Beholder Productions Blog

Many of you have heard the story of the young family in CA that ended tragically.   More and more stories of job loss hit the airwaves, print and web stories.

In a recent local paper, I read stories that included layoffs (CN8, NJ Daily, Yellow Book), mergers to save publications (Main Line Newspapers), bankruptcy (LM Main Line Magazine), to save operations funds, TV News Coverage has been pooled together by TV-10 and TV-29, and Radio Advertisement (Clear Channel) reported a 3rd quarter loss of over $90 million.

Times are indeed tough.  However, now more than ever, it is important for businesses, corporations, and even at the family level to:

Re-evaluate our priorities/ goals/ needs.

Re-structure how we go about achieving them. And…

Re-fining our path and message to get there.

At Beholder, we have condensed many of our operations practices to enable a more refined workflow experience.  And recently evaluated & are currently adjusting our external marketing applications to accomodate for the needs our prospects and clients have been requesting.

We continue to review our “Playbook“, our internal operations/ business manual, to ensure that we are adjusting based on past experiences, current needs, and looking towards the future.

By having a “Playbook,”  we are able to clearly articulate our goals… thereby communicating our ideals, practices, etc. to our staff.   We are able to monitor progress, determine successes and failures and better able to judge what needs adjustment or should remain as is.

And it’s not enough to speak in an overall tone.  Clear, distinct information and direction is required to ensure you are moving forward.

What do you have in place for your business?  Does everyone follow the same plan and direction?  Do you find yourself having a difficult time communicating your message internally?  Externally?

Sometimes having an outside perspective will help you to determine what messages are being conveyed and if they are the messages that you intended to be delivered.

Above all… we must all keep moving forward and know that better times will come.  All we have to do is realize that we DO have a say in how we progress.  It requires a little bit of “out of the box” thinking, a hard look at whether what we’re doing is working or not, and acknowledge that in order to make a situation better, we’ll have to do something about it… not just sit back and hope it happens.

Til next time, let’s all keep our heads up and keep moving forward!

Emilia

(If you’d like to set up a phone conference or meeting, please call me at 215-674-1612 or email me at emilia@beholderproductions.com)

In the world of marketing you have people who interpret information differently.  It is our responsibility to market to the audiences based on this simple concept. You have some that read the information for a better understanding, and some that interpret the information from a visual perspective.

Most people think of marketing in a literal sense.  However, let’s take a moment to look at marketing from a visual sense ONLY.  How do we instinct interpret visual information?  When you are driving down a long straight road cruising around 35mph and also engaged in an intense “conversation” with another person in the car, do you notice a stop sign by the red shape hexagon with white trim, or do you see the word STOP? My guess is that subconsciously you notice the color and shape first.  Then your brain processes (in a mere matter of seconds) that you should pay closer attention to the actual words, and then begin stopping.  Think about this again, because I would love to have your feedback on this one!

Visual Communication work in a similar way and this is a portion of marketing that needs more attention.  I can write blog, after blog, after blog about the way traditional marketing can affect your product or service.  As a tip for the future try telling a story with only visuals, sort of like Pictionary see if the story makes sense to you! Once you have a baseline, and have told your story visually then place the words into the storyboard.

By the by, this techniques is like an old copyrighting technique of reading your scripts or documents from the bottom up to check for spelling.  By working from the “bottom up” or visuals first you know that you are not missing anything from a visual sense, and if the story makes sense from a caveman’s perspective then you have done your job from a visual direction.  Again, I am interested in hearing your feedback on this test. By the way my email is craig@beholderproductions.com for all of you that would give me feedback!

As a conclusion, try structuring your marketing programs with an eye on your visual communications first.  You will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome and response to your campaign and your clients will love you for it.  That’s what it is all about right?

I’ve always enjoyed the fashion industry. I may not be the epitomy of what fashionistas would call “In Style”, but I try:)  And ever since I saw The Devil Wears Prada, I’ve tried to pay attention to fashion weeks around the globe.

I recently read a quick blurb in the February 2009 edition of Nylon Magazine.  And to my excitement, we’re told to wear PURPLE!  Well… for all who know Beholder… black, gray, white, and purple are our colors.

Check out this image below… and start rocking your purple!

I’ll try the smoky eye – but I prefer the American manicure.

Til next time… have fun with color… through make-up, graphics, and more.

Emilia

One of the toughest jobs in the visual communications field is selling these services to potential clients. The reason why I say that is because with the way technology has evolved throughout the years, many people don’t understand the services we provide or think that they can do the work themselves. Now don’t get me wrong, videotaping yourself and uploading it onto YouTube isn’t rocket science, but the quality behind those videos is sub-par at best and the message is never really what you want it to be.

As I’ve said before and if you’ve been to our website www.beholderproductions.com, there are many different services we provide, but I’m going to take this time to focus on the video aspect of our company and how it can benefit YOUR company.

I’ve been to many meetings with potential clients trying to persuade them of the benefits video can have on their company. Those that have listened to what I have to say have benefitted greatly, those that don’t give me the same answer… “I don’t need a video to promote my business!”
In the grand scheme of things, the benefits of video are endless. However, when you factor in the power of video as a communication tool and the power of the internet (hence the term web video), no other form of communication compares to it. There are so many things a web video can provide any company, that it is unfathomable to not have one on your website.

If anything, a web video increases your reach ability ten-fold. The same product demo, presentation, or mission/ vision statement you give on a regular basis across the country, around the world, or even in your own office can be delivered in high quality video and seen by anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Let’s break it down and see what that web video does for your company:
1) Travel Costs/ On-Time Delivery – Traveling to meet with each individual client/prospect to demonstrate and present your product or service can take days, even weeks and cost you a small fortune depending on where you are traveling. A web video reaches your entire client base at the same time, regardless of geographic location, time zone, etc. Plus a web video can show your product or service in action, rather than you describing it to them and having them imagine how it works.

2) Message Consistency – One of the most important aspects of any company, regardless of their size, is a consistent message. With a web video, your clients/prospects are receiving the same message every time. Your biggest client in California is seeing and hearing the same message that a potential client is hearing in Florida. And, it works the same way for internal messages to your staff or even the general public.

3) Branding Your Message – With your web video comes the ability to leave a lasting impression on the end user. Incorporating your brand and logo into your web video allows for the audience to know who is targeting them and who is promoting their services.

4) Better Retention Rate – The combination of sight, sound, motion and emotions within a web video makes your message retainable by your target audience. No print material with the same information can compete with a web video because it doesn’t offer that personal approach that a web video provides.

As I said before, video is one of the most powerful communication tools out there and incorporating video with the web broadens your horizon for more viewership, more exposure and potentially more sales of your products or services. A web video allows you to control who watches it, along with what message they are hearing about your company.

Can a well-produced web video be expensive to produce? Yes, however, the return on your investment (ROI) can be very beneficial to your company. Plus, the money saved on travel costs alone can probably be more than enough to invest in a web video.

At Beholder, we’ve produced videos that have increased sales, enhanced client exposure and even brought our company more work. I’ve seen clients come through our doors insisting that a video of any sort cannot possibly be beneficial, and I’ve seen my boss say “I told you so,” many times after the fact. The only way for a business to be successful is to evolve and make the necessary changes the way society and technology does. So the next time you think about saying “I don’t need a web video for my company!” I would think again and consider this question “What type of web video will be most beneficial for me?” Beholder can give you that answer.

Until next time,
Matt

The extravagance displayed by these high-end corporate bosses just infuriates me. I appreciate the ideal of “deserving the best”, yet when you find your own firm looking for help… perhaps an attitude of respect and solidarity for what has occurred to your employees and clients would be suggested?

Click here to see story: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6710368&page=1

It’s an unfortunate state of affairs. However, what needs to happen is we all need to go back to your firm’s Core Values. (Hopefully, you have them readily available and displayed throughout your company or manual).

For those in the greater Philadelphia area, you are probably familiar with the Wawa convenience stores. I ask the next time you step in, take note of the “Values” 8.5″ x 11″ sheets posted up on the walls. It’s a reminder to the staff and customers that Wawa is run and based on a core set of values.

Along the PA Turnpike, I read a sign that said “Money is what you pay. Value is what you get. ” During this difficult time, describe and explain your value proposition to your vendors, partners, prospects and most importantly, to your current clients. Take the time to meet and speak with your contacts and realize that what helped you succeed was the relationship and trust that was established.

So, to take from the Good Book… “This too shall pass.” Will you be ready for what’s coming around the corner?

Til next time…

Emilia