Parc Entertainment - A Video Production Company - Birmingham, AL

One of the things I enjoy most about working in video production is the variety. Every job is unique. One of the most recent jobs we worked on was for a producer based in Charlotte, NC. His client, a marketing firm from Milwaukee, handles a lot of work for Microsoft. Recently, a new video game was created for the XBox 360; a racing game called “Need for Speed: Shift.” To promote the launch of the game, Microsoft and their marketing team scheduled a demo with legendary race car driver Hurley Haywood. They needed a local production crew to come out to the Barber Motorsports Park to document the event.

We spent two days on location, shooting footage of the Porche vehicles on the race track and on the Barber test courses. We covered the action with two Panasonic HVX-200 cameras, shooting 1080i HD video to P2 cards. We had cameras placed at low angles next to the track, inside the vehicles, and up in scissor lifts. For the actual game demonstration, we pre-lit a Porche driving school classroom where we could get footage of Haywood as he raced other drivers on XBox Live. To conclude the shoot, we shot a sit-down interview with Haywood as he gave us his impressions of the game. The people at the Barber Motorsports Park were great. They were very accommodating and hospitable. At the end of the shoot, they even allowed us to select an item from their gift shop. It was certainly a fun and unique experience and I had the opportunity to work with some wonderful people.

It’s been said that the simplest solution is usually the best solution. Over the years, we have had the privilege of working on some large-budget projects requiring extensive creative, several crew members, dollies, camera cranes, professional talent, a five-day shoot and several weeks of post. However, not every company needs such scale in their video marketing efforts. This is especially true in the world of online video. Clients sometimes need a  simple solution.

Over the past 18 months, we have worked with law firms on projects specifically for the web. The purpose of these online videos is to provide viewers with an informal, personal glimpse of an attorney’s practice. These videos educate, inform, and help the viewer to feel more at ease before they step into the office. After all, wouldn’t you feel more comfortable and confident in hiring an attorney if you had the chance to see and hear him/her first?

This format can be duplicated for any business that needs to inform the viewer about the company, introduce key personnel, and educate the viewer on relevant issues, laws, procedures, etc. These videos, although simple in their approach, never compromise on production quality. And they are always effective in increasing traffic to a website and generating new business.

There are wonderful benefits to owning a company, but growing the business takes an incredible amount of work, dedication, and patience. The farmer doesn’t see the results of his labor as soon as the seed is planted. In like manner, the young entrepreneur can’t expect immediate returns on his investments. Times will be good. Times will be bad. In the years that I have been running my business I have experienced quite the roller coaster ride. During slow periods, it’s important to make good use of your time and plant sees from which future successes will grow.

1. Don’t Be Negative. I place this one at the top of the list, because we have all experienced feelings of discouragement, despair, and hopelessness. However, it’s important to remain positive. Negativity will result in apathy, which will do nothing for your business.
2. Attend Networking Events. When other projects consume most of your time, you can’t afford to attend social events. However, when business slows, take advantage of opportunities to get out and meet new people. The relationships you develop today will benefit you in the future.
3. Follow Up On Existing Leads. As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, I like to use Gmail as my email client. It allows you to create labels to easily organize and archive your messages. I have an entire list of conversations labeled “Leads.” When I have a slow period, I go back through those contacts to see if there are any deals I can close. When things are busy, it can be easy to overlook an existing lead, so take the time to follow up.
4. Brush Up On Local Business News. Keeping up to date on what’s happening in your market is a great way to find new leads. Subscribe to the local business journal, or follow blogs that provide local business content. Staying on top of current business events will help you to better understand how your products and services can help those around you.
5. Improve Your Marketing Efforts. Re-examine your brand. How are you reaching out to others? Is it time for your website to be updated? Have you neglected your blog, or other social media profiles? Sometimes when business is slower I take a look at my demo reel to see how I might re-organize it and improve it. You might also consider creating and sending a free monthly e-newsletter (see my sign up form to the right of this page) or writing an informative article and submitting it to local publications. Think of anything that will help you get your name out in front of people.
6. Practice Your Craft. If you are a photographer, cinematographer, writer, graphic designer, or web designer, you can take advantage of slow times by improving your skill set. Create some work on spec. Get out and shoot something. Update your portfolio. If you are an editor who really needs to learn more about using After Effects, sign up for a class and learn something new. Watch some tutorials. The quality of your work will only get better.

For a business owner, slow times can be frustrating, but staying busy and staying productive are the keys for staying successful. Invest in yourself and your business. Use your time wisely. The small seed planted today will grow into a strong plant, if properly cared for.

Our free e-newsletter is distributed every first Monday of the month. Included in each issue is the “Public Parc,” a forum for discussing different topics pertaining to sales, marketing, advertising, and branding. Subscribers to the newsletter and readers of the blog are encouraged to get involved in the discussion by posting their comments here. You can also post your thoughts on Twitter, using the hashtag #PublicParc. Here is this month’s Public Parc discussion:

In this month’s issue we posted an article about E-Consultancy, a company who decided to put a live Twitter feed on their home page to see what people are saying about their brand. Comments are not filtered and may reflect positively or negatively on E-Consultancy. Do you feel that this decision was good or bad for the E-Consultancy brand?

The number of companies using online video to enhance their brands is increasing everyday. Video is now a marketing necessity, but like any marketing tool, the decision to produce an online video series for your company requires strategy and planning. Online videos take on a variety of formats, genres, and visual styles. The decision to use one style over another will have a significant impact on the public’s perception of your business. So, where do you start?

1. Look for what you like. Spend time watching online videos to see what other people are doing. What formats do you like? What inspiration can you draw for your own business? Make some notes. Save the links.
2. Formulate a Goal. What’s the purpose of this series? Do you want to blast it on a number of different video hosting sites to create a viral sensation? Should it be more targeted? Should the series simply live on your own website, complimenting material already written? Your specific goal will help you narrow your focus and will aid in selecting a specific format.
3. Think Thematically. A video series needs to have consistency and continuity throughout all episodes. This will only serve to solidify your brand and your message. Take a look at what Shredded Wheat is doing with their “Progress is Overrated” campaign. The series has a simple concept, but it goes against the grain of what’s expected. And the message is presented with a strong sense of dry humor.

Like any other venture, producing successful online videos require research, planning, and execution. And when done right, those videos will create greater public awareness for your brand.

For marketers and PR professionals, timely communication with your audience is important to maintaining a strong brand. In a world where news, opinions, reviews, and customer feedback is almost instantaneous, issues must be dealt with now, not later. You must actively engage in an upfront and honest manner. Consider the following story about director Michael Bay’s recent PR mishap (from Cinematical.com)

Never keep hundreds of people waiting in the rain for hours. Michael Bay, Shia LaBeouf, and Megan Fox did just that in South Korea on June 9. An estimated crowd of 600 fans and press lined up in Seoul early to see the red-carpet premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, according to Screen Daily, and were then disappointed when the Transformers entourage arrived 80 minutes late, spending only a few minutes with the crowd. Members of the press were further distressed when the group arrived 30 minutes late to a scheduled news conference the next day, and some staged a walk-out.

Bay has now issued a written apology, explaining that “traveling from another country, and not allowing enough time for airport delays, city traffic and hotel check-in,” and that the press conference delay was due to the “serious pain” he was experiencing from a pulled back muscle. (The group traveled directly from the premiere in Tokyo, Japan.) Damage control was necessary, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because bloggers had started a campaign to boycott the film in theaters, while local distributor CJ Entertainment insists that interest in the film remains high.

As in the U.S., Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opens in Korea on June 24. The first Transformers made even more money outside the U.S. than within, so it makes sense to court international audiences, but this incident demonstrates once again that no one likes to be shortchanged or taken for granted.

I particularly like the last line of this article, “No one likes to be shortchanged or taken for granted.” Let your audience know you appreciate them. Communicate with them. Ask for their ideas and input. And utilize the power of video to get your message out to a mass audience.

I’ve written several posts discussing Web 2.0 and the evolution of media across all platforms. Any person, business, organization, etc. that fails to recognize the participatory nature of today’s media and refuses to get involved, will fall way behind in the areas of marketing, advertising and public exposure. I came across this great video today by Niko Pereira, featuring Henry Jenkins of MIT, who discusses how media is changing. Worth watching.

Henry Jenkins on Transmedia - November 2009 from niko on Vimeo.

Getting started as a freelancer or small business owner in the creative field is definitely exciting. Whether you are in video production, graphic design, photography, web design, etc. emotions become a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. As you grow your business, you will always be on the lookout for new relationships and new opportunities. But as you promote your busines, it’s important to keep some ethical guidelines in mind.

At some point in your career, you will be hired out as a sub-contractor for another company. You may be hired to go out and shoot some b-roll footage or you might be asked to shoot some stills of a particular event. During these jobs, you are representing some one else - not your own business. You should never use it as an opportunity to hand out your own business cards and gain clients for yourself. This can be difficult to do, especially if you are first starting out and the client is pleased with your work. Remember, how would you feel if you had an established relationship with a client and a freelancer you hired was on location promoting himself and not your business?

In other situations you might be brought in on a project because you have a specific skill set. For example, let’s say a marketing project manager has a client who requests video production work in addition to the website that’s already being designed. The project manager might pull you in to handle that aspect of the job. In this particular scenario you should try and meet with the client only when the project manager is present. Remember, it’s the project manager’s client, not yours, and he/she should definitely stay in the loop. If you have to email the client directly for any reason, always Cc: the project manager. There are two more things to keep in mind with this particular arrangement:

1. Never discuss payment terms with the client. That’s between you and the project manager. Remember, you are a vendor.
2. Never accept payment directly from the client, unless you have permission from the project manager. Usually a project manager will include a markup into the budget to cover his/her time and overhead. Never give the impression that you are trying to conduct business behind the project manager’s back.

I know that as a freelancer or small business owner, it’s important to be zealous in your marketing efforts. But what’s more important is that you remain ethical.

I first saw this presentation at Doc Yankee’s Marketing Mojo blog. You can also follow Doc Yankee on Twitter. The slide show presentation is from Jay Conrad Levinson and features 90 things you can do to market yourself and your business in low-cost, but creative ways. Some items on the list won’t be for everyone, but I’m sure you will be able to find a lot of useful information.

I was listening to an internet marketing podcast recently and the hosts of the show were discussing how E-Consultancy is using Twitter to join in on public conversations related to their company. Here’s a quick synopsis of E-Consultancy, as stated on their website:

Econsultancy is a community where the world’s digital marketing and ecommerce professionals meet to sharpen their strategy, source suppliers, get quick answers, compare notes, help each other out and discover how to do everything better online.

Founded in 1999, Econsultancy has grown to become the leading source of independent advice and insight on digital marketing and ecommerce.

Our reports, events, online resources and training programmes help our 80,000+ members make better decisions, build business cases, find the best suppliers, look smart in meetings and accelerate their careers.

E-Consultancy searched for what people were saying about them on Twitter and placed a live feed of those tweets right on their home page. And there’s no content filtering, so if there are people out there with negative feelings toward E-Consultancy, those thoughts will show up right on the home page.

Just a few years ago, this practice of exposing potential customers to potentially negative reviews would be a no-no. However, in today’s social media world, this transparency might be refreshing. It demonstrates to the public that this company listens to their customers and strives to be prompt in addressing all concerns. It shows that they are engaged and tuned in to conversations about their brand.

This doesn’t mean that you have to put a live Twitter feed on your home page, but it does illustrate the point that as business owners, we have a responsibility to the people we serve. You need to be engaged in what people are saying about your brand. Listen to them. Respond in a timely manner. And always look for ways to improve your brand.

What are your thoughts about E-Consultancy’s move? Good or bad?