Levitate Media

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Director at Region Five Development Commission (R5DC) and North Central Economic Development Association (NCEDA). I am responsible for maintaining the administrative duties and external marketing and communications for R5DC, NCEDA, and The Good Life. I coordinate marketing and outreach activities, facilitate website maintenance, digital marketing and event planning. I also oversee the branding for R5DC and NCEDA, beautify plans, and create project collateral.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Video?

We hired Levitate to assist us with a digital animation to help us explain our Welcoming Communities initiative and create an innovative way to share this program with the general public and our constituents.

What were your goals for this project?

We intended to use the video to share via our digital marketing channels, newsletters, and our website. Our goal was to create awareness and bring more organizations into this initiative.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Levitate sent an email solicitation to our Executive Director, who had, oddly enough, been searching for a cartoon/animation producer in Minnesota and couldn't find one. The timing and need just happened to work out very well upon the receipt of the email and dialogue began from there.

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

The video script was created and approved by us. Levitate drew up the animation portion of the video and sent us a list of people to listen to so we could select a person for the "voice-over" portion of the video. The video was put together with our script, the animation and the voice over and hardly any tweaks were needed at all once we were to this point, due to all of the upfront discussion and management by Levitate. The process was VERY smooth and extremely easy to participate in.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Our vendor, Levitate, used Basecamp to manage the project and obtain feedback from our team. This tool made it super slick and easy for us to communicate, especially with our requested changes. At the same time, it kept us all on the same page.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increased traffic to our YouTube channel and website and gained more exposure to this program in our region.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was extremely effective. The process could not have been smoother! We were super happy with the all steps of the process. It truly was a piece of cake!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The process was so smooth and efficient. They listened really well to understand our needs and get the parameters laid out upfront. The project was absolutely seamless. We worked through vacations on both sides of the project (our team and theirs) and experienced no delays. The coverage was fantastic, and so was the communication!

Are there any areas for improvement?

We can't think of anything!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I've worked closely with Levitate Video at two growth-stage startups from Sr. Marketing Manager and Director of Marketing roles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Video?

Although we had in-house videographer talent at both companies, our teams did not have the cycles or expertise needed to create the motion-graphic-driven videos required to effectively announce and explain the value of multiple new product and service offerings.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to boil down complex and sometimes changing technical capabilities into an easy-to-digest message for multiple audiences of varying personas—from the very computer-literate to the business-focused—in order to effectively communicate the value of our new software products and services and convince these audiences to request a meeting, demo, or trial.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Levitate came recommended by another Marketing organization, and after we were successful the first time, we've continued to use them and "bring them with us" to subsequent companies as a preferred, trustworthy vendor.

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

Levitate worked with our Marketing orgs., our Product Managers, and our executives to understand our target audiences and the value for each of them that we needed to communicate. They exercised their expertise in scriptwriting to boil down our long-winded ideas into short, digestible scripts and guided us through a production process where we approved the script, chose and approved voiceover and music, approved static visuals, brainstormed and approved animations, etc.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Levitate offered many, continuous opportunities for feedback. Leveraging Basecamp, the entire project team was able to stay in sync. Levitate management and their designers are always extremely responsive to our requests.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Levitate videos were featured in multiple product and service rollouts as the showcase piece for the campaign. Often, Levitate videos have been the centerpiece of our website homepages. We've played them for prospects, customer conferences, and at tradeshows. Levitate helps give us the combined words and visuals to express the value we're trying to communicate to our prospects in a way that they can easily understand and has contributed to countless business opportunities.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Levitate's managers and designers have always been extremely communicative. They use Basecamp to codify communications. Often, it has been OUR side holding them up. They've gently nudged us and effectively explained best practices to keep us on track and ensure the end result is as professional as possible.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their responsiveness and value for cost set them apart. They are experts at boiling down very complex concepts to something approachable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We're very satisfied with Levitate as-is.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Throttle CRM is the aftermarket automotive industrie's most comprehensive CRM. Throttle CRM provides a complete customer journey from last visit to next visit. Throttle CRM leverages thank you emails, surveys, newsletters, text notifications, email notifications, and postcard direct mail to make sure you are always top of mind for your customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Video?

We hired Levitate because we needed to create a video that outlined all of our services in a quick, easy to understand, way so we can sell new business and decrease our pitch time.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to reduce the sales pitch by wrapping all of Throttle's capabilities in a 90 second spot instead of a 30 minute phone call.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have worked with Levitate for years. They are our go to when we need anything video oriented. Their attention to detail and quick response times are the reason we continue to choose them for our video work.

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

The video Levitate created for us provides a quick overview on all of the items associated with our CRM program. It talks briefly about how Throttle keeps your brand top of mind and how important it is to spend your marketing dollars carefully.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Levitate meet us on site to begin the project. We then transitioned to an online platform that allows all parties to review the same files as we build to a look and feel that we are all comfortable with. Their online platform was easy to use and allowed us to add notes and feedback which was shared directly with the Levitate team. Very quick and easy process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video that Levitate provided is used on a daily basis. We include the video on our sales follow up emails and it is also available online for anyone who is interested in our services. It has become a useful and critical tool for our continued success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow between our company and Levitate was easy and clear. They are on the ball and their processes are polished.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to come in and quickly understand our needs and our business model impressed us. Their quick turn on deliverables and their expertise in what they do shines through - they have a clear and productive internal structure.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a non-profit organization that brings military, industry, government and academia together in an ethical forum.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Video?

A video to explain AFCEA and all the many entry points into the organization.

What were your goals for this project?

To inform people about the organization and all the various ways they can leverage it.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Email promotion

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

One 2.5 minute video. The process was very smooth. They were able to take from a 30 minute phone call the basics of what we do and create a script that was about 80 percent on target with the first pass. Then they worked with us on imagery and modifications to the script to fine-tune it. They delivered on time. Very organized and responsive process.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Customer portal and email.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have just launched it, but overall, it has been very well received across the enterprise.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were very well organized, very professional.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to understand what we were trying to do and boil down a very complicated organization into a short video story.

Are there any areas for improvement?

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a private equity firm that partners with entrepreneurs and management teams investing in and growing lower middle-market companies. I am the Investor Relations Vice President and responsible for the firms's strategy and implementation of investor relations and marketing/communication efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Video?

We host our limited partner annual meeting each Fall where we have the opportunity to present an update on our investment activities, including introductions to our new platform investments. The Company Overview videos created by Levitate are a great way to introduce the audience to the Company in an engaging, entertaining and informative manner. This is a highly effective way to allow our investors and team to step into the Company and not just hear it from us.

What were your goals for this project?

To produce a high-quality, professional video in an interview-style that would ultimately be entertaining and engaging, and be so well done that we can use material for future projects.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Various firms were researched and compared. Ultimately, I am driven to work with companies that are super responsive; Levitate was timely and extremely helpful from the pre-selection to the finished project. They understood our objective and provided guidance and recommendations along the way [since we aren't the video pros :)]

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

The process including strategy, scripting, story outline, filming, transcription and final product. We also had to work together on existing assets that we needed or wanted included and collaborating with the Company on scheduling. I provided guidelines, general script outline/questions for interviews and feedback based on my team's views. Levitate worked extremely well with feedback and revisions.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had 4-5 individuals involved in the process from our Firm's side and Levitate was great at managing various forms of feedback (email or base camp) and timely with addressing those comments.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The investors / public can access the videos on our website. The investors take these videos back to their respective team since not all attend the presentation. We have received great feedback from them in the sense that we strategically and succinctly show them how the capital is working, in what areas.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used Basecamp to house our team communication regarding revisions, timelines, scheduling, etc. so all knew what was outstanding to complete or what was completed. Overall, it was a fantastic approach to keeping all on task and completed the project on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their responsiveness and availability were key. I was happy to see that they had various team members involved in different functions (accounting/invoices, filming/production, editing, etc.) and all were on the same page throughout the whole project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The invoicing process was overall effective from a paperless perspective, but our spam filter caught the invoices so I recommend 2 invoices per project vs 3-4 invoices (deposit and final payment - with the assumption that project scope and budget allow for it) so that there isn't a clog of invoice with accounting to process and producing payment within a couple of weeks of each other.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Consultant / Creative designer working for a software company producing personalized and interactive videos to businesses all over the globe. I oversee creative production as part of a professional services team for client projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Video?

We sometimes use outside facilities to produce video animation for our client's video projects. Levitate are one of the few companies that understand the complexities around building the video animation scenes for our product and produce video at a high standard we demand.

What were your goals for this project?

Our client's goal was to increase customer enrolment to its benefits portal. The video has a better click-through rate and higher engagement than just sending out an email.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have used Levitate several times before and have always been pleased with there professionalism, quality of work and dedication to deliver on time and in budget.

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

Our client needed to educate customers on the features of their self-service online portal, such as managing users and benefits. The objective was to drive registration to the portal and increase repeat use.

The video provides confirmation of the policy types that have been purchased as well as setting expectations for certain tasks like billing and publications.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Working with Evan and Mike through the design phase, into production and post-production was flawless. Levitate was able to respond to feedback and provide updates and changes quickly through several rounds of review.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We and our client are very happy with the assets delivered for this project, delivered on time and in budget.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Levitate and ourselves have great workflow processes, working with each other works well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Evan and Mike are both really nice guys to work with. From organizing a shoot in a film studio, storyboarding and video animation, the quality of work is great. Working to tight deadlines and budgets, Levitate Video always delivers.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Communications Manager for a software company that's headquartered in the greater-Seattle area. Part of my job is to oversee the creation and implementation of communication programs that promote our company, our products and brand equity through both traditional and digital methods.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Video?

We use Levitate for their end-to-end video production services that demonstrate our software products and modules in a way that engages our target audience to help them understand somewhat complex concepts in about 90 seconds or less.

What were your goals for this project?

We see these videos as a way to increase brand growth and traffic to our website by streaming them to our resource library. We also showcase the videos on our social media channels and at trade shows and company user conferences.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I researched video production companies that had experience working with technology companies. I'd considered several companies before pitching Levitate to the internal stakeholders at my organization.

Levitate's CORE style appealed to us for three reasons:

1. They are budget-friendly
2. They come with an accelerated production cycle
3. The illustrations and elements used are consistent throughout every video we've worked with Levitate on.

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

Once we made the decision to go with Levitate, we had a kick-off call to cover our goals, requirements and style elements. From there we collaborated on a script, voiceovers and storyboard creation before advancing to the final version of our video.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We worked together through an easy collaboration platform. We provided several rounds of feedback and recommendations. I'm impressed by Levitate's process because it's thorough and efficient.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our most recent video was finalized just this week, so I don't have many metrics to share. I will say that using a compilation video to loop at trade shows is a draw to conference-goers because they appreciate the look and feel of the videos - and because they're fun to watch.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our project managers have been easy to work with. I appreciate the frequent updates and know they do everything on their end to keep the project moving forward. Our project expectations have been met every time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I like how Levitate Video was able to cut through the noise to simply tell a story using animated visual information. It's fun to see a video bring our concepts to life that educate and entertain.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I'm very satisfied with Levitate and look forward to collaborating on our next video. I think it'd be really great if they could somehow offer interactive videos.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as a marketing manager focused on client marketing efforts for a financial data aggregation company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Video?

We have worked with Levitate Video for years, historically on product videos and corporate videos. In the past 12-18 months, we have engaged Levitate to help create additional videos on our product suite as well as implementation best practices videos for our clients.

What were your goals for this project?

Specifically for the implementation best practices video, our goal was to provide immediate advice and best practices to our new clients. Ultimately, a great implementation will promote higher usage.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have been working with this vendor for years and have been impressed with their work ethic and the end deliverables.

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

The video creation generally starts with a scoping -- topic of video, upfront documentation, expected length. Levitate provides us a quote based on this material. Then we typically have a phone interview with the subject matter expert and the writer. Then the writer provides a draft of the script, which is then reviewed internally and ultimately approved after iterations. Once the script is approved, the design team starts with a concept of the design.

Once that concept is approved, the designer creates a storyboard of the whole video. Once the storyboard is complete and approved, Levitate then voicesover the script and animates the video. The animated video goes through reviews, and when it is ultimately approved, the final files are provided.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Levitate has fantastic project management. They have great follow up and are very patient. The feedback is all recorded in tools and is easy to refer back to.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally, we have received strong feedback on the designs and the content of the videos. With clients, we include these videos in automated programs. We have very strong click through rates on the emails and play rates of the videos.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am most impressed by the level of detail and the end project. The videos are very clean and nicely designed.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

EPI-Q is a healthcare consulting company providing health economics and outcomes research to the Life Sciences Industry. I am the President of EPI-Q as well as an original founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Video?

We wanted to try creating a video providing a brief overview of our company and services as a way of marking our 25th anniversary. We asked Levitate to help script the video, on-site filming, and video production.

What were your goals for this project?

Use as marketing content for existing and new clients to acknowledge existing customers and provide entrees to new clients. We envisioned this as more of a mechanism to promote and increase brand awareness as we've been in business for 25 years.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Identified and interviewed 3 vendors who were all in the same general price range. Following the interviews, our leadership met and selected the company we thought understood us the best and had examples of relatively straightforward video projects.

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

PRE-PRODUCTION 1. Organization and information exchange- included orientation to an on-line project management software used to communicate with each other and store materials used during the project. We also provided branding guidelines and assets (e.g., logos, colors, etc.) 2. Kick-off call 3. Pre-production package - a creative brief that was jointly created after Levitate provided an initial draft of the script. PRODUCTION 4. Shoot - On-site filming that lasted the better part of the day involving multiple staff selected by our company POST-PRODUCTION 5. Rough draft of video - rough cut provided to EPI-Q and we provided feedback until we were comfortable that the basic direction was good. 6. First draft - additional edits by our team to Levitate. It is important to note that there were no limitations on the number of edits placed on EPI-Q. It took about 3-5 versions before going to the next stage though none were major. 7. Final video - three versions of the video were provided to EPI-Q including an HD version. Each one was suitable for various display purposes (e.g., streaming off our website, LinkedIn, simple viewing, etc.)

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We held regular project meetings and used their project management software (BaseCamp) to manage interaction. Turn around time was prompt even though at times EPI-Q was delayed.Levitate was always very accommodating to us relative to meeting our time requirements even though it delayed the project longer than it should have. We were very pleased with their willingness to work with us on our terms.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have used the video in a number of ways and while there is no tangible ROI in terms of it generating business it was not intended to do this. Instead we have received multiple compliments and are about to launch a customer-wide end-of-year campaign where the video will be prominently featured.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I can't say enough about the workflow and the willingness of Levitate staff to be professional, flexible, and on-time when we made that possible.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The money invested seems appropriate for what we received. The quality of the product was top notch and the professionalism of the entire team that we interacted with was excellent. While we wanted the service, there were times when we needed to provide material, be present for filming, or other tasks that we may not have been excited about at the time given our incredibly busy schedules. The Levitate Team obviously works in this environment all the time as they handled all situations calmly and with a willingness to be flexible, and always provided helpful feedback and ideas throughout.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It would probably have been helpful to have received a more thorough orientation to the project management software. This might have facilitated information flow better. Overall, however, we would not hesitate to recommend Levitate Video for similar services.