Maxime Photo and Video

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Founder of an innovative Eco-Friendly Sweat Towel Company headquartered in Miami, Florida. We sell towels directly to Fitness Studios and on-line directly to consumers in the active workout community. Currently, we are nationwide in the USA as well as in the beginning stages of expanding into International Markets. I am responsible for the company and focus on new product development, finance, operations and HR. better towel. better ocean.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Maxime Photo and Video?

We have a new innovation, towels infused with activated charcoal - patent pending. The towel industry is huge but has moved to more of price based commodity market with limited innovation. We wanted to disrupt this industry with a bold new innovation. Due to the industry being so big, we needed a way to break-through to communicate our new innovation. We had the idea to add animation to our towels to bring the technology to life in product demo video. We had no resources in-house and had no idea how to bring animation idea to life.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to communicate our new technology to our target market and increase sales. Our goal was to create unique advertising to bring our technology to life to the active workout community. We knew this market had knowledge of charcoal benefits in products, but we are the first infuse charcoal into a towel; thus we needed a creative way to communicate.

SOLUTION

How did you select Maxime Photo and Video?

My team started with defining what we wanted. A product demo video which brings the technology to life. The biggest challenge was to find words to explain the technique and then try to find a creative agency with the capability to execute. We first started with our current agency which handles graphics, marketing and web-site development. They did not have the capabilities to execute. We came up with the words "add animation" to product technology video and started to search on-line. We wanted an agency in Miami close to our headquarters and female lead, if possible. We google searched and found Maxime Photo and Video. After a brief conversation with CEO, it was clear they had the production, creative and idea generation capability to bring our concept to life.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After we selected Maxime Photo and Video, we provided a detailed brief of product video layout with some starter ideas for animation. While we knew we wanted animation, we had no idea how it should look and work in the video to bring the technology to life. We started with a series of discussion with Maxime to work through the starter ideas. Once we reached understanding of what we wanted, Maxime did a series of different experiments for the animation, and for the video demonstration. Maxime did dedicated photography of towels, developed video format and then layered on the animation to the video. For our team, this was like magic. After first video was completed, we requested 2 additional videos for our Eco towels and our 2X Double Charcoal Beauty towels. Also, we requested Maxime bring this animation to a still image as well.

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with the Maxime agency principle directly through video calls to discuss each step through development. Maxime brought a great knowledge of what can and cannot be done as well as kept an eye on costs to make sure we could deliver project at reasonable cost. I did not interact with the Maxime team directly due to the Covid, but i know they had numerous expert resources in the USA as well and International.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still in the introduction stage of the campaign. We have started using the videos and photo on Instagram and Facebook ads as well as Amazon Sponsored Ads. Specifically for the Charcoal-Detox campaign, during the first 2 weeks of the ads on Instagram and Facebook, our on-line sales have increased 217% for our Charcoal-Detox Active Sweat Towel. In addition, our sales team has sent the videos to Studio's to educate them on our technology and for them to use in their social media efforts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was clear and open. We did daily video calls to discuss progress and next steps. Project was executed step-by-step and the communication was excellent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was totally surprised and impressed with their knowledge on the development of animation and bringing this animation to life in video and print. The agency is very creative and full of enthusiasm. They definitely over-delivered on our brief. I am very happy with the results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The agency is very very creative and developed so many great ideas. The ideas were so good and gave us a number of potential new products for the future, it was a challenge sometimes to remain focused on our original brief. This was a great problem to have for the company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and sales for Cureleaf, a medical cannabis company.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maxime Photo & Video?

Being a new company under two years old, we needed help in establishing our strategy and identity. We initially hired Maxime Photo and Video to create a corporate video for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with Maxime Photo and Video on several projects, including marketing strategies and various videos. For each video, they perform extensive industry research and speak to multiple people within our company, including myself and the CEO. Once they understand our requirements, we walk through our concepts together. Based on their research and our input, we create a script, produce the video, and edit until we reach the final product.

The videos themselves range from film to animation. Our corporate video included filming our locations, interviewing employees and the CEO. Our product videos include customer testimonials and the creation process, whereas some of the educational videos feature animated characters.

What is the team composition?

I deal directly with Tracy (President, Maxime Photo and Video), but our strategy meetings include up to 8–9 other people from their team.

How did you come to work with Maxime Photo & Video?

I’d worked with Maxime Photo and Video in the past after they were referred to us. They won an award for the previous work they did for us, so it was a natural choice to pick them again. Additionally, they are local to us and are a popular name within the industry.

How much have you invested with them?

Depending on the project, we’ve spent between $10,000–$250,000. Total, we’re in the $250,000–$500,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve had an ongoing engagement since October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received phenomenal reviews on the work Maxime Photo and Video have done for us. Our messaging efforts are much stronger, and we predict a bright future for our branding efforts. Traffic to our site is higher when we launch the videos, as more viewers direct themselves to our site from YouTube. The materials have been a driving force for our revenue increase and ROI. There hasn’t been any instance in which we aren’t satisfied.

How did Maxime Photo & Video perform from a project management standpoint?

They take a flexible, open-minded approach to the work. Their direction is very clear and, as a team, they’ve been dependable. We communicate in a variety of ways, using everything from Asana to email. Our scheduled meetings help support interpersonal communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their high level of understanding of our company and market is valuable. Their knowledge base and flexibility also stand out. Along with creating videos, their comprehensive, research-focused approach makes them a one-stop shop.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of, which is why I continue to work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open-minded. Allow them to have freedom in their approach. Their team is very creative and skilled, so you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the board president of an art organization. We draw on the creative voices of our fellows to advocate for the appreciation and preservation of this subtropical wilderness. Through the residency, exhibitions and outreach programs, we're a leading voice for regional arts and ecology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Maxime Photo and Video?

We wanted to create a promotional video.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to showcase projects inspired by program fellows' monthlong stay.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them through a personal referral.

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

They filmed a fast-paced, one minute video highlighting artistic interpretations of conservation issues in the area.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They shot the footage, created an outline for the project, captured interviews with artists, and put together a fabulous edit.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video is currently featured in our library.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was great. Their team was easy to work and communicate with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their resourcefulness, which enabled them to provide a great product within our limited budget. They were also super friendly.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, although having a larger budget would help.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m in business development and production at Dirt Geek Media. Corporations hire us to produce digital content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maxime Photo and Video?

I needed a full-scale production company to produce some online video content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created four videos that utilized several cameras at different angles. One video showed the safety of an ambulance through a rollover test. They had three cameras inside the truck, additional camera angles from the outside, and a drone. Then they edited it by combining all the footage and explaining the action through text and graphics.

Another video used race car drivers who were sponsored by a company but didn’t understand the purpose of the vehicles that this company manufactured, such as school buses, ambulances, fire trucks, RVs, and mobility vans for people with disabilities. They went out for the day with one race car driver as a fireman, another as a driver for elderly ladies in wheelchairs, and another as a school bus driver. They came back understanding exactly why these vehicles were built that way.

I came up with the idea and discussed it with them. They developed the concept, the storyboard, and the scripts, then executed the filming. They did all the wardrobe, lighting, and technical work, along with all the post-production.

What is the team composition?

I always initially connected with the owner of the company, Tracy (President, Maxime Photo and Video). Once we start the project, more people get involved. At our last production, there were close to 30 people.

How did you come to work with Maxime Photo and Video?

I worked with one of the company's members for a photography project many years ago. When I needed more photography work, I hired them. More recently, they mentioned that they were more focused on video production. I saw the kind of work they were doing and gave them a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2012 to January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The ambulance video was amazing. After marketing it, we sold a bunch of ambulances. I tracked every project’s outcome online. One of reached 13 million people, while another reached about 7 million. The "Made in America" one, which was directed at schools reached close to 200,000 people.

How did Maxime Photo and Video perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed as well as every top production company I’ve worked with in the past. Everything was very organized, every task was integrated with the overall process, and everyone was on the same page.

They used a proprietary system, connected through Google Drive, that ensured that everyone on the project understood every step. It was very clear.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were personal. Even though this was our project, they treated it as their own. They took its mission to heart and worked as if it were for themselves, which is typically not the case. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We dealt with celebrities on location. Celebrities operate on their own time. Maxime needed to capture certain daylight hours, and became a little pushy when they were going to miss the light.

I understood why it needed to be done at those times, but it was hard to juggle the daylight time with celebrities who thought the world revolved around them. That wasn’t Maxime's fault. They tried to do their best work at the right time. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire them. Don't micromanage them; put them in charge of the process. They know what they're doing and understand exactly what needs to be done. Let them run with it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Collins Bus is a manufacturer of school buses, shuttle buses, and city transit buses. We produce type A school buses, which are smaller buses with wheelchair lifts to help transport students with disabilities. When I worked with Maxime, I was the director of marketing. I was in charge of branding, direct marketing, and outreach to our dealers, end users, and specialty markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maxime Photo and Video?

I wanted to develop an emotional aspect of what we do. Obviously, buses are funded by taxpayer dollars, so I wanted to show that our plant is a model for quality service and innovation within our industry. I was looking for a company to produce a video for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I met with them and walked them through the concept of what I wanted to accomplish. Then, they began working on the video (they produced more videos for our company, but I've worked with them on one video so far). They helped us create the script, developing the story around the idea that our buses are made in the heartland of America.

The video is a little over two minutes long and features a kid and a dad: the dad takes the child to a school bus stop and goes to work at our plant. The video shows the father producing a quality bus, while his son talks about how proud he is of his dad working at the plant. The video turned out better than I thought and is very touching.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with two members of their team and a videographer. There were also a couple of people behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with them?

I was considering a few companies. I thought Maxime would build a better story, so I chose them despite the fact that their rates were a bit higher.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in September 2017 and it was completed in November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got amazing feedback from the people who saw the video. We sent out emails to our target base and posted the video on social media, where it got thousands of views and comments.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They came up with great ideas and brought a lot of value to the project. They were very conscientious every step of the way. I worked with other vendors on more expensive commercials, so I was impressed with Maxime's efficiency.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I loved their personal touch and the story they built behind it. We're showing a plant and welding, but the video and the voiceover together create the story that brings tears to your eyes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They brought the project to the next level and I was very satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an idea of what you want, but listen to their opinions. Give them enough flexibility to create a story that meets your needs and has an emotional tug.