King Toledo

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr. Manager, Research and Development Communications of Amgen

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Amgen is one of the world's leading independent biotech companies - fighting the toughest diseases and helping millions of people globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire King Toledo to accomplish?

• Design an overview video for Amgen research and development that highlighted the cutting edge research happening in our labs.
• Create a compelling visual direction to elevate research and development messaging.

SOLUTION

How did you find King Toledo?

Referral

Why did you select King Toledo over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from King Toledo were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

King Toledo developed a visual direction for the Amgen research and development overview video that was as cutting edge and technology forward as the function itself. They developed a storyboard, helped with scouting, created a production plan, and delivered drafts and final cuts on or before schedule.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We had worked with other vendors to try to get our video made, but they lacked the creativity and attention to detail that was required to create something that accurately represented the function. King Toledo listened very carefully to our discussions, asked good questions, and generally helped us find ways to focus on visual design that worked beautifully to convey the messages we were hoping to get across.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Everything was on or before the due date, and King Toledo did a great job of making sure that we were aware of our requirements to keep things moving.

What was your primary form of communication with King Toledo?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What we needed was a visual translator - someone who we could talk to and who could take our descriptions of our work and turn it into imagery that genuinely reflected the scientific innovation happening across the country. King Toledo did an amazing job of taking our science and making it art.

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

While I initially thought their estimate was high, at the end I felt very much like you get what you pay for. They were extremely responsive and easy to work with and delivered a very high-quality product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief experience officer for a social networking app. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with King Toledo?

I hired King Toledo to produce an explainer video of our beta app for external stakeholders, investors, advisors, and potential partnerships. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

King Toledo produced an explainer video of our beta app. They started out doing a 45 second sizzle video that introduced the concept of our company. Then they moved into the more involved project which was the 10-minute explainer video of our app. The video took place inside a phone where we showed the UX/UI of the app in the context of different content that’s in the app. We rebuilt our screens in Illustrator and gave those to King Toledo. They animated the screens in Adobe After Effects. Then they brought them into Premier where they assembled the final video. We wrote the script internally but they did all of the music and content choices and editing. They gave creative feedback in order to make the script better. 

What is the team composition? 

I was in contact with two of the three people we worked with. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Jason (Founder/Executive Producer) was very communicative, responsive, accommodating, and open to adjustments. From the time we started engaging to the time the video started was about three months. He patiently waited because I wanted to make sure everything was truly ready before we started. We rebranded halfway through a video production and they even rolled with that. He was very clear and detailed in his notices. He used Vimeo and was on top of all the notes that I added. In addition, the animator is very creative and talented. 

How did you come to work with King Toledo?

An advisor in our company recommended them after having worked with them. I don’t regret choosing King Toledo. 

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost $47,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between March–May 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very satisfied with King Toledo’s explainer video of our app. The app has helped us raise money in the millions of dollars.

How did King Toledo perform from a project management standpoint?

King Toledo met every deadline or delivered ahead of time. We communicated via Slack which went really well and occasionally text messaged. We used Vimeo and Google Docs as well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

King Toledo is a creative company that is very easy to work with. I’m impressed by how reliable they are. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Book them early because they’re very busy. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Im the Head of Brand and Marketing Design for a tech company. We created a tool to help home remodeling professionals manage their business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire King Toledo, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create a video that showcased testimonials from both the consumer and home remodeling professional. We've created testimonials before internally, but looked to King Toledo to help us elevate with the use of hired talent, location and quality of the video production. The goal was to clearly outline what the benefits are of working with our product when remodeling or renovating your home.

SOLUTION

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

I've worked with King Toledo in the past on various projects. They're always so professional and a joy to work with that I knew I wanted to work with them on this project. Not to mention they do a great job of working with my budget and timeline.

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

King Toledo took care of everything from start to finish, which was a huge relief. We started with a kick off meeting to discuss details and review the script, which gave them an idea of the story we were trying to tell. From there they handled everything from talent scouting, location, wardrobe, to set design. On the day of the shoot it was clear that they had thought through everything and the process was seamless. In the end they helped us produce 2 videos that were exactly what we were looking for.

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

We worked with Jason and Jay, who are the perfect combination of details and design. They were great at communicating with us every step of the way, and super responsive when we had any questions or feedback. The first round of edits came in a timely manner and the feedback was always addressed exactly how we wanted it. Through a combination of Vimeo, email and phone calls we were able to achieve a final video without any issues.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We shared the videos company-wide and the response was very positive. We hadn't created videos of this caliber previously, so it was exciting for us to have a video that portrayed our company and product in such an elevated way. The videos are currently in testing and are being used in all different areas of our marketing.

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

The one thing that always impresses me about King Toledo is their thoughtfulness to the project. The presentations they send in the beginning, that outline everything from the concept to production, are always super helpful. They really made you feel like they had everything covered. On the day of the shoot there isn't a detail that isn't thought about.

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

King Toledo always impresses me with how easy it is to work with them. It's always a fun time creating campaigns with them, and even in stressful times, they find a way to make the experience super enjoyable.

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

I can honestly say that Im 100% satisfied with their services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a video producer for a software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire King Toledo, and what were your goals?

The goal of the case study was to create an engaging video that speaks to the benefits of our product. We wanted an end product that looked and sounded great.

SOLUTION

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

We looked for video production companies in LA, who had experience working with corporate companies and shooting case studies. Toledo checked the boxes of being collaborative, professional and buttoned up from our first call with them.

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

Estimating the project with Jason was simple. He asked relevant questions and worked within our budget. We went to Toledo with boards. They seamlessly handled the pre-production process (permits, location scout, tech scout, day of logistics/scheduling, hiring crew, add more creative ideas to the existing boards). The actual production went smoothly and the director (Jay) worked well with our interviewee.

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

I worked with Jason on all phases of the project. T We had open communication via email, call, zooms and text to make sure we had all logistics covered.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although the video hasn't gone live yet, the edit was approved on the first round, which is very very rare.

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

They completed every portion of the project on time or ahead of time.

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

During our first call, I could immediately tell that they spent time researching our product. They went above and beyond to get the shots that would take the video to the next level.

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

Honestly, no.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a strategist in Amgen's Global Employer Brand and Recruitment Marketing organization. I oversee all of the content, on a global scale, around Amgen's brand as it relates to talent attract and recruitment marketing. Amgen is one of the world's largest global Biotechnology company with more than 20,000 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire King Toledo?

Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of all that we do at Amgen. Within our Information Systems organization we realized that there were challenges in attracting diverse talent to the organization. We wanted to work with King Toledo to bring to life some of the diverse and talent staff members we have within the organization.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped by engaging with King Toledo we could authentically bring to life what makes Amgen so special and how we embrace diversity through the eyes of our staff members. Through this groundbreaking and innovative film project, we wanted to create assets that could be leveraged to further brand Amgen as a diverse employer of choice ultimately driving more traffic to our career site, engaging with more diverse talent and increasing applicant flow and ultimately the diverse makeup of our organization.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched far and wide for a vendor that had a similar vision as ours. we knew documentary style was the direction we wanted to take our vision toward. We researched quite a number of companies both locally and across the country but King Toledo quickly rose to the top. They really thought "outside of the box" for us, bringing some of the most creative and innovative ideas to the table. We interviewed them and they interviewed us. We really felt like we knew them when we ultimately made our decision to work with them on this exciting project.

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

King Toledo, right out of the gate, did everything they could to get to know us. They interviewed our featured staff members and got to know them all well. This was key as we invited them into our homes, our workplaces and even to some of our extracurricular activities, we engage in outside of work (i.e. one of our feature staff members invited King Toledo into her jujitsu studio to watch her practice).

Their storyboards were extremely detailed - they left nothing out but were flexible and willing to work with us on our vision as well. They were a true partner and it showed in the final product. They were extremely mindful of understanding our limits and our regulations as it impacted our business. We truly felt like they were partners and part of our team.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Their crew was magnificent! They arrived bright and early on the morning of filming and were so organized they made the day absolutely seamless! We had a team of approximately 8 so we never without support. They managed the script but worked very openly with each and everyone one of our stars and staff members who participated.

Upon completion of production (which took place across multiple days, multiple locations and multiple states) we were regularly looped in on progress. We were given access to all footage and edits and were very much involved in the feedback process so our vision for the films could be perfectly executed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Again, as a reminder, this was a "first of its kind" type of project for Amgen. Never have we let our viewers in so closely to what goes on "behind the scenes" - what an incredible experience!! We had a red carpet premiere and viewing event for our staff members and King Toledo even came to the event to help introduce the films, discuss their vision and execution and take questions from the audience.

This project was a HUGE success! It brought incredible traffic to our careers site and provided such genuine authenticity as to who Amgen is as an organization. This far surpassed our expectations with engagement data: more than 40K views of the video with a CTR of 3%. Our impressions were more than 55K.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

King Toledo's delivery was ALWAYS on time and eloquent in its delivery. From the original treatment to our project plans, communication strategy and production schedule everything was perfectly timed and delivered. I would say just about everything we wish for, we got. They were so incredibly easy and flexible to work with and their vision was tremendous.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Given this was our first experience executing on a project of this scale, we were so impressed with how creative, innovative and organized the team at King Toledo was. I felt like no vision was too large. They were willing to work with us and help us achieve each and every goal we set out to deliver. They were all so professional and easy to work with. They really seemed to "get" us!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, I consider myself very fortunate that this was my first experience working with a production company like King Toledo. Areas of improvement? Honestly, I do not have any. Our experience was quite seamless.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of studio operations and production at an e-commerce and big-box furniture company. I oversee all studio content output, working with my production team to produce TV spots, web content, and social media activity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with King Toledo?

We brought them on as a production crew to shoot one of our TV spots. Our partnership ended up growing, and they’ve handled much more production.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provide their team with copy, but they’ve also enlisted an editor to work with our creative team. After drafting a shot list and schedule, their crew shot both in our studio and on location. We collaborated in sourcing talent and music. 

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with Jay (Founder & Executive Producer, King Toledo), Jason (Executive Producer, King Toledo), and their production crew.

How did you come to work with King Toledo?

Our social media manager worked with Jay previously and recommended him. He had also shot a behind-the-scenes video of one of our catalog photo shoots. We met him originally in that capacity and thought of him when we were looking for production crews. After finding that Jay was part of King Toledo, we chose to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent approximately $750,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've started with them in December 2016, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We use Ace Metrix to ensure that we get feedback from various people on the relevance and quality of our TV spots, taking recommendations into account in sharing them with the crew. However, we’ve been very satisfied with their work. They never miss shots, and all final deliverables have been high-quality. 

How did King Toledo perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was managed effectively under Jason, who took care of developing the shot list, schedule, and progress during production. Their work has always been to our standards and, because of the seamless project management, they’ve been very easy to work with. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Jay and Jason are a great duo. Jay brings a calm, collected demeanor to his directorship, which is helpful in a crazy production environment. Jason brings a high level of organization to the table. I’m confident in his grasp of managing the production and schedule. They can address any questions, concerns, or suggestions that come up on our end. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We often felt like we could be more efficient without as many bodies on set. They’ve since honed in on that, and we’re in a good place now. So, I actually don’t have any suggestions for improvement at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

After providing a concept and storyboards, give them the creative freedom to offer their thoughts and feedback on how they would approach the project. They’re very experienced, so I’d recommend being open to their suggestions. We learned over time that it was very beneficial to open that door a bit more for them. At that point, we saw what they were made of, and found more success with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I've worked with Jason and King Toledo for several projects — some when I ran branded content at Mashable and one when I ran content and creative at sweetgreen.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire King Toledo?

I've worked with Jason and King Toledo for several projects, ranging from an episodic series and a series of entrepreneur profiles for Mashable to a product spotlight for sweetgreen's first national collaboration with Chef Nancy Silverton.

Jason is super creative, cool and calm, and has a great vision for bringing stories to life. He was always prompt, prepared and professional, and I highly recommend working with him. He's also very good at managing all the stakeholders involved, from client and talent to brand sponsors, which is much appreciated in my world.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a splashy launch video to communicate our new collaboration with Nancy — we needed to explain who she was, capture her personality and cooking style, get people amped, and show why this was such a big deal. We succeeded.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had worked with Jason several times over the years, and when this campaign came about, I knew he would do great. He had traveled all over the US for previous projects we worked on, but this was especially a no-brainer, as it was in LA, where he's based.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

He produced a launch video and a handful of 30-second videos for use on social media, both organic and paid.

What was the team composition?

Jason had DP, a light guy, 2 cameramen and a sound guy — lean team, got the job done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We loved the energy captured in the video and felt that it totally did the collaboration justice. They performed well on social channels, both paid and organic.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent — Jason was highly communicative and met every deadline.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with Jason's ability to translate a fuzzy vision into a handful of very clear stories that fit really nicely together.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope, would work together again in a heartbeat!