Covalent

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the head of marketing at a digital strategy consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Covalent?

I needed quick turnaround creative direction and editing work for a brand video project that we needed to get out the door for a national event that we had coming up. The CEO had changed his mind on a few things and I was in a bind - to which I'd heard great things about Covalent's work and reached out.

What were your goals for this project?

The tangible outcomes of the project was to positively tell the story of the CEO and his history to a large international audience. The work involved creating a narrative, consolidating content, and editing it in a way that positively conveyed the brand our and top executive - all of which were accomplished in top end order.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was familiar with their work from word of mouth and seeing some of the high quality projects they'd done previously - which is what prompted me to reach out. Overall I looked at 4 different companies but chose Covalent because of their creative and how easy they were to work with.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

We talked through a creative brief, then discussed the assets and goals of the overall video - to which I then gave them access to our existing assets and then let them do their work. We had 2 review meetings and then a final passover - all within the space of a few weeks.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had weekly meetings where we'd review the work, discuss feedback, and then I'd receive the project with edits per our discussions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Overall their video production work received positive feedback from the company and it's customers that attended the event - and I plan to reach out with future video work moving forward.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used Trello, google hangouts, and google docs to keep track of everything. It was very easy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of their thinking and creative talent were impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I didn't have any / or experience any negative issues.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run a creative direction and writing consulting group. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

They’ve been working to help us launch a new healthcare brand that’s designed to bring employers and healthcare systems together directly. Their role in that process was to create a comprehensive yet simple video that described our target audience and why our brand would be beneficial to them. We needed to do this in a way that was engaging and not laborious.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They told our story with two animated videos that showcased what our new brand was about. The most important part of their job, for our project, is to be good storytellers. We needed to communicate our value to our potential customers. They were able to produce something that reflected that connectivity while still keeping the development process pretty simple.  

What is the team composition?

I worked with three of their team members.  

How did you come to work with Covalent?

I’ve worked with many other production companies in my career in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Minneapolis. What stood out to be about Covalent was their willingness to be true partners in our projects.

They understand that this is a business that needs to generate revenue, but they’re still doing whatever it takes to make sure the end product has the quality that needs to be delivered. Covalent has a high standard of quality in their work. They bring our visions to life. 

How much have you invested with them?

For the two videos, it cost us between $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from September–October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We don’t have any metrics at the moment, but I know that the videos have received many views so far. Because of that, we’ve been able to get our name out there for the employers and health systems that our brand is targetting. 

The client was pleased with the end product. While there were a number of client revisions, they were able to work closely with us through all of them without becoming frustrated with the situation. That showed in the final product, which is superior in quality and will continue to achieve our mission.   

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

We left project management up to them, so they may have used tools that we didn’t use throughout the development. They share their ideas early and often, collaborating with us on our ideas. We talk through our goals together. I want them to internalize the story and help me bring it to life. I don’t want a partner that’ll push a button and then wait for direction from me. Their team understood our story and helped us tell it. They’re not just technicians. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

In the world of technology, one of their greatest strengths is their people skills. They’re honest and willing to have hard talks with us without hiding information. The team is full of engaging artists, always thinking about the process, not the product. I appreciate that they’re engaged in the project on a human level and communicate with us about it effectively. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. They always deliver a great product, often under some stressful timelines.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing manager of a healthcare and education company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

Over several projects, Covalent has proven that they’re always someone that we can look to in a pinch for any digital video need.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re able to work well in all three phases of video production. Everything from storyboarding to production to post-production can be handled by them. The team workes with Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects. I’ve also seen their acumen with video production hardware as well. They do their own lighting and are up to date on shooting best practices.  

What is the team composition?

We work with three core members. 

How did you come to work with Covalent?

I’d seen high-quality work that they produced for organizations that I follow within the community. Whatever the project is, I’ve seen that they put as much care into the work as we do. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2013 and will continue collaborating as needed to support the overflow project from our in-house teams. They’re our go-to video production partner, though.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The speed and quality that they’re able to deliver had been really impressive. They handle logistics and understand the various media challenges that we have to tackle to succeed. They’re on top of things before they ever press record, making them a strong vendor.  

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

They used some project management tools on their end, but we mostly rely on email for communication. The team always takes initiative with timelines and is consistent in following up. They’ve never missed a deadline. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their key strengths are flexibility, creativity, and project management. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could elevate their work even further by ensuring that their contractors produce the same level of quality as their core staff members. That’s probably their biggest opportunity to improve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for US Acute Care.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

We’ve used Covalent to solve many of our video and recording needs over the years.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Covalent creates various videos relevant to our specific healthcare industry. We’ve used the videos to highlight the culture of our organization for recruitment purposes. Another project they’re helping us with is creating B-roll footage for an upcoming event. For each project, they handle each stage from the video shoot to editing the final output. 

What is the team composition?

Between 6–8 people support us, but there are two primary leads that I communicate with on a daily basis. 

How did you come to work with Covalent?

Covalent was an existing partner before my tenure with this organization. After evaluating them, I decided to continue using their services because they’re a good fit. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together several years ago around 2012 and our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The output is always highly detailed and of high quality. Their work always meets our expectations which is why we continue to work with them. 

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

I truly consider Covalent a partner—they do everything to get the job done right. They’ve never missed a deadline. Communication between our teams has been excellent—anytime I have a need, I can email or call them and get a response quickly. I know they’ll solve whatever issues arise. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their key strength is in video production. They have a solid team that’s talented from start to finish. From executing the shoots to delivering the final product, they’re strong. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I honestly don’t see much of a downside to them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner, creative director, and strategist at an advertising firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

We were looking to break out of the mold of what one of our clients, a regional law firm, was currently doing. We needed to introduce them to the market with a wholly different branding approach and creative style. Moreover, we needed an agency that could take on this project efficiently, effectively, and exceptionally, so we brought in Covalent.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Covalent primarily assisted us on a video production job. This involved putting together shots of real people and 3D animations. 

We began by developing the idea on our site, and then approached Covalent to build out the project. The team came back to us with a proposal detailing how they would execute everything, how much it would cost, and what the timeline would look like. We went on a few rounds of meetings to cover the different levels of the project, as it was really important to achieve the idea we had in mind.

Once we had the preliminary viewpoint and overall idea finalized, we provided the team with a storyboard and moved into production. This next phase involved recording audio tracks that Covalent then turned into animatics. After developing the story, we worked together on refining the look and feel of the videos. The team pulled their resources together to help us move into the final rendering within a short timeframe.

What is the team composition?

There were four individuals who were associated with this job. That included Jeff (Partner & Executive Producer), Nick (Partner & Creative Director), an animator, and Nate (Director).

How did you come to work with Covalent?

We had prior experience working with Covalent on a much larger project, a rebranding for a regional bank. They’d also previously worked with my partner on other jobs. In all instances, they were amazing.

We decided to hire Covalent again because their costs were very reasonable and they brought passion, dedication, and proactiveness to the table. They didn’t just do it for the money; they love being creative. 

How much have you invested with them?

This project cost under $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this particular project in April 2021. We took a month and a half to do the preliminary back-and-forth, and their team took three and a half weeks to do the actual video production.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Across the board, the video has gotten a lot of recognition and has earned our client a lot of click-through for their websites. 

Covalent really built themselves around the process so as not to affect the original idea, which was good for all parties involved. Our client praises Covalent’s work; they handled this Herculean effort and exceeded our expectations. They were able to pull everything off in the timeframe that we gave them. 

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

Covalent was fantastic. At any given time, there were two people managing the project, coordinating the details, and overseeing the logistics and timelines. We used email and phone to correspond with one another, and they were very communicative throughout the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Covalent is a smaller and, therefore, more nimble group. They know how to get the right people to work on the job. Moreover, they will not shy away from doing something that they haven’t done before and will do their best to excel at it. They’re proactive and have an eagerness to do the work. They’re the type to bend over backwards for their clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Looking back, I would say there’s not much that they would need to improve. I do, however, want to see them become more able to handle larger jobs. They’ve helped me with the biggest project I’ve ever worked on in my career, even as a small group, but they could benefit from having more people on board.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust Covalent’s ability to approach and execute your ideas, but don’t be afraid to speak up and push for what you’re thinking. They’re very collaborative and it’s how they work best.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director of Marketing and Communications at The Ellis School––an all-girls private school in Pittsburgh PA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Covalent?

Video creation.

What were your goals for this project?

Support recruitment and fundraising on behalf of the school as well as celebrate our centennial year and a new Head of School.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Vetting process via bids and initial meetings.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Creative direction, video pre and post production.

What was the team composition?

Internal stakeholders, talent, and the Covalent team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Brand assets that are regularly used on our website, in email communications, on social media, and as advertisements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was great. We have a real collaborative process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Our ability to work together seamlessly and achieve great results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope, we enjoy working with Covalent quite a bit and have used them for multiple projects.