new customers, but it should never be underestimated how much value your existing customer is to you. Don’t forget to show them some love.

 

Marketing is multi-dimensional

 

So we start to understand that marketing is a complex affair – you have to focus your marketing communications on the end user for sure.

 

Often, this is where profitability is captive – but you have other customers to consider. If the end user isn’t your client, you need to satisfy the client too, otherwise you won’t retain their custom.

 

Use of media

 

We live in an age of endless opportunities to engage with our customers, online, offline, above the line, below the line… In this digital world there is still a place for traditional marketing methods, but there is also an exciting world out there expanding the way consumers are able to engage with brands, products, services, whatever you have to offer.

 

what is integrated marketing multi dimensional marketing ipad-tablet-technology-touch

 

What should be the most important element of an integrated marketing strategy is that customers want and expect a consistent experience across all aspects of their interaction with a company’s products and services. Getting your integrated marketing strategy right gives you the best chance of achieving this.

 

And finally…

 

The key to all of this is to know your audience, know your product, find the best ways to get your message out there from the plethora of options available.

 

Don’t just stick with the tried and tested. Bring some innovation, variation and adventure into your marketing. But make sure that your brand message is true and consistent, and get the best possible quality of media that you can as a marketing message, however delivered, will reflect the quality of your brand.

 

Want to talk further about integrated marketing, and get to know us a little better? Drop us a line and we’ll come right back to you.

Video Production in 2017 – Going Open Source

15th June, 2017

We are a creative video production agency. It has been our mantra since we opened for business nearly 9 years ago. We have always stood by this, offering everyone our creative proposal work whether they are clients or not.

Because of this many people have seen as us an extension of their marketing departments, often asking us to add our thoughts and solutions to their marketing strategy. We have written hundreds of creative proposals for organisations and brands from finance to sports, and we have done it all for free.

We always have and we always will.

This year we want to go further. Creative ability in video is no longer enough to give video production agencies an edge. It is becoming increasingly clear that companies like ours need to offer clients a more direct return on their spend, using data and audience research to create content that truly engages a target demographic and can be traced directly to sales.

This is something we are continuing to focus on at DHP, our recent work for Lewisham College standing as a good example.