Levitate Media

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director of Marketing for Trade Ideas, a SaaS technology company making market intelligence tools for self directed and professional traders and investors in the North American markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Levitate has made three product explainer videos for us. One for our A.I. modules and the other for our portfolio management / autotrading module.

What were your goals for this project?

To develop videos that explain a complex concept in a concise and understandable way.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I do not recall who recommended, however it was a recommendation.

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

All three videos have 90 second and 60 second versions explaining the concepts and functions of the software product modules. Levitate has a good process of script development, design and voice over decision making, story-boarding, production and delivery.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They use Basecamp to keep tasks and deliverables from the vendor and us on track.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Introducing Trade Ideas video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf9CGBnhxsI&t=8s Introducing Holly the AI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIlwva93aEc&feature=youtu.be Introducing Brokerage Plus video: https://youtu.be/czfU9q1x7TA

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Levitate has a good process that keeps things moving.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The process and results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Evaluation Specialists, a woman-owned evaluation firm. We evaluate world-bettering programs — in the fields of prevention, health promotion, education, and social services — to help them use research and evaluation to do the most for good. Our team’s decades of combined skills and on-the-ground experience offer our clients a range of methods to answer real-world questions. We provide comprehensive evaluation services (as well as targeted consulting) at community, state, and national levels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Levitate to work with us to make a three minute video sharing the impacts and lessons learned of our evaluation of a county-wide initiative to support family caregivers.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted something that clearly communicated our findings and told the story of the Community Caregiving Initiative and it's almost 30 community-based partners. We had never used a video to convey our findings and thought it would appeal to more audiences and better disseminate the work on the partners.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My team searched the web for companies that had created videos to share research and evaluation findings. We didn't find any, but we did find several that created marketing videos. We spoke with a few of them and ended up selecting Levitate because they were willing to walk us through the process, since we'd never done anything like this before. And we liked many of the examples they were able to provide to give us ideas about how we might want our video to look.

Describe the project in detail.

We hired Levitate to work with us to make a three minute video sharing the impacts and lessons learned of our evaluation of a county-wide initiative to support family caregivers.

What was the team composition?

Two members of our team worked with the Levitate developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very pleased with the resulting video, and our clients were too.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was very effective. The only reason the project took so long challenged on our end.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their willingness to walk us through the process of developing a video to highlight our work set us apart.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Coordinator at an technology solutions company located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We are an end-to-end tech solutions provider, we serve SMBs to Fortune 100s as a single source for design, consultation, support and implementation services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were trying to incorporate new marketing ideas into our business. My boss received a brochure with a video, so we decided it would be a catchy idea to grab someones attention. We put together a video brochure.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped to introduce prospects to a new technology with the video leading to appointments. Our goal was 10 appointments and increased pipeline.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for companies that could provide the services for this project and they were at the top of the list. They responded right away. I selected this vendor because of their responsiveness and the quality of their products.

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

After we selected them, we had an initial call to discuss our business and what the video would be used for. They helped us some up with a strategy. They put together a storyboard for us and once we saw that we could really envision how the video would look. Their role was so important to this project because we did not know where to begin.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They provided a samples of the animated video. They worked with us to get the look we were trying to achieve and gave us suggestions for what would look good. They were so helpful through the process as this was our first time making a video. They made everything easy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately, this was not a successful campaign for us. We did not get any leads or generator any business from the project.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication with their entire team was great. They were prompt with their responses and always met all deadlines. They met all of our exceptions, exceeded them!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was most impressed by the catalog of videos that they had to offer. They variety available to fit every industry. I was nervous because we are in technology and we would not find a good video fit. They are so strong in putting together all of the ideas into a storyboard that makes sense. For me, their greatest strengthen is putting those storyboards into a video that looks and sounds AMAZING!!

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would not have changed anything. It was a smooth process. They are a great company to work with for all of your video needs!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Director of B2B Marketing at a home improvement lead generation company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To produce a product explainer video for our new instant appointments product.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a video that could quickly explain how the new product works and its benefits versus traditional leads products in about 60 seconds. We planned to use the video on social media as well as in email marketing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed about 4 different vendors and liked the people and pricing at Levitate the best.

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

It's an animated video that walks through the issues in working traditional leads products, how the new Instant Appointments product works and solves those issues, and where to go to learn more.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had a shared project in Basecamp which was really helpful for keeping everyone on the same page. We had several revisions and they handled them within scope and like champs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's been our primary video for advertising for a year and has driven quite a bit of pipeline for us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Effective. I can't really think of a time when we felt like things were disjointed or there was poor communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The project manager they have run each project is really on top of it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am currently the Southeast Territory Manager for an environmentally-friendly chemical products producer; however, at the time of working with Levitate I was our Marketing Manager.

We're a small but quickly growing manufacturer and technical consulting company in the water and wastewater industry. Our main focus is assisting wastewater treatment plants with their nutrient removal process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had recently rolled out an updated version of our Control System, which automates and optimizes part of the nutrient removal process in wastewater treatment.

We needed a way to concisely and accurately showcase our new product to potential customers. We wanted something to visually explain and simplify a somewhat complicated process.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a short, high-level video explaining our new product that we could share with potential customers and add to our website. If customers could visualize how much this product would improve their process and reduce their workload then we would be able to roll more Control Units into the field.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I compiled a list of 5-10 video production companies that caught my eye while searching online. I had introductory phone calls with all the companies, narrowed down my list, and received proposals from 3-4.

The final decision to go with Levitate was based off the quality of their work, their ability to understand the technical aspects of our product and industry, and the value of their proposal.

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

Once we decided to go with Levitate we had a kick off meeting where we met their team and came up with a rough idea of what we wanted from them.

Shortly after we were added to a project management website which provided a great way to go back and forth with ideas, animations, scripts, voice samples, etc. A month or so later we had a final 90 second video that was exactly what we were looking for.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Throughout the process we went one step at a time. We agreed on a rough draft script, length, and the visual theme of the animations. They got back to us with a rough draft and we made edits. We went through several drafts and eventually came to final product we were very happy with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After we received the final video we added it to our website and started using it in digital marketing and meetings with customers. Since then we have deployed our new product into several new plants.

It's tough to give exact numbers and ROI but I personally believe the video did a lot to help showcase the prodcut's capability to our customers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Using the project management website to communicate was very effective. We could easily see what was complete and what needed to be done, and who needed to do it. Overall, it was a very smooth process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was very impressed with how quick their response time was. We would ask for some changes to the draft video and they would get the new version back to us in record time.

Additionally, I was very impressed with how they understood our technical jargon and gave us back a script that was more concise and easily understood.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing that I can recall.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Brand & Marketing Communications for TeamSnap—an app and software that helps teams, clubs, and leagues manage every aspect of their sports season from player registration and communication to scheduling, payment collection and much more. TeamSnap takes the work out of play.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

For the launch of our payments/invoicing feature, we partnered with Levitate to create a video.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to clearly capture the pain points related to payment collection (for sports fees), highlight the value of TeamSnap's payment/invoicing solution, and drive users to download our app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My colleagues worked with Levitate previously and recommended their services. I was impressed by their portfolio and willingness to go above and beyond to flesh out a storyboard that perfectly captured our core value proposition.

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

• Discovery call
• Script/storyboard
• Scope of work and quote
• Kick-off call
• Treatment updates
• Shot list
• Schedule review
• Casting review
• Live video production
• Rough edit
• First full draft
• A few rounds of edits
• Final edit and deliverables

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We kept all communication in Basecamp. They also utilize other tools to easily capture comments for voice over treatments and video cuts at the exact moment of feedback, which makes it super easy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have tested the video on Facebook and Instagram and have found it to outperform an animated explainer video we developed with a different agency.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective. They are communicative and did an excellent job keeping our team in the loop and responsive to any concerns/edits we had during the post-production process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They became an extension of our team and went the extra mile to deliver a quality video.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not with Levitate. The only improvements would be on the client-side and being faster with feedback to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a bank that deals mostly in commercial finance. We also offer personal deposit products. I'm the marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Levitate Video?

We were sorely lacking in video content, and we wanted a few items produced for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Another company created an animated video for us, so we were going off of that. They provided us with testimonial videos from our clients, a bank overview video, and another video specific to the vertical we serve. We had conference calls to go over the scripts before they started filming.

They did every part of the production, and most of the videos were shorter than three minutes. An executive recently left us, so we went back to them and made some edits to maintain the content while showcasing current personnel. They told a good story, and we use them on our website and in email campaigns. We also displayed them on our YouTube channel and some product-specific pages.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact recently changed, so we've had two main contacts over the course of our engagement with them. For the shoots, we had two or three people for onsite videos.

How did you come to work with Levitate Video?

We did some research and decided to use them. They were competitively priced, and they charged much less than the previous agency we used. I looked over videos they highlighted on their site, and we were impressed by the quality for the cost.

How much have you invested with them?

We did so many videos at once, so they gave us a good bulk discount. The first round of projects cost about $25,000, and we've spent about $32,000 so far. They fit within the budget we want.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started working together in the spring or summer 2017. They stay in touch with us, and we're in the planning process for several more videos now, both animated and live-action.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality is wonderful. Our customers rave about them, and we're very happy with the video content. They presented top-notch products. The vertical-specific video had a lot of interaction and participation, but I couldn't list any hard numbers.

How did Levitate Video perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic project managers. They had everything done on time, they communicated well, and we had regular meetings. We're very satisfied with everything they've done for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They focus only on video, and they do that really well. They stick with what they know, which stands out positively for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything they did was fantastic, and we never questioned their choices or worried about their work. They lined up time frames very well, and we didn't have any issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their ideas, they know what they're doing. You'll find in your research that they will produce professional, high-quality videos at competitive prices. They bring a lot to the table, so let them walk you through it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

TechCorr USA is a non-destructive testing company that sees through the inspection and repair of faults in the materiality of assets for process plants. My position is Marketing Manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Levitate Media Group?

Hired Levitate Media to produce an animated video that explains one of the services offered at our company.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the project was to make a palatable video for our customers to better understand the Tank Inspection service using our complex technology.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The vendor seemed the most prepared to work closely with our company to help us make the best video for our needs.

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

The video describes the service of Tank Inspection by way of our Tank Robot. The video tells the step by step process of mobilizing to the site, setting up, deploying our robot and identifying and reporting on material faults on the tank floor.

The process to complete this was through a few rounds of scripting and reviewing; animating styling decision making; voice actor choosing from a significant list of voice actors; viewing the screen stills of the animated as per the flow of the script literature, and then going through a round of video animation completion and review. The process makes absolute sense and made things siloed yet comprehensive.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Project management and feedback was very seamless. Our project manager Jennifer, guided me through each step and was very organized and understanding throughout the process. The feedback from the others on the team were justified and being a designer myself I was impressed with their 'checks and balances' system.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video produced by Levitate has the most views by far of any other video we have online.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was been quite effective, especially working on our second video with them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their step by step process that ensures all are parties on board

Are there any areas for improvement?

Areas for improvement would only be tightening up the stage of mockup screens; in that one would be better able to understand the scenes as it flowed with the script if there was a slightly more animated viewing of the scenes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Im the project manager from the company that was directing the video production and creating the content for the producer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had a celebrity gala event that we had to get a video done for and it needed to develop an emotional response. They got the B roll film and edited the video and did the transistion and incorporated some of the messaging.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to get the project done in 2 weeks before the deadline.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Not sure how we found them we were in a rush and needed it done in x time frame and they were available and assigned a producer to us and we got it done.

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

The video ended being about cancer awareness and how certain groups of women are unfairly targeted by cancer and then it described the history of the CCR5 delta 32 gene and the role it played in history preventing the extinction of the human race and role it now plays in cancer and HIV. It concluded talking about how some scientists are eradicating cancer and HIV using this cell target.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They were excellent and responded on the weekend and anytime they were quereied. There was direct contact with the editor. If there was maybe could have shaved some time off the development. It was project based but timing was important.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project looked great. The gala was fantastic and got some awareness

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The work flow was very controlled by the producer. He did a good job making sure their was one decision maker.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Found their overall knowledge of what is effective and their guidance a reason to work with them again. They understand what resonates.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always room for improvement. They could have given more ideas for B-roll and provided more ideas to select from.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing & Communications Director at the Southern U.S. Trade Association. We are a USDA-funded non-profit that assists small businesses in promoting their U.S.-agriculture based products internationally. Our region is the south, and we work with the Departments of Ag in 15 southern states to implement the programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Often, people glaze over when we try to explain what we do! We wanted to create an engaging video that aptly depicts what we offer. Then we wanted to replicate that video 15 times to co-brand a few of the frames with each of our member states and give it to them as a tool to use to engage companies in their respective states.

What were your goals for this project?

To increase knowledge of what we do, to bolster and leverage our relationship with our member state Departments of Ag, and to increase membership.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They had sent me several emails about their video services. When we decided to create these videos I searched my emails for any firms that had reached out. We evaluated several different firms, and we liked the style of videos that they produced for other companies.

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

We started off by me giving them a presentation through a webinar so that I could teach them in a 45 minute presentation what I wanted to convey in a 90 second video!

They helped me distill the content into a script that would meet the 90 second time goal. Then we selected the animation style that we liked best, and they did the rest. They checked in at every stage (through Basecamp) to make sure that we liked the direction in which it was developing.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Levitate was great to work with. The Production Manager used a platform called Basecamp where they would drop documents and design ideas, and we would go back and forth on Basecamp. It was great to have all of our correspondence in that one place - rather than strung through emails.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our member states love having the video, which is co-branded with their logos. We also love having it as a tool to better describe what we do.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective. We met our deadline, and we got what we wanted. They were incredibly easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The communication with the Production Manager was so easy using Basecamp. I was consulted throughout every single step, and the result is a set of videos that capture what we set out to create!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of!