What to look for in a video production agency?
by Yolanda Ocon
There is a misconception about working with production agencies or any type of agency for that matter. Hesitation and doubts start creeping in during the journey of searching for the right agency to work with. Added to this, is also the tendency to think that teams can do it all in-house, no-one knows your products best, it is “cheaper” and “quicker” plus how difficult can it be to film, right? You are just placing your products in front of a camera with some pretty props and pressing the record button.
We understand where all these doubts and hesitation come from as we’ve been through the same journey ourselves as School of Wok. That’s why from the moment Curious Crab productions was created, something that has been clear in our minds is the importance of building relationships with our clients. Building that type of trust doesn’t come easy, but once it’s done we’ve found that projects run more smoothly and the results are much better.
If you are working with the right team, building trust will come naturally but there are other aspects to look for when choosing the right agency for your brand. Here are four of the main aspects you should consider.
Credibility
Before you make a decision, have a look at the agency's portfolio. Contact their previous clients and ask about their experience of working with them.
Does the work they’ve done resonate with you? Pay attention to the style of videos they create, you might notice that their clients’ portfolio is very varied but have they done a good job at showcasing each brand’s usps?
Communication
You’ll get an idea of how responsive the agency is from the first few emails / phone calls. You want to go for someone that’s quick to reply and offers solutions from the beginning. Someone that truly understands how precious time really is.
A good agency should listen to your needs, and be open and honest with you with regards to the timelines and deliverables.
Creativity
Does the agency’s team give you input on your ideas or are they just listening and taking notes/ following orders? Whilst it is important for the agency to understand your vision and make it a reality, we suggest you find a team that’s there to guide you and give their input during the creative process.
The right pricing
How you price creativity is always subjective. Something to always keep in mind when creating a video content strategy is that return on investment is not as clear as with other types of strategies.
To avoid disappointment and frustration later down the line, it is important to set up realistic expectations such as the reach and engagement you want for your content, that being said this will come as a result of your marketing team and the creative agency working in unison. You can have amazing content created but if it’s not shared on the right platforms then it will be very difficult to see the desired results.
Ultimately if the agency ticks the first three boxes on our list; it is trustworthy, responsive, and has the type of creativity you are looking for, you will definitely find value in the product you are paying for.