White label video and photography package

[NiceCat]

Hi,
I run a video production company and I would like to ask your advice on a new package that will hopefully be of interest to small/ medium marketing agencies?

The package would be geared to provide agencies and their clients a complete set of quality media assets to use on their website and social media channels.

The package would be made up of three elements:
1 - A one minute video that promotes the business and usp.
2 - A set of quality marketing photographs.
3 - A 360 video/photograph of the business premises (with the option of adding to Google Street View)

The plan is to offer this as a white label service and obviously depending on cost would this be an attractive offer to agencies?

Many thanks
Rob

 

[TheConsulter]

I think that you have come up with a great idea and if you put time and effort into it, it might be successful. In the beginning, to get the word out about your services, you should offer this service at a discounted price to businesses that are interested.

 

[NiceCat]

Thanks I will do that!

 

[The Byre]

There are two deciders that will set the level of success of this business - the marketing and the quality of the final product.

People are seldom aware of the quality of video product that we all are exposed to. Even simple TV interviews done by a low-rent indi crew will have the usual three-point lighting and the moment we get to movies, each scene is (or at least should be) the result of lighting designers working in 3D lighting software and a few days of prepping the scene and rehearsing camera moves, etc.

Everybody has a 4K camera in their trouser pocket nowadays, so you have to have all the lights, grips, dollies, jibs and glass to make that film-look video that they cannot achieve by themselves.

On the marketing side, you might like think about getting dedicated sales person, as well as a dedicated website, with of course, a killer show reel.

 

[NiceCat]

Thanks Brye, you are spot on about the misconception that its 'easy' to grab a smart phone and film an add for your new product. As you say lighting, scripting, editing and most of all good content is still key!

My main question is to any marketing agencies out there, if a start-up or website revamp media asset package/kit (photos, video and 360 video) would be potentially attractive to new and existing clients?

Most of current work has been for the public sector producing video, animation and photography, I am now looking increase my service to a wider customer base. I will definitely look into a dedicated sales person!

Thanks
Rob

 

[The Byre]

We get a "What about video?" posting here very regularly. At least one a week and not everybody is particularly gung-ho about the effect a corporate video can have on sales.

My 30 cents worth is that if a company puts a video on their website, it had better be a damn good one - think Spielberg 'Warhorse' production values with proper music, etc. and a totally filmic look to it, with VOs done by professionals.

As I stated, the viewer is unconsciously comparing the cinematography of your corporate video to the latest episode of CSI New York or Gotham. We are all now very used to 'eye-candy' and of course magnificent 'ear-candy' to go with it. 99.9% of the corporate videos I get to see fall far short of what they need to achieve to have any effect on sales. In fact, even some made by professionals are so obviously done on the cheap, that they act as a disincentive to buying anything!

Once the basic product is good, you have to put as much effort and expense into marketing, as you put into production. If it costs you £100 to make the video (over and above the cost of equipment) then as much has to go into making the sale. That means paying the saleswoman (or even a man!) another £100 for every sale they make. If the equipment costs £20k, you need to put a similar sum into websites, brochures, letters to companies, etc.

I am sometimes asked why it costs massive sums to make a movie. What the hell costs $200m on a movie and the answer is of course, marketing. If it costs $100m to make the damn thing, then that's another $100m the distributor has to find to get the thing out there. Very often, that is payment-in-kind (e.g. TV rights in exchange for TV ads for the theatrical release) and perhaps you should be thinking along similar lines.

 

[fisicx]

...if a start-up or website revamp media asset package/kit (photos, video and 360 video) would be potentially attractive to new and existing clients?

No.

99% of all promo videos are pointless and ineffective. Nothing to do with the quality but everything to do with the content. Getting really great content written, directed and edited takes a whole team of people. It's why a 30 second advert can cost hundreds of thousands. Better to not have a video at all.

What marketing photographs? Unless you have a marketing campaign that can use a specific image they are pointless.

360 video and been and gone. It might have some minor value on right move but for the local chippie or solicitor or even the hairdresser it's not going to add anything of value.

 

[NiceCat]

Thanks Fisicx,
With Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Vimeo investing millions in video and 360 I am sure it's still relevant in a marketing mix, but you are right that content is king. When you design websites what do advise clients to add to their sites apart from text?