Funnelbox, Inc

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of creative services at Oregon Tool, the world’s number one manufacturer of saw chains.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Funnelbox, Inc?

We were experiencing a large volume of saw chain manufacturers entering the Amazon market, and taking the share away from us.

They had product demo videos that made our content seem less than adequate, so we needed someone to help us create dynamic and premium product video demos.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We collaborate with Funnelbox, Inc. to produce professional-quality product videos. The project starts with a discussion on our requirements and vision, which is then followed by a submission of a storyboard by me.

We’ve had two-day shoots with about 15 crew members in remote outdoor locations. They utilize their own professional equipment and manage the video editing, as well as the audio mixing.

What is the team composition?

Over the course of the partnership, we’ve worked with the creative director, audio technicians, directors of photography, and the lighting crew among others.

How did you come to work with Funnelbox, Inc?

They were recommended to me by one of our internal team members, who’ve worked with Funnelbox, Inc in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested approximately $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since partnering with Funnelbox, Inc, we’ve seen a significant increase in sales and all the internal constituents of Oregon Tool are extremely impressed with the outputs — they felt that the videos they produced portrayed our company in a professional and premium light.

Funnelbox, Inc is an authentic, honest, and collaborative team. Partnering with them makes us feel like we’re working with someone from our own department.

How did Funnelbox, Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

For this project, they were very clear that they were going to require our help with the logistics, but I was impressed with their ability to manage the project flawlessly during the two-day production — they just went above and beyond our expectations.

We typically communicate through Zoom, Slack, email, and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personal relationship we’ve developed with them is more authentic than the other vendors I’ve previously worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m having a hard time coming up with something they could improve on because of how extremely pleased I am with the partnership. They made compromises that allowed me to continue pushing and evolving some aspects of the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You have to be aware of the time it takes to manage and coordinate all the different services, so I would advise you to just give them some time to develop the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a program manager for the International Center for Law & Economics. ICLE promotes the use of law & economics methodologies to inform public policy debates.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Funnelbox, Inc, and what were your goals?

We hired Funnelbox to film a multi-day project (including round table discussions, 1:1 interviews, and intimate group conversations) for the purpose of producing a teaser video for an academic program. The goal was to have a compelling program teaser for those potentially interested in getting involved in the program.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We wanted a company local to Portland, OR with an impressive history of good quality work.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We began with discussion of what the recorded discussion would focus on, and what issues we might want to focus on, as well as what the sessions would look like. After recording, we discussed storyboarding, and provided an outline. They took this info and created a script and rough draft. Following this, we had a few rounds of edits.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked mainly with the director and production manager. After each rough draft we would provide feedback on narrative, images, and the general flow. Each draft got closer to our eventual product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have yet to publicly roll out the video, awaiting a strategy meeting within our organization. However, we are very impressed by the outcome of the video, and all those who are featured in the video had nice things to say about the quality of the video.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We used Kollaborate to share feedback with the team. FBX was very open to feedback and was always prompt to respond. They regularly kept us abreast of the project timeline and never missed a deadline.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Funnelbox, Inc's artistic vision, professionalism, and effectiveness were a real benefit. It was important to us to not just generate a documentary, but something that generated a powerful feeling in the viewer. FBX was always clear on how best we could tweak the video to foster this effect, as well as when our ideas or preferences might hinder it.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No. We were happy with everything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Senior Director, Product Marketing at a B2B SaaS business with 5,000 global employees

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Funnelbox, Inc, and what were your goals?

We needed a comprehensive video walking our audience through all the different elements of our expansive software suite. It needed to be less than 90 seconds and extremely engaging so we could use the video for advertising.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We chose Funnelbox because of their portfolio and their understand of what we were trying to accomplish.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We were on an accelerated timeline with a hard deadline so the process was fast and happened asynchronously for the most part. We had a brainstorm meeting which led to a rough outline and example frames. Then as frames were developed, we had an iteration of feedback as the video was created.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked with Mike and the team. The process was seamless. They ran with our vision to bring their creative perspective into the video but kept our core needs in mind. Great combination of them pushing creatively without losing the purpose of the video.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We finished on time and delivered a high quality product. The video is performing well in advertising and we also use it on our website.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Their style is very collaborative and highly communicative. It was easy to get ahold of them and easy to quickly come to decisions to move forward.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They were flexible. They took feedback very well and implemented changes we wanted to see immediately.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I really enjoyed working with them and don't have any suggestions to improve for them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and development director of a program called p:ear, which was founded about 20 years ago. We work with homeless and transitional youth in downtown Portland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Funnelbox, Inc?

We worked with Funnelbox to create the many videos that we needed for our online gala fundraiser.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When COVID-19 hit, I was able to reuse old videos for the 2020 online gala, but I found that it didn’t work very well to simply translate everything from a physical event and project it onto a screen. I decided that for the 2021 gala, I would increase the elements that people liked, like beautiful content and videos, and decrease the parts that were not as appealing, like the fundraising. I realized that the bulk of my work was to ensure that people pre-committed the money, with the actual event serving as a formality. 

I initially spoke to Funnelbox about a five-minute video but had to switch it to a 20–30-minute video instead, which Joel (Owner & Executive Creative Director) was very kind about. We wound up making seven videos, ranging from 1–6 minutes. We captured videos, even using our iPhones, and scrapped things together while keeping a coherent aesthetic and editing style for all the footage. 

We involved local filmmakers, videographers, and sound editors to support artists of color in our community. We came up with ideas for the footage, such as having each of our staff members stand before a mural to read a sentence from our land statement. These shots were compiled into a cool, MTV-style video by Funnelbox. 

Another video idea we worked on was called Famous Folks, where we had people from the community ad-lib on camera about why they loved p:ear. Participants did these on their own iPhones and computers and uploaded it on our Dropbox and Google Drive. Again, Funnelbox took various kinds of footage, took all the salient moments, and added music to come up with a stylistic video.

What is the team composition?

There were four people, including Mike (Owner & Executive Producer) and Joel. Christian (Associate Creative Director) and Ryan (Editor) were in charge of the videos.

How did you come to work with Funnelbox, Inc?

They initially found us two years ago when Mike and Joel purchased Funnelbox. As part of their mission, they wanted to do a percentage of philanthropic, pro bono work for the community. I had known Mike through another project, so he reached out to me to ask what our needs were. However, at that point, our video needs were set for the year, so we put a tag on it to talk with each other the following year. 

How much have you invested with them?

Funnelbox did everything pro bono, since they wanted to support both local artists of color and our nonprofit. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We had tagged on working together two years ago but confirmed the project in the fall of 2020. By January 2021, they were already working on one of the seven videos. The gala itself was in April 2021, so that was our deadline.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to exceed our financial goals for the event. We also conducted a survey afterward and found that everyone loved the video content and considered it their favorite part of the gala.

The benefit of working with one video production team was that the whole project felt seamless. Funnelbox was very clear about what they could and couldn’t do, but they met every single one of the guidelines. They understood that I needed to evolve and supported me. 

They were professional, really stepped up to the plate, and were amazing to work with. I had been struggling with the newfound role of being a sort of TV producer, but I felt safe with their team because they helped me craft my vision into something that actually worked.

How did Funnelbox, Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated via email to set up bi-weekly meetings. I sometimes texted the team when I was coordinating the drop-off of the hard drive. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

What’s really great about Funnelbox is how explicit they were about their goals and timelines. At a certain point, when I wanted something else, they told me honestly that it would add a level of workload that they couldn’t handle. However, they thought creatively for a workaround and were deeply proactive. I never had to hunt them down; they were there at all times.

They wanted to support us for free and we worked to make that happen. I’ve worked with a lot of companies who made pro bono work seem less important, pushing us to the back burner regardless of the urgency. Funnelbox never did that. They had a ton of integrity, which is something I respect very much. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve thwarted our mission to include artists of color, but it would’ve been easier if Funnelbox did everything including the videography and sound, though these were part of their initial offer. That was the worst of it; it’s not a complaint, but simply a statement of what would’ve made the process on our end easier. Other than that, there is no way they could’ve improved. They really impressed me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I appreciate that they have diverse members and were really trying to do good in the world in terms of racial and gender equality. If your values are aligned with quality and equality, then the Funnelbox people are your people.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager of Collier Manufacturing. We produce and distribute a product called 30 SECOND Outdoor Cleaner nationwide. I also manage both social and digital media for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Funnelbox, Inc?

We were trying to create more marketing content that we could use on TV, YouTube, and Google, as well as for OTT advertising. Funnelbox helped us create advertising videos.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came to Funnelbox with a general concept for both how-to and advertising videos. We worked together to create a script, and they came up with what we wanted to film. After that, they filmed on-site and provided me with all the raw footage so that I could use it if I wanted to. Additionally, they created ads and how-to videos that we use in different areas.

Since then, their team has continued to edit and update the videos they made for us, whether it’s aspect ratio or changing the companies that are advertised on the backend based on what vendors we’re trying to highlight. They just help us fine-tune these ads as we go along so that we can get our money’s worth.

In terms of social media marketing, I’m the one who handles it. However, I go to them as a resource when I have questions. I’ve certainly talked to them about improving our website, and they made a great referral for me. We also get their input on how to best utilize and optimize the ads, making sure they serve their intended purpose. Nevertheless, they’re very aware of what’s important to us, and they make sure that our brush stroke appears correctly and our colors are perfectly matched on our ads.

What is the team composition?

Mike and Joel (Co-Owners) are my main points of contact. I’m not sure how many people worked on the backend and editing, but when we got on the site to shoot the films, 7–8 people worked on different things and made sure that all aspects were good, like lighting, angling, and sound.

How did you come to work with Funnelbox, Inc?

When I started working with Collier, they already had a relationship with Funnelbox. The owner of our company knew Funnelbox’s previous owner, so we already had a history. When new people come on site, we certainly bring the vendors that we like. However, we decided to continue working with them based on their pricing and quality of work. They’re our primary source for any videos or ads we create.

What is the status of this engagement?

When I joined my company in August 2016, we already had an established relationship with Funnelbox, and it's ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I handle customer contacts either on the phone or through the website. When I started using their how-to videos to answer customer questions, it significantly decreased how much back and forth I had with the customers. The video they created answered all of their questions in one shot and made it easier for them to use our product successfully. It saved us time as a business because we're able to provide all of the information customers need right away.

How did Funnelbox, Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

Funnelbox is willing to go back and forth 3–4 times to get the right footage, timing, and everything else until we’re satisfied with it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Funnelbox does the work to get it right for their customers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, we’re very happy with the work that we receive from Funnelbox. Everything could cost less, but I can’t think of much I’d change about working with them.

Any advice for potential customers?

Give their creative department a chance to come up with an idea and share it with you, because Funnelbox has awesome ideas that are a lot of fun, and they do a great job executing them.