How to Brief Your Video Agency?
Because most people get it very wrong.
When a company needs a video, it usually goes something like this:
- Some poor soul, with no particular knowledge in the field, is put in charge of the project ("Oh, come on! You made that Christmas video with the tree! It was great!")
- To show progress, this new manager, alone or in consultation, makes a number of decisions that will soon become irreversible: format, duration, sequences...
- Production compagnies are then contacted. For them, these arbitrary decisions are now input data. To prove their worth, they compete... on price.
I'm exaggerating. But not by much.
The flaws in this approach are glaring: the most experienced people take no part in the most important decisions on the subject they know best. And the final choice of provider is based on the trivial (the price), not on what truly matters: the value the film will bring to the company.
(Not to mention the unnecessary stress the poor soul goes through, having to make decisions in a field they don't know, fully aware that the result will be shown to everyone...)
Ideally, it would go more like this:
- At the very first hint of needing something like video content, a minimal brief is assembled. It answers the basic questions – and that's it:
- Why do you need a film?
- What problem should it solve?
- What's the budget range?
- This information is shared with several providers who can then compete on ideas, not on price. A short phone call will be enough to see who you feel aligned with and which ideas make you go "Wow!"
- Go back to your real job instead of pretending you're Spielberg.
Don't forget: making a film is an artistic endeavor. Your company will gain enormously by letting the providers express themselves. However, it's up to you to ensure that what they propose aligns with your brand.
💡 And if it's a significant investment and you're unsure about the message or the brief? Call me, and I'll take care of this step. Yes: just the brief. It's a new service I'm offering, and you'll have peace of mind.