The DVI Group

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I manage marketing production for the global team at Sage.

What challenge were you trying to address with The DVI Group?

We’re launching an initiative with our customer success group to show that we are here to support our customers as their businesses grow. They asked us to create a two-minute video with animated motion graphics, so we hired The DVI Group.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I met with Matthew (CEO) and gave The DVI Group a brief description of the project and what we were looking for. Although we had to stay within the confines of our pre-approved animation styles, I wanted them to think outside the box.

They studied our customers and past work to get a better understanding of our brand. From there, they presented three different options and gave us a lot of different options to update our current assets.

They created both a normal and an animated storyboard, which easy for me to take that and to the internal clients and get the signoffs that I needed. After that, they completed the video.

What is the team composition?

First, I spoke with Matthew about what we were looking for, but then I worked with Kevin (VP of Sales & Business Development) to figure out how we could tackle the project. I also spent plenty of time working with Erin (Production Manager) and Stuart (Creative Director).

How did you come to work with The DVI Group?

I met with The DVI Group when I was working at another company. I have always wanted to work with them because I’ve heard that they do really good work. When I started here, my company had already selected them through an RFP process. I really encouraged my company to speed up the process so we could begin working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $15,000–$30,000.  

What is the status of this engagement?

I started talking to them in August 2020 and began the project in December.  Now that we’ve completed this project, I have three more projects lined up with them.

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

This is the best animated video that we’ve produced all year — that’s saying a lot because we produce a lot of content. Once we released the video, I started receiving emails asking about who produced it and if they could work with them. For higher-profile clients with larger budgets, I definitely would bring on The DVI Group.

They really went the extra mile to secure funding and get the project started. They saw the project through from beginning to end. They came up with creative solutions that addressed all of our needs.

How did The DVI Group perform from a project management standpoint?

This project, by all standards, was flawless. Their communication is on-point. They did a good job providing updates and checking in with us.

They use a different internal project management system than we do, but they adjusted by learning to use our project management system. All formal communication went through Workfront. For anything else, though, they called, texted, and emailed me.

They were almost always available. That’s part of the reason why the project went well. We may have held up the project here and there, but their team responded to feedback and schedule changes quickly. They were very professional.

On top of that, they worked well with my team, regardless of the time zone. My stakeholders are located in the UK, Atlanta, Georgia, and San Francisco, California but The DVI Group was able to manage communication with all of them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Most importantly, the creative output was really good. They put a lot of work into the final product. They’ve been worth every penny.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn’t want to change anything about our experience. Nothing went wrong.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go ahead and start working with them. Talk to their sales team and ask for examples of their work. I worked with them on animation, but I know they also offer 3D work and live-action film. They offer great creative solutions; you just need to talk with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the customer service, sales, and marketing supervisor for a packaging company that specializes in high-barrier film. We’ve been active for the past 30 years.

What challenge were you trying to address with The DVI Group?

We wanted an introduction video explaining our solutions. At the time, we didn’t have marketing material like this, so we were looking for someone to create a video for customers that may not understand the scope of what we have to offer.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Originally, we wanted a video to display in our facility. Due to the pandemic, we decided to go for a completely animated video. We didn’t have much experience with video marketing, so they guided us through a bit of a learning curve. They helped us determine what was and wasn’t important, distilling our ideas into a 3–4 minute video. 

First, they asked me about key elements of the video and our goal for our viewers. Then, they handled storyboarding, scripting, voiceovers, animation, and graphics.  

What is the team composition?

There were about 6–7 people working on the project from their side at any given moment. 

How did you come to work with The DVI Group?

We searched for local video production companies and came across their website in the process. On their website, their attention to detail in their video content was clear. They had a comprehensive portfolio of content on their site, so I thought it would be a good idea to contact them.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $43,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from July–October 2020.

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

They constructed a well-balanced, useful video for us. We’re even planning on using it internally for new hires. While we haven’t launched yet, their attention to detail in their work is the best I’ve ever seen.  

How did The DVI Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a clear schedule that they closely followed throughout the project. I knew when tasks would be complete, and their communication was outstanding. We communicated through email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were a creative, imaginative team that could translate my vision into a video product.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. They’re doing an outstanding job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Prepare a general timeline for the project, leaving some wiggle room for getting approval from key players at your company. I’d advise companies to do this in any engagement.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the regional marketing manager for a commercial real estate company that specializes in health care, industrial, and office products.

What challenge were you trying to address with The DVI Group?

We wanted to create a virtual groundbreaking ceremony for a construction project.

What was the scope of their involvement?

DVI developed a storyboard, produced a 10-minute video, and created a one-minute version for social media purposes. They arranged the shoot, filmed, edited, and produced the video. Their team interviewed all of the different speakers featured in the video too. They also included the animation of the building that we built in-house. The video also included aerial shots though.

What is the team composition?

I had a primary point of contact at DVI, Erin (Production Manager).

How did you come to work with The DVI Group?

I found them through Google searches. I chose them based on the quality of their products and their location. We have a growing office in Atlanta. I couldn’t find a vendor in Jacksonville and decided to find a local company in the Atlanta area.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $30,000–$35,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project in June and completed it in October 2020.

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

Overall, the project was successful. It garnered the right emotions and engagement from our customers and employees. The quality of the video production was fantastic. The music that DVI wove throughout the video set a tone of excitement. 

How did The DVI Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated via email. DVI used a video sharing tool that allowed us to comment and provide edits as needed. The production process was smooth and straightforward. They were flexible with us because we needed to work around the activity of the construction site. Their team rolled with the punches when the schedule didn’t work in our favor and still finished the video on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They heard our story and understood multiple perspectives. We have multiple business units that make us unique, and DVI brought everyone to the table and let everyone share their part in the project. Their team was able to synthesize all of the information into a story that made sense, which was impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were fantastic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come prepared with as much information as possible. I felt that I had too much information and brought it to them to sort out. I really appreciated that about them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder and CEO of our company.

For what projects/services did your company hire The DVI Group?

We recently launched a new website and wanted to augment our sales message with a brand video that provided a highlight of each of our products/solutions.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to easily communicate how our portfolio of products works together in a singular, cohesive platform to meet all the needs of our clients.

How did you select The DVI Group?

We were introduced to The DVI Group by one of their existing clients. I knew after our initial phone discussion that they were the partner for us! They took the time to understand the needs, assemble a comprehensive proposal and answer any questions that came up along the way.

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

After our initial kick-off, the production team took the time to genuinely understand our solutions and the message we needed to communicate. The project progressed through multiple creative stages and we were involved every step of the way. The final product exceeded our expectations.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

After engagement, the team at DVI provided a very specific project plan and key milestone dates for the entire process. They constantly communicated project schedule, expectations from us and kept us on schedule the entire time.

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

The video was just recently published to our website but we are actively tracking engagement with the video and expect it to increase our leads. It provides a succinct message about our platform that is easy and enjoyable to digest.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had a very effective workflow with the team at DVI. We were constantly kept aware of project timelines and deadlines and any expectations from our side. Any slip in deliverables (from our side) were quickly accommodated in an updated project schedule.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed that the production team had the ability to understand our platform and sales process. It can be difficult to communicate our capabilities on a regular phone call or demonstration, and they managed to do it in a 90 second video.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I genuinely can't think of anything that I would change or improve!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of brand service design and delivery for an intercontinental hotel and resort company.

What challenge were you trying to address with The DVI Group?

We wanted a leadership training program.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The title of the course was “Leading & Sustaining Your Service Culture”. We wanted to create a 360 program that incorporated various pieces of training to make it valuable to our leadership, especially with the high turnover in the industry. The course was divided into two parts: “Building and Sustaining a Culture”, and “The Important Role A Leader Plays in The Delivery of the Guest Experience”.

 DVI supported us in packaging all the current assets and content, as well as building out video moments in the training that spoke to the audience about some of the benefits of sustaining a culture. Additionally, it outlined some good skills to have as a leader, and what tools they could go to should they need additional guidance.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Stuart (Creative Director), Matthew (CEO), and one other person from their team.

How did you come to work with The DVI Group?

This project started before I came on board, so I’m not sure where we sourced DVI. What I do know is that it’s convenient to work with them, since they’re local. Having a local vendor makes things easier since we can have face-to-face meetings.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in November 2018, and we finished in August 2019.

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

We uploaded the new program into our LMS to track engagement. There were definitely some great reviews about how it made it easier for a general manager to have resources in one consolidated place.

How did The DVI Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They were open, communicative, and transparent. The team was always willing to jump on quick calls in case there were last-minute changes or feedback. They gave suggestions along the way and invited us to think about the creative elements and the bigger picture. It was a holistic approach at every step of the way. We communicated via phone and email.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were highly invested in our success. I’ve worked with other vendors in the past that were just order-takers. DVI took the time to make sure this program was well-thought-out and lasted us longer than average.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could’ve had more consistent communication since we were moving from milestone to milestone. There was no real cadence. Having a weekly check-in would’ve been very helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to show all of your cards with them, since that helps to build the relationship. They won’t use anything against you, it’ll all be to make the program better.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product marketing lead of a CRM and CTI solutions company. We’re a Cisco-only vendor and we serve contact centers. We focus on CRM and enterprise integration solutions.

Basically, we allow companies as well as contact centers and their agents to work from one screen by bringing in all the Cisco contact center functionality into the CRM or enterprise application that we build the connectors for.

What challenge were you trying to address with The DVI Group?

We were doing a brand refresh of our connect product line. Our connect product line is our main product. Our team wanted to create an animated video to go with the brand refresh. Essentially, we wanted to create something that was catchy, punchy, and high-level.

The objectives were to show the value of the brand and show what the product line does. Our products are very technical and it’s difficult to show them off without getting into technical details.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created an animation that was one minute and twenty seconds long. It’s like a commercial or advert. Normally, we showcase our products through tech demos but we wanted to get away from that. This animation was a creative way to handle our refresh. Our team really liked the ideas they went with.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two main individuals — Stuart (Animator Team Lead) and Erin (Production Manager). We also worked with Suzanne (CRO) on the financial and billing aspects. On occasion, we had some of their creative team involved in our conversations but that happened maybe twice.

How did you come to work with The DVI Group?

They started working with my company before I joined. To my knowledge, it was probably through a referral. I believe that one of our team members said they had worked with The DVI Group before.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from March–August 2020.

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

The DVI Group helped us create a stronger brand for our connect portfolio. We feel that the characters in the animation they made are something we want to carry on with.

Currently, we’re in the process of a buyout for the characters they created. We’re looking at moving forward with 4–5 more videos in the same animation style they did this video with. Our team is really happy with the results and what they’ve helped us do around the brand.

How did The DVI Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. Their team always stuck to their deadlines and kept us up-to-date. It was overall great and very impressive. If they hadn’t led us as well as they did, we would’ve been much more behind because it wasn’t always at the top of our priority list to follow up with feedback and such. They were honest with us. I was very vocal about a lot of things, and they weren’t afraid to tell us their opinion. I had to rely on their creative process a bit more than my own.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They gave us a really personal touch to the project. It was great to have a solid team but also only need to get in touch with a few individuals. There was a lot of back-and-forth communication during every part of the project. We knew that we were in safe hands.

What’s more, their ideas were so creative. They came up with things that we would never have been able to come up with. It’s clear that they know our company, and it’s great to have that continuity. There are people on their team who went out of their way to find out and learn more about us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of a single thing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust in their creative process. That’s something I struggled with. There were times during the beginning of the engagement when I wasn’t sure if we were going down the right track.

However, trusting them to do what they’re good at and being honest when you feel that something isn’t going the right way is important. They’ll either convince you that it is right or take the time to listen to you and change tracks. Their team made it clear it was always possible to change tracks.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the brand manager for a number of hotel brands.

What challenge were you trying to address with The DVI Group?

We needed help engaging our frontline personnel and leadership to deliver the brand promise in hotels. We wanted to explain our expectations in a compelling and visually stimulating way.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The DVI Group created a video to explain our expectations, which was embedded in an educational software. The hotel chain we were working with was global, so it needed it be relevant and respectful of the different operational business practices in all of the regions. The DVI Group team had to incorporate a lot of nuances in order to serve all of the different locations.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people from their team.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2018, and we wrapped up in August 2019.

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

Their attention to detail, lighting, editing, casting, and video production were all really top-notch. It was well-coordinated, cohesive, and professional.

How did The DVI Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a good job, overall. I appreciated their project management especially since the company I worked for at the time was very capricious and would change their minds on a whim.

The one part that didn’t work well was the software element, which they had sub-contracted out to a third-party vendor. It wasn’t well done, but I can’t fault them for that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attention to detail, access to great studio expertise, and strong project management are areas where they excel.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were misled in their agreement with their subcontractor. They have real expertise with creating videos, but putting it into a learning offering was something they needed to outsource. That subcontractor allowed typos, misspellings, and ignored feedback. If they want to continue that partnership, they should rectify that conduct or develop the skill in-house.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to set realistic expectations and a healthy budget. They’re not a cheap option, so be prepared to pay for quality. I was very proud of the work they were able to do.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director of compliance for a skincare company.

What challenge were you trying to address with DVI Group?

We wanted videos about compliance created for our users.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created about nine compliance videos for us. There was a kickoff call to make sure we were all on the same page. We learned about their process, and they learned about our company and goals. Our team also provided background information that we thought would help them succeed in this process. From there, we communicated over email to lay out the timeline, choose talent, and draft scripts. In the videos themselves, they used stock imagery and graphics to explain compliance while keeping it simple. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with an account manager, scriptwriter, and several others throughout the process. Our account manager was our main point of contact, and he guided us through each step of the collaboration.  

How did you come to work with DVI Group?

I wasn’t in the selection process, but I believe we found them through an online search.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in early 2018, and after some delays on our end, the project wrapped up in October 2019. The bulk of the collaboration was between mid-2019 and October, though.

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

They did a great job. Throughout the process, they took on our niche industry and delivered results that were very close to our vision on the first try. We were impressed with their willingness to work with such a specific subject matter. At the end of the day, we reached the desired results through the videos they created.   

How did DVI Group perform from a project management standpoint?

While we were delayed on a few deadlines, communication was great and they hit all the milestones we needed on time. They helped make our expectations regarding deadlines and next steps for them very clear.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re very impressed with the quality of their work. This is the first time we’ve worked with a video production company, so it’s difficult to compare this to other experiences. They were very transparent and open about the process, willing to answer any questions that we had along the way. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

This may be due to the nature of the project, but it would’ve been nice to be able to jump on the phone more frequently. There were a few instances where I felt that they adhered to our feedback in their edits, but a call could’ve saved us additional emails and time on minor changes we wanted. Touching base verbally more often would’ve helped us a bit.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It was a pleasure to work with them. I’d tell anyone considering them that they’d be in good hands.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a marketing specialist for a construction manufacturer. We manufacture various small equipment for other companies in the construction industry.

What challenge were you trying to address with The DVI Group?

We hired them to produce a commercial as part of our sponsorship of Major League Baseball.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They produced a 30-second spot for national television. We wanted a high-quality product and had a very tight turnaround of 45 business days. Since our products are not as easily recognizable as large construction equipment, we needed to make sure we connected with members of the general public. They came up with a realistic concept that anyone could relate to.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager. She was our primary point of contact, and we also communicated with a team of at least four others.

How did you come to work with The DVI Group?

We are a business group within a larger company. Two of our sister business groups worked with DVI for similar projects and referred them. When this project came up, we had five agencies pitch to us before we decided on DVI.

How much have you invested with them?

The whole project from start to finish cost about $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2019 and we submitted the finished product at the end of June 2019.

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

Regardless of anything else, I'm impressed by the quality they produced in such a short timeline. I know that isn't easy. We shared the initial version with our sister groups, and everyone internally is very impressed. Our VPs and CEO are all very happy, which is our main performance indicator.

How did The DVI Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager is great. We ran into a snag due to weather, so they scrambled to find a new location in 24 hours. They handled that well, and they were extremely organized. We had constant catch-ups, and communication was very good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their enthusiasm and willingness to create a custom commercial that fit our needs was so appreciated. Of the five agencies we considered, DVI was the only one that didn't have familiarity with our business group or our products. In spite of that, they were the most informed pitch, and their ideas were better than any other group. They did a lot of homework and took time upfront to get to know us as a whole. That really shows in the work they did for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was only one instance when a low-level grip had a bad attitude momentarily during an overnight shoot, but that is the only thing I can think of. Nothing they did affected the overall course of the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be willing to participate in their creative process. We took a lot of time to introduce them to our product and company, which is why our project was so successful. We did put in extra time in our side, so be willing to take part in that early discovery process.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a communications manager at a home construction company.

What challenge were you trying to address with The DVI Group?

We wanted to showcase one of our products and how it benefits our customers, so we were looking for a vendor to create a video for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our in-house team came up with an idea and a script. The DVI Group helped us turn the script into a very good story and then, they created an animated video. We wanted to have a fun and light-hearted video that explained how our product works without getting into too much science behind it. It's an entertaining story that provides enough information about the product to get customers interested and gives them an idea about our brand.

The video is essentially a story about two raindrops. One of them gets trapped inside our product and then it ends up evaporating out. Through these raindrop characters, the story shows how water can't get into the house and showcases our product in a fun way. The DVI Group did an amazing job with the visuals, artistic concept, and the music.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with our account manager, a creative director, and a project manager. But they had a whole team that was working on the actual video.

How did you come to work with The DVI Group?

I also volunteer for a non-profit and I saw the work that The DVI Group had done for them. We put out an RFP and got proposals from The DVI and a few other agencies. The DVI was able to work with our budget and their presentation gave us confidence, so we chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between September–October 2018.

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

They became a really great partner to us. We had a tight deadline, and they were able to turn the project around very quickly. We posted the video on social media, and we saw a high user engagement–not only from our consumers, but from other people who work in the industry and follow us on social media.

How did The DVI Group perform from a project management standpoint?

I always felt we had a lot of support across the agency and a lot of smart people in the room when we were finalizing the idea together. They gave us an exact timeline and kept us up-to-date with all the steps. We had to get approval not only from our internal staff, but from our partners, so the timeline made it easier for everyone to work together and keep the project on track. From a project management perspective, that was the best project I had worked on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very creative and know what they're doing. With some companies, you have to choose whether you want a creative team or strong project management, but we didn't have to sacrifice anything when working with The DVI Group.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your vision and give them as much information as possible. Tell them not only about your project but also about your company and your internal process. They can work with just about any kind of company and agency dynamic, but being very clear from the beginning will start off the relationship really strong.