1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,000 - It's been said many times that you get what you pay for, 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,008 and in the case of production and distribution services, 3 00:00:07,008 --> 00:00:10,006 that truism is very accurate. 4 00:00:10,006 --> 00:00:13,007 In this video, I'm going to cover the importance of production. 5 00:00:13,007 --> 00:00:16,006 When it makes sense to work with full service providers, 6 00:00:16,006 --> 00:00:20,001 and when it makes sense to go direct to specialists. 7 00:00:20,001 --> 00:00:22,008 Now, the list of specialists involved in marketing 8 00:00:22,008 --> 00:00:25,005 and advertising production is as long as your arm. 9 00:00:25,005 --> 00:00:27,004 From sound engineers on a video shoot 10 00:00:27,004 --> 00:00:29,007 to user experience experts for your website 11 00:00:29,007 --> 00:00:32,004 to a photographer for your product photos. 12 00:00:32,004 --> 00:00:36,004 So, instead of listing them, let's consider an example. 13 00:00:36,004 --> 00:00:37,007 Think of Apple in the way 14 00:00:37,007 --> 00:00:39,006 that they unveil their new products. 15 00:00:39,006 --> 00:00:41,001 I say unveil instead of launch 16 00:00:41,001 --> 00:00:43,003 because these are truly theatrical events 17 00:00:43,003 --> 00:00:45,005 where multilanguage websites go live, 18 00:00:45,005 --> 00:00:48,001 products are in stores all over the world to demo, 19 00:00:48,001 --> 00:00:50,000 ads are launched in multiple countries, 20 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,006 and millions of emails are sent out to customers, 21 00:00:52,006 --> 00:00:55,007 all within minutes of a product announcement. 22 00:00:55,007 --> 00:00:57,005 From a production perspective, 23 00:00:57,005 --> 00:01:00,002 let's think about how they pull this off. 24 00:01:00,002 --> 00:01:02,009 An in-house team will determine all the touch points 25 00:01:02,009 --> 00:01:05,007 a dedicated agency would design and distribute the TV, 26 00:01:05,007 --> 00:01:07,009 print, and outdoors ads, and digital content 27 00:01:07,009 --> 00:01:11,004 working with hundreds of suppliers all over the world. 28 00:01:11,004 --> 00:01:13,002 The media for these would've been bought 29 00:01:13,002 --> 00:01:15,005 months in advance for that moment. 30 00:01:15,005 --> 00:01:18,002 Now, Apple has a philosophy that every touch point 31 00:01:18,002 --> 00:01:21,005 to a customer should provide a delightful experience, 32 00:01:21,005 --> 00:01:24,004 right down to the receipts you get in the Apple store. 33 00:01:24,004 --> 00:01:27,000 They understand the importance of design that comes to life 34 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,004 through high-quality production. 35 00:01:29,004 --> 00:01:32,002 They work with legions of suppliers all over the world 36 00:01:32,002 --> 00:01:34,002 to bring their brand to life. 37 00:01:34,002 --> 00:01:37,000 Now, think of your own customer touch points, 38 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,003 then think about how you can optimize 39 00:01:39,003 --> 00:01:41,005 your customer experience. 40 00:01:41,005 --> 00:01:44,001 Simplicity, quality and attention to detail 41 00:01:44,001 --> 00:01:47,002 do not necessarily mean expensive. 42 00:01:47,002 --> 00:01:50,000 To determine whether you should outsource the production 43 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,007 to a full service company who designs, produces, 44 00:01:52,007 --> 00:01:54,006 and distributes your work for you, 45 00:01:54,006 --> 00:01:57,000 or you should work with specialists direct, 46 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,004 use this three-point checklist. 47 00:01:59,004 --> 00:02:01,001 How critical is this work 48 00:02:01,001 --> 00:02:03,005 to the long-term success of my company? 49 00:02:03,005 --> 00:02:06,000 If high, bring in experts. 50 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,005 How comfortable am I with my marketing skills 51 00:02:08,005 --> 00:02:10,008 to brief, supervise and judge quality? 52 00:02:10,008 --> 00:02:14,008 If low on comfort, bring in experts. 53 00:02:14,008 --> 00:02:17,006 How much time do I have to dedicate to following up 54 00:02:17,006 --> 00:02:20,002 on the millions of details on any production? 55 00:02:20,002 --> 00:02:23,006 If you don't have the time, bring in experts. 56 00:02:23,006 --> 00:02:25,006 If you have the time and skill to brief 57 00:02:25,006 --> 00:02:27,009 and work with the photographer for your product shoot, 58 00:02:27,009 --> 00:02:29,005 for example, do it. 59 00:02:29,005 --> 00:02:31,006 If not, bring in experts. 60 00:02:31,006 --> 00:02:34,002 Now, experts can be a variety of people. 61 00:02:34,002 --> 00:02:36,002 You could work with the marketing consultant 62 00:02:36,002 --> 00:02:38,006 who acts kind of like a general contractor. 63 00:02:38,006 --> 00:02:40,002 They're the conduit between you 64 00:02:40,002 --> 00:02:42,002 and the people producing the work. 65 00:02:42,002 --> 00:02:43,004 The benefit of these people 66 00:02:43,004 --> 00:02:45,007 is that they can represent you strategically, 67 00:02:45,007 --> 00:02:49,006 and they think about the impact on your broader business, 68 00:02:49,006 --> 00:02:51,004 or they could be a producer. 69 00:02:51,004 --> 00:02:53,003 A producer is also a conduit, 70 00:02:53,003 --> 00:02:54,006 but they generally don't come 71 00:02:54,006 --> 00:02:56,007 with the broader business insights. 72 00:02:56,007 --> 00:03:00,004 An agency big or small will do both of those roles. 73 00:03:00,004 --> 00:03:02,008 Over time, you'll find that the right production 74 00:03:02,008 --> 00:03:06,001 and distribution partners can become great collaborators, 75 00:03:06,001 --> 00:03:09,000 and indeed, great business partners.