The Client Perspective: Corporate Brand Promotional Content

Jennifer Dixon, Digital & Social Media Manager, Caruso

In this series, we ask our clients from different organizations and industries for their insights into what they have learned working with video production companies. This article features Jennifer Dixon, Digital & Social Media Manager at Caruso.

What was the biggest challenge you encountered the first time your organization made a video?

Quality. Investing in video content is an investment in the brand. If you have high brand standards, the video content should complement that.

Did you ever try to tackle video yourself?

I did try and tackle video content myself, shooting on an iPhone and trying to edit on iMovie or a free software equivalent. The quality of the video was poor and it was very clear that I lacked the professional “eye”. It was after this that I presented the content to my organization and they were able to understand the value of an investment in a production company like Zemma.

A sample collaboration with Jennifer

What value was there in contracting an outside production company?

More value than I initially knew! In hiring Zemma, you are not just hiring someone with professional equipment. You are hiring someone with the right ear for music, the right temper to handle talent and, in my opinion the most important, you are hiring someone who can outline every aspect of the shoot on a timeline and keep you on track to reach your goal in an organized way without going over budget.

What was the most beneficial thing you learned when working with a production company?

That a production company can do it all! Working with one production company showed me that one vendor can do it all – creative brainstorm, execution, post-production, file formatting, etc. I learned I don’t have to hire additional vendors or even tap into other departments within my organization to execute.

What advice would you give other people who will be working with a production company for the first time?

Initial conversations are equally as important as the shoot day itself. Taking the time to sit with the production company and have a clear walkthrough of the vision is so important. Not only does it help the production company the day of filming, it also allows them to bring creative ideas to the plate. It can be difficult for an organization to stake a step back and look at the bigger picture. With Zemma’s outside perspective, they were able to propose many creative video concepts that our organization loved and incorporated into the content.