IKONA

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Communications & Partnerships Manager at the Partnership on Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21), a partnership of the World Bank, IMF, OECD, European Commission, and United Nation that works with countries to create and use better data for better lives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire IKONA?

We hired IKONA to produce an animated explainer video for a new platform that we're developing to track and link global financing flows for development data.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to crowd in high-level political support from governments and others, funding from a wide range of partners for the development of the platform, and convince potential users of the platform's benefits.

SOLUTION

How did you select IKONA?

We searched online for a company with a good attitude, a strong online portfolio, and the skills & team to produce our project to a very high standard in a short timeframe. IKONA fit the bill on all fronts.

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

IKONA reached out to us to get a good sense of what the project needs, goals, audience, etc. are and then, through a fairly iterative process, put together a storyboard and final product.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

I worked closely with the project lead from IKONA to agree on the script, storyboard, and animated product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received huge amounts of positive feedback during and after the screening of the animated explainer video during the 2020 UN World Data Forum. Our partners and stakeholders were impressed with the quality of the video and the extent to which it explains a fairly complicated topic.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very good. Clear timelines & process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very easy to deal with, had a clear process, and stuck to it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

intive is a software, design and consulting powerhouse headquartered in Munich and I’m responsible for the content strategy at the marketing department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire IKONA?

We’ve worked together on a number of different video productions: EB material, promo video, interviews.

What were your goals for this project?

The promo clip was meant to reflect our premium services and proud company history. We needed quality, professional editing/design and superfast delivery.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We scanned the local market and picked the vendor with productions that met our style.

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

We’ve provided the agency with a set of handpicked stock videos and a storyline and counted on great editing, attention to detail, native American voice over, background music, text animations/design and overall guidance.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had a dedicated account manager, a producer, designer, and editor. We’ve iterated via emails and got good results in little time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got very positive feedback from the recipients of the video who watched it at an investor event in London. We also shared the production internally and were happy to hear that employees enjoyed the clip and felt it really reflects the company spirit.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We’ve used a shared drive to work on each and every iteration and communicated via emails. The communication was flawless, and the tight deadline was met with no difficulties.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are great and proactive, with a customer-centered approach. They are professionals that are both results-focused and fun to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We are really satisfied with the job done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a marketing specialist for Tooploox. My main responsibilities cover overall marketing and employer branding strategy, as well as content marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire IKONA?

We were looking for someone to help us create an employer branding (EB) video.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a unique video that would show Tooploox as a great place to work. We wanted to highlight that we have awesome people on board.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had a previous experience with one of IKONA’s employees. We also checked their portfolio and decided to meet with them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

IKONA was responsible for creating a script, filming the scenes, and editing the video. First, we had a meeting to discuss our expectations, then we invited IKONA to spend some time among our employees to get to know us better. They presented three script proposals for us to choose from, then sent us a detailed final script. We set up dates for filming. It took two days to film all of the scenes. After reviewing the first version, we asked them to make some small changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The film was a tremendous success, allowing us to get a big reach on our social media channels. The film was also mentioned on human resources (HR) and EB blogs and conferences as a great example of an EB video campaign. In addition, we are still ahead in EB video contests.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very effective, and IKONA’s team was very flexible. It was great that they could spend some time in our office to see and feel the atmosphere. I think it's absolutely crucial in order to create a credible EB video.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their creativity in portraying such a vague thing as company culture. They were also quite patient about working with animals, specifically Leon the cat. They obviously had a passion for what they do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a Public Relations Officer for the German General Consulate in Krakow, a government organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ikona?

Last year was a very important year for Polish-German relations. We celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Polish-German neighboring treaty which is the base of the German and Polish relationship. We wanted to create something special in honor of this event to relay to the public that it is a special year. We also wanted to highlight the achievements in the last 25 years with German and Polish relations. This was to be made for the normal citizen, not politicians or journalists, but to people on a grass root level of what the neighboring relations of Germany and Poland mean. After our team had a brainstorming session regarding what we should do to get people’s attention, we decided to make a short video.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The video features drawn animations and music, and is a video that is explanatory for this special occasion. We had to put 25 years of German and Polish politics into a two-minute video, which was a challenge. The information was written by us because it contained all the political facts, and we gave all this information and text to Ikona. They worked on the visualization of the text and the message we were trying to get across. The challenge for us was to focus on the most important information and bring this into the short animation drawn by one of Ikona’s artists.

We asked for both a Polish and German version. The voiceover voice had to be provided for both the Polish and German versions. The animation was such a success, that we asked Ikona to create an English version. Other embassies around the world also requested several of their own languages.

The timing of the completion of the project worked out very well. There was a meeting with the state secretaries of Poland and Germany in Warsaw, which was the beginning of the celebration of this special year, and we were able to launch the video there.

How did you come to work with Ikona?

I had asked my colleagues in Poland if they knew of an agency we could work with. We were looking for a young and creative team, who could think out of the box.

Ikona had completed projects for other institutions in the city and had a good reputation. We contacted them and asked them if they would be willing to work on this project. As per our regulations, we had to ask other companies and compare offers. All in all, the best offer was from Ikona, not only in terms of price, but professionalism.

The chairperson from Ikona came to Krakow, which is at least a three-hour drive, for our first meeting just to introduce himself and the company. He explained what the company stands for and his ideas. We brought Ikona on board to work on this project with us because they seemed like the perfect partner.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around 2,000—5,000 Euro.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2016, and the project was completed towards the end of March 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video was on several webpages of all the embassies, and institutions who work for the German-Polish relations. It was up on YouTube and Facebook as well. We have always received positive comments on the Facebook page.

How did Ikona perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication was very good. During this time, I was on holiday, and we communicated even during my time away from the office. Essentially, we were there for Ikona, and Ikona was there for us and always available. I cannot say anything negative about the experience. Anytime we called and asked them to change something, they immediately responded, they took care of it, and let us know how long it would take to complete. We always knew where we stood.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was really important to us that Ikona really understood the idea behind this project, and that the video could be for anyone, especially because it was an explanatory animated video. We wanted to reach youth, and Ikona immediately grasped the idea. They are a very creative team, and they are very professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I cannot think of anything they could have improved.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Opera Software is a browser developer based in Norway, with a major office in Wroclaw, Poland, where I am based. We’ve been on the market for over 25 years, and are one of the longest lasting browser companies. We develop mobile and desktop browsers, with the latter being among the top five in the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IKONA?

We had been thinking about why people really use VPNs [virtual private networks] and noticed that the biggest reason was to fake locations and make it seem as if the user is in a different place than where they actually are. No one had ever thought about approaching the VPN angle with a funny video. They normally try to get people worried about online security issues and so on. We thought that it would be nice to have a lighter approach, and started to talk to IKONA about this idea.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Together with IKONA, we came up with a script for the video based on our original idea. IKONA also worked on behind-the-scenes videos beyond the original one, where we talk about the ideas behind the new product, version, or the new technology we’re releasing. One of them was for the video pop-out feature which allows users to detach videos from a website and move them to other places on their desktop. We also made a video about Opera Neon, the very latest concept browser we released at the beginning of 2017.

The VPN video was had the biggest budget of all the ones we made. Its purpose was for advertising, but the other ones are more media related. We try to tell the story behind a new product or feature of Opera and show the bigger picture—not only the product itself. Recently, we’ve become the only browser maker to offer out-of-the-box technologies such as ad blockers and VPNs, and it’s important for us to explain why we actually do this.

Normally, our videos consist of a shot of the person talking about the new idea or product. For the VPN, we made something different, creating an actual story featuring a girl faking selfie photo locations. She is pretending that she is in a cool place while she is actually at home, taking selfies in her tent or kitchen. She’s making a kind of scenography in order to fake locations and show her friends that she is in a cool place like a tropical island. It was the first time we’d tried this kind of storytelling, and I think it went pretty well.

We’ve recently finished another one for a new version of Opera, called Reborn. It has an integrated messenger, which means that users don’t need to switch between apps in order to chat with friends on Facebook, among other platforms. We mixed storytelling elements (a conversation between friends) with shots of the person responsible for the product talking about it and presenting the idea behind the product.

How did you come to work with IKONA?

Around three years ago, we were making some HR videos for our Poland office. We realized that IKONA was worth trying for product videos as well and we assigned them that work.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first product video was made one and a half years ago. The video for Opera Reborn was completed in early May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

From my perspective, when it comes to execution, IKONA delivers results fast—they worked hard to meet our tight timelines. The quality of the videos is also very good, and in terms of feedback, key media channels usually cover our videos. This is very important for me since the videos are also for PR purposes. I am very happy that, beyond our stories and press releases, media also relays IKONA’s videos.

How did IKONA perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines well, and the communication is fast and effective. I have nothing to complain about. We use a tool for the development of videos, and normally chat using email and light messengers.

What did you find most impressive about IKONA?

The mixture of meeting deadlines and quality is most outstanding. IKONA’s camera people are good at providing good-quality video.

Are there any areas IKONA could improve?

We have never tried to use their scripts. Having someone in charge of storytelling would be good for developing our own ideas and having a more creative approach. This is more to do with how we work, so it’s not necessarily on IKONA. They may have very good people in the script department.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a manufacturer of wireless sports performance tracking and analytics systems for outdoor and indoor sports. We design solutions for increasing performance and minimizing the risk of injury. I am a global sales manager for the company. I maintain contact with our potential distributors, as well as with customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IKONA?

We wanted to tell our story as it relates to sports performance but didn’t want to create a typical commercial video. We wanted to create one which not only promoted the company but also told the story of our performance products, thus making customers identify with us, and showing them what was important in this context. We also wanted them to read between the lines and see that there is something else in our technology and data and that it could increase their results while minimizing the risk of injury.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an idea which we shared with IKONA and developed together with them. They provided scripting and storyboarding, and worked independently on many of the project details. IKONA prepared three different scenarios for us and created screens, voiceovers, and music selections for the video. The material was put together and made to sound and look good. We didn’t have any problems with the changes and remarks we wanted to include.

The end product was a single video which we feature only on our website. We have asked IKONA for a shorter, 30-second version which we could use on social media in order to promote our product.

How did you come to work with IKONA?

We work in the same office building as IKONA, which is how we discovered them. We looked at their portfolio and went from there.

How much have you invested with IKONA?

The cost of IKONA’s work has been around 21,000 Polish Zloty [US $5,402].

What is the status of this engagement?

I wasn’t working with the company when the collaboration with IKONA started. I believe that we started working with them in October 2016. The bulk of the work is complete, and we only need to create a shorter version of the video.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We haven’t used the video for promotion because we haven’t started selling our product, but it is live on our website. There has been an interest for it and we’ve heard positive feedback from clients and potential distributors. It is a professional video which reflects our idea exactly as we wanted.

How did IKONA perform from a project management standpoint?

IKONA had a professional approach from our point of view. We didn’t have experience in creating this type of video, but their team was well-organized. We never had to wait for feedback, and there were no other delays. IKONA explained how the process would look, and listened to our suggestions. We never had a problem making any corrections.

We’ve mainly connected through email, from the very beginning. We haven’t used any specific tools, but have had meetings from time to time. Being in the same building allowed us to simply knock on IKONA’s door and ask our questions. They were always helpful, and even speaking through email was easy.

What did you find most impressive about IKONA?

IKONA was very professional and helped us in many ways, even with arranging a training session for our team. Before shooting sessions, IKONA visited the set in order to check the lighting and the environment. I appreciate this since it eliminated a lot of the work for us.

Are there any areas IKONA could improve?

I cannot find anything negative about IKONA. We are planning to shoot another video with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for the European Capital of Culture 2016 press office. The title of European Capital of Culture is given to 2 cities in Europe for 1 year. During this time, there are lots of cultural events. We have special weekends where we have concerts, light shows on the riverbank, etc.

My title is press office international and media relations. I’m also involved in the production of promotional materials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IKONA?

We needed them to produce videos about what was happening with our project. These videos would be provided to TV stations and journalists.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

IKONA produced 30-second and 3-minute videos that were posted to the Internet, specifically on our social media channels and on YouTube. These videos were also used by international TV stations who wanted more background. There are around 100 events going on during the weekends, so IKONA needed to choose the most important moments and put it together for us. They worked quickly and they knew what to shoot to make it work. We produced several videos for the opening weekend. We were also working with them in June when we had a lot of events going on. They have provided us with a lot of video work that we can use to make a summary movie. We gave them the information, then they participated in and videotaped the events. It was a collaborative effort. If there was something we didn’t like, they accepted our feedback and responded quickly. There were many people in our company that had opinions about the project, and IKONA worked well with all the changes that people suggested.

How did you come to work with IKONA?

We saw they had a large enough team that could manage everything that we needed. They can also scale up as needed.

How much have you invested with IKONA?

We spent approximately $15,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project has been completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

It’s hard to say whether the views we got were for the video or the content. We mostly invested in Facebook and not YouTube so there weren’t many people who saw the videos on YouTube. We received good feedback from the videos.

How did IKONA perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a dedicated project manager who coordinated everything with the whole team. We communicated by phone or email. We were quite happy because if there was something we wanted to change, IKONA always responded. Even though there were stressful times, they were able to meet the deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about IKONA?

They’re open-minded people who are willing to adjust to what we wanted. If there were any limitations, they made us aware of those. They thought out of the box and came up with ideas that worked. They had to put in long days with us and were willing to do that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Growbots which provides an outbound sales automation tool which customers can use for lead generation, and as an outreach platform. I am a customer success manager for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IKONA?

We wanted customers to better understand how the platform works. Since text would not have been the best choice, we created a knowledge base which consists of an FAQ, training materials, and videos. Our challenge was producing the video content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

IKONA produced 20 videos, with the shortest being 30 seconds and the longest at 4 minutes. They are screen recordings with voiceover done by one of our team members. I prepared scenarios, screen recordings, and the voiceover. IKONA highlighted elements, edited the material, put it together, then made it sound good and look smooth. I've recently asked them to make a few small changes but it wasn't a problem.

How did you come to work with IKONA?

We found IKONA through networking. Our CEO posted our job proposal on Facebook and IKONA's principal replied to the post. After reviewing other companies, we chose IKONA. It was mostly because they seemed professional and also because they were a part of our CEO's network. We knew we could trust them.

How much have you invested with IKONA?

The cost of IKONA's work was under $5,000. I found IKONA's pricing to be very good, given the quality of the work and the atmosphere offered by their team.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We only had 3 videos on the site before working with IKONA. I don't have any metrics for traffic or other factors because the content is quite new and hasn't been promoted actively to customers. From an internal perspective, feedback has been positive. Everyone in the company liked the videos and found them professional. The videos clearly explain what we do. One of our co-workers told us that his mom and his girlfriend could finally understand what he does in our company, which was the best feedback we could get. It meant that we could explain our product well. Because the videos cover every small part of our app, they answered every question our customers had. I have heard positive feedback from customers, saying that the videos answered their questions.

How did IKONA perform from a project management standpoint?

IKONA's team was helpful and always shared their experience and knowledge with us. It was my first time developing these types of videos, so I didn't know much about the process. IKONA helped me understand the whole process. I was given a chance to provide feedback along with any corrections. IKONA listened to those suggestions and had no problems implementing them. They met every deadline we had, actually providing the work faster than expected.

What did you find most impressive about IKONA?

I enjoyed working with IKONA. We communicated strictly via email, but they were quick to respond so that I never had to wait for a reply. Their team was always professional and friendly. The atmosphere was great, and I could feel that IKONA had an energetic and passionate team.

Are there any areas IKONA could improve?

I don't think so. This was a great collaboration and I would definitely come back to IKONA.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

HR Business Partner at Gates Business Services Europe GmbH, Wroclaw, Poland

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire IKONA?

We are building new SSC in Wroclaw, Poland and decided to prepare a movie about us for the Grand Opening and Empoyer Branding purposes.

What were your goals for this project?

Receiving a great quality movie in a short time.

SOLUTION

How did you select IKONA?

By many business recommendations.

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

Once we selected IKONA as our partner, they started working with us to get to know our business better. They worked with us to get to know our products and the goals of the video, and then we collaborated on our script and storyboard.

The IKONA team filmed us and our office and edited the video within few days afterwards.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They provided a two-person filming crew and one person for make ups. We worked together throughout the planning stages of the video. They worked alongside us to make sure the script represented our company well.

After filming, we received multiple rounds of rough drafts which we were able to offer feedback on.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Very positive feedback from the senior leaders and employees from Gates. Good impression in the local environment.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very good communication, flexible approach, goal and solution focused attitude, great time management.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their impressive results for a good and fair price are impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing and communications specialist at a shared service working with clients around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire IKONA?

We had difficulty approaching IT specialists, so we hired IKONA to create a video that explains the company and its practices.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the project finished in time to air at a programming conference. We wanted the video to be visually appealing to the conference attendees.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After looking at their Vimeo page, we decided to work with them. They were also very flexible when it comes to timing.

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

IKONA was responsible for scripting, story creation, filming, and producing the video. The video clip was featured during the programming conference and IKONA additionally created a summary video from the event.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

I met with a producer, director, cinematographer, photographer, camera operator, lighting assistant, and a film editor.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over 1,000 people at the conference saw the video and recited positive feedback. It was shared on Facebook several times and had thousands of impressions on Twitter.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used an online shared drive tool to communicate about the video script and make our work ethic more effective. The video process was completed over the holidays, so we appreciated the streamlined communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their professionalism and creativity were outstanding throughout the entire project.