RaffertyWeiss Media

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are St. John's College High School, a Catholic co-ed institution in the Lasallian tradition. We currently have about 1,100 students.

What is your position?

I am the President of the school.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with RaffertyWeiss?

When we first met with RaffertyWeiss, we were in the process of rebranding the entire look, feel, and image of the institution.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They provided a number of different services. They were part of the design and production team for our admissions video. They wrote the script of questions, interviewed all the participants for the video, and filmed the video on campus. They then edited and delivered the final product. For the initial project, we did four days of full shooting, and then a reshoot day for stuff that we needed. The whole process took four to five months.

Subsequently, we've hired them for about eight other mini projects. They've now redone two projects so we can keep it fresh. Often these videos are a little bit older than the day you air them, but RaffertyWeiss has been able to come back and freshen up the videos.

How did you come to work with RaffertyWeiss?

I knew one of the founders of RaffertyWeiss from an earlier part of my life. Our children were in the same school. I had seen a video they did for the Washington Jesuit Academy that blew me away. We were starting to search for a provider and stumbled upon their website, saw that video, and were very impressed.

Schools don't do things at the same level as corporations. RaffertyWeiss was able to blend the high-level quality of corporate expectations while maintaining the mission-driven understanding of a Catholic institution. We were really fortunate to get the best of both worlds.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was about $50,000 since our contact with them from beginning to end.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’re currently working with them. We launched the Entrepreneurial Center for Innovation and Leadership, so we contracted with them to capture all the activities that we've been doing throughout the course of the year. Additionally, we're going to ask them to put together a summation video, showing the highlights of what we've done with that program.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The number of hits we got to our admissions video was 30 or 40 times more, at least, if not more, than we ever had to our admissions video. It was a seven-minute video that pushed the bar a little bit for other schools, and forced them to put equal effort into their video production.

We also did an actual Save the Date video for our Gala. We were hosting a 100th Anniversary Gala for the Cadet Corps program at our school, and we wanted the video to be the best quality it could be. We had them do a two and a half minute Save the Date video that captured the essence of the tradition and honor of this program. I have an alumni base of 12,000 people; it was probably the most talked about thing that we've ever done.

How did RaffertyWeiss perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, RaffertyWeiss approaches work confidently, comfortably, and in a relaxed way. By doing that, they put everybody else at ease. The confidence that they came into this with, and the people their team consists of, really made the projects easy. They work well together. They have positive energy and treat people with respect.

What distinguishes RaffertyWeiss from other providers?

RaffertyWeiss is great at turning around last-minute work which has been a great advantage. They’re personally invested in everything that they’ve done. They were working with a number of different personalities at my school, from Principals to Directors of Admissions, to faculty, and students, and were able to make everyone feel at ease. Because of that, we were our best selves being shot. The questions they designed were very probing and really got the best out of us as well.

Is there anything RaffertyWeiss could have improved or done differently?

There's nothing that stands out. I think he really approached everything really well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a small strategy firm called Purple Strategies.

What is your position?

I’m a founding partner at the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with RaffertyWeiss?

We needed help on some overflow work. We have some in-house production at our company, but RaffertyWeiss is top-notch at being able to figure out what it is you need done, maintaining a positive relationship with the client or talent that you’re dealing with, and can pretty much adapt to any way that you need to work. Whether it’s a more methodical, full-blown production in terms of a very expensive commercial, or if it’s a little bit more content based, they are able to accomplish it all. We’ve found their versatility to be a huge.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

RaffertyWeiss helped us with basic production and putting together an animated spot. They came up with the concept. I had a logo that we were trying to make into an ad, and RaffertyWeiss came up with an interesting concept. They helped me write and produce the videos. They did a couple of iterations for it and then showed it to the client, which ended up being a big success.

How did you come to work with RaffertyWeiss?

I found out about RaffertyWeiss through Patrick, at a Country Club, we are both members at. I knew who he was because we worked with a common cameraman.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The majority of projects I’ve worked with RaffertyWeiss on have been between $10,000 and $50,000, and then some have been $50,000 and above. Every time that I’ve worked with them on the budgeting process, I’ve found that the production value was worth the amount of money paid. Whatever the budget was, the final product always looked top-notch, and I was never disappointed. They’re really good at working within budget parameters. They’ll let you know the differences and capabilities we’d have if we spent a little more money.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

With anything that RaffertyWeiss has worked on with me during in my political career, we have won. We won all the elections. In our public affairs work here at Purple, it’s a little harder to measure because it’s more of an advocacy role. In terms of client input, they are always happy with the result.

How did RaffertyWeiss perform from a project management standpoint?

Great. The relationship is very professional, there’s a schedule, and they worked with me ahead of time. Everything ran as smoothly as production can when we hit bumps in the road. When I get back to the editing room and start looking at the product, I’ve never been disappointed.

What distinguishes RaffertyWeiss from other providers?

In this business, there are companies who are really pretentious. Sometimes companies are pretentious and don’t really have talent. RaffertyWeiss is not only not pretentious, but a joy to work with, and really talented. Production is hard enough, but with RaffertyWeiss, you’re getting somebody with a team that’s easy to get along with and is top-notch in their talent and production values. That’s what I would say to any stranger that was thinking of hiring them.

Is there anything RaffertyWeiss could have improved or done differently?

I honestly don’t think so. My experiences with them have been all really great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for The Woods Academy, a pre-school through Grade 8 independent co-ed Catholic school of about 310 students.

What is your position?

I am the Head of School.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with RaffertyWeiss Media?

We've worked with RaffertyWeiss on two different projects. The first was for a commercial that we were filming. We had done a bunch of research to try to reach a broader audience. We felt that the print media we were doing was fine but it really wasn't getting to all the people we wanted to get it to. We had just done a whole strategic branding initiative with great print and language around it, and were hoping to turn it into a 28-second spot. We reached out to RaffertyWeiss because we had worked with them on a previous project and remembered the great work that they had done for us there.

The second project was a video for our 40th anniversary. They came in for several days of filming and did a fantastic job tying together all the footage that they took. The video received a lot of great feedback from families at our Auction Gala who had just enrolled.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We sat down with them to describe the project and what we needed. We told them we had a print media campaign that we needed turned into a commercial. They came up with a concept of what they thought it would look like, did the filming, and dealt with the technical side of it along with planning and editing.

With our second project, it was the same thing. RaffertyWeiss put together a creative brief that we worked with them on. They filmed a lot of great interviews as well.

How did you come to work with RaffertyWeiss Media?

I got to know Pat (one of the founders of RaffertyWeiss) while I was working at my previous school, Washington Jesuit Academy. I got to know him during my time there and was really impressed with the work that he did.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

For the two projects, we spent between $10,000 and $50,000 for each.

What is the status of this engagement?

They are both completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The commercial was also featured as part of our work with Comcast, which featured it online. This past year, in the '15/'16 school year, there were 654 click-throughs to our website from the video, a click-through rate of 0.75%. The video completion rate was 79.2%, which is a little bit higher than their benchmark. We were at or above their benchmarks with those two statistical points but had a number of impressions reaching a wider audience.

We enrolled a couple of students as a result of their family seeing our first commercial. The video paid-off because it was able to reach a much wider audience. We've run that commercial for two years now and feel like we've got a lot of good run out of it.

How did RaffertyWeiss Media perform from a project management standpoint?

RaffertyWeiss's project management was superb, partially because of how responsive they were. We started our conversation in September of 2015 and knew the timeline we wanted to accomplish the first project in. We not only stuck to that timeline, we finished with time to spare. They're responsive, professional, and well-managed from start to finish.

What distinguishes RaffertyWeiss Media from other providers?

RaffertyWeiss has a very high-quality level of work. We've worked with other folks in the past for video production, but they only offered certain services. RaffertyWeiss however, is a full-service operation. They were always listening to our feedback, even in the editing phase. Their ability to be creative helped me understand what we were trying to accomplish with these projects.

Is there anything RaffertyWeiss Media could have improved or done differently?

No, RaffertyWeiss exceeded all our expectations which is why we continue to work with them. I’m very excited about the additional videos that we're going to cut from the footage that we've got. They saw the value in doing the additional footage so we can use it for other purposes too.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

The organization I worked at while using RaffertyWeiss Media was a non-profit.

What is your position?

My former position was the executive director of brand and creative marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with RaffertyWeiss Media?

I worked with RaffertyWeiss on a number of projects. We needed them to shoot a few videos for campaigns for our organization. They’re excellent.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

The work that we did with RaffertyWeiss ranged from shooting, directing, casting, music selection, and graphics.

How did you come to work with RaffertyWeiss Media?

RaffertyWeiss was among some of the vendors that we looked at because we had an existing relationship. My past organization can be difficult to work with because the shoots are often in very tough circumstances, so you have to have a crew and team that is tough enough to be in difficult situations. They must be resourceful and creative, but also have a sensitivity towards people who’ve been through the worst time of their life.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The campaign work that we did with RaffertyWeiss got a lot of exposure. The overall goal was to make sure that it was seen and received by people who were willing, able, and motivated to give to our organization. While I can’t attribute specific amounts of giving, I know that the spots were seen by millions of people, and generated many thousands of dollars in donated media because they were so meaningful and powerful. The work was not only stunning to look at but also extraordinarily well-produced and on budget.

How did RaffertyWeiss Media perform from a project management standpoint?

RaffertyWeiss performed great. When they needed to, they could expand and contract as the job required. They were always scaled appropriately. On the brand campaign job, they hired a producer that was at our side all the time, in addition to their regular team. We were able to meet and review the crew members and approve them in advance.

During the entire experience, we were never left in the dark. They were incredibly efficient and such good, decent people. I never felt taken advantage of financially. I always felt like we had an upfront understanding of what the cost was going to be, the timing, and the quality that was expected. They always over-delivered.

What distinguishes RaffertyWeiss Media from other providers?

When you’re producing media around cause-related content, you need to have someone that’s at your side that has the authentic sensitivity to what it is that you’re producing. You can’t have someone that has manufactured feelings about the cause because it will come through on the other side of the camera. What’s so great about working with RaffertyWeiss is that they’re actually moved by cause-related work. They gravitate towards this kind of work, and it shines through.

Is there anything RaffertyWeiss Media could have improved or done differently?

I don’t think so. Honestly, I think they’re as good as it gets.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Cornerstone Government Affairs is a full-service public affairs firm that focuses primarily on government relations and lobbying at the federal, state, and local levels.

What is your position?

I’m the founder and managing partner of the firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with RaffertyWeiss Media?

We approached RaffertyWeiss Media to assist us in developing a public service announcement for one of our non-profit clients in public health.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

RaffertyWeiss assisted us in developing and designing the strategy. Then they managed and coordinated everything, from identifying the people that we were going to be using, to interacting and managing the talent that was in the piece. They directed, produced, edited, and managed the distribution of the PSA itself.

How did you come to work with RaffertyWeiss Media?

It was a referral. I have worked with them on a couple of other projects. They worked on a campaign video for a non-profit organization which I’m on the board of. The second project was more of a general marketing video for another non-profit.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Each of the projects would fall into the $10,000 to $50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The feedback from the PSA that they did was tremendous. The goal was increased awareness in education. From that standpoint, it far exceeded expectations.

What distinguishes RaffertyWeiss Media from other providers?

RaffertyWeiss was responsive, hands-on, showed a tremendous amount of creativity and did an excellent job of managing the process. They were able to direct and drive the project from a creative standpoint. RaffertyWeiss did an excellent job in terms of being responsive to our feedback, and making those changes in a timely manner.

The product and its quality were superior. Beyond that, they were quite easy to work with, flexible and responsive to our needs. They met all the timelines. In fact, they usually came in before we started to panic. When we work with organizations of any kind, what we’re looking for is people who view the relationship as a strategic partnership – which they did. I’m very comfortable in recommending them because they really take that approach. They see themselves as part of the team and are interested in a partnership-type relationship versus a vendor-type relationship.

Is there anything RaffertyWeiss Media could have improved or done differently?

I hate to evade a question, but not really. I’ve had three fantastic experiences with them, and I’ve since referred them to a dozen different clients or friends.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work at an agency called Proof Integrated Communications, which is a creative agency within Burson-Marsteller.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Creative Officer of the agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with RaffertyWeiss Media?

I've worked with RaffertyWeiss many times over the course of my career. In the last ten years, Patrick Rafferty (one of the founders of RaffertyWeiss) has been my lead director on my largest account, Dominion, the utility provider in Virginia. RaffertyWeiss has directed probably a dozen spots in the last ten years. He's an extremely smart and pleasant person. Those two things already separate him from a lot of the industry.

Patrick is really good at bringing excellent performances out of real people. Our Dominion campaign was based on using real Dominion employees in the video. These people had no acting training. Patrick has a remarkable ability to make them feel comfortable and help them deliver a natural performance. It takes a lot of the pressure off of me as Chief Creative Officer, because I can step back and look at everything holistically, and also attend to my client because I know that the direction of the main talent is excellent.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

I worked directly with the founders of RaffertyWeiss. They're very good and have expanded in the time that I've known them. They have a modest staff now and do some editing in-house.

How did you come to work with RaffertyWeiss Media?

About 15 years ago, I was putting a spot together for The American Civil Liberties Union. One of my colleagues knew Patrick in a different capacity and highly recommended him as a director. I've worked with him intermittently ever since.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Most of the spots that we did were in the $100,000 to $150,000 range, which were main corporate spots. That said, I've worked with RaffertyWeiss on some lower budget stuff too. Those projects were in the $50,000 to $75,000 range. I've worked within those boundaries, somewhere between $50,000 and $150,000, depending on the scope of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have no current projects ongoing. We have plans for a project in April/May and Patrick is definitely on my short list of people to talk to about directing those.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Dominion has ridiculously high corporate reputation ratings. That is very unusual for a utility. RaffertyWeiss's work has helped us keep them at that level. For the last eight years, hurricanes have knocked out power for a week at a time, and Dominion has maintained a corporate reputation in the high 80th percentile. That's been critical to their business success, and the work we've done with RaffertyWeiss has been a core component of that.

How did RaffertyWeiss Media perform from a project management standpoint?

RaffertyWeiss is very well-structured while maintaining the ability to change direction at a moment’s notice. We are able to communicate together very well without a lot of back and forth. RaffertyWeiss’s high level of decency is matched with its high level of talent. They've worked with us on tight budgets because they know that when we have a little more money, we'll still go to them. It's a very seamless relationship. From a project management standpoint, I have a tremendous amount of trust in their ability to deliver great work.

What distinguishes RaffertyWeiss Media from other providers?

RaffertyWeiss Media’s friendliness and decency are what sets them apart. If we need to have a quick call on a Saturday afternoon just to make sure things are tied up, it's rarely a problem.

Is there anything RaffertyWeiss Media could have improved or done differently?

I would always love a bigger team. If RaffertyWeiss were a company that could have 20 people instead of however they're staffed right now, that would be great. That being said, I've never had a scheduling problem. I've never come to them to do something and found that their size was an impediment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO & President of Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Automotive Trade Association

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire RaffertyWeiss Media to accomplish?

• Produce a TV ad during in the first two weeks of COVID
• High end audio visual for White House cabinet level, congressional and C Suite conference
• Predictability and reliability

SOLUTION

How did you find RaffertyWeiss Media?

Referral

Why did you select RaffertyWeiss Media over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from RaffertyWeiss Media were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Provide staffing, equipment, onsite management and troubleshooting for all audio visual services for a trade show and government conference

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Atendance has increased each year that the Rafferty Weiss Group has been associated with our event.  

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Rafferty Weiss consistently outperforms their predecessors.  The only deadlines missed were delayed by us.

What was your primary form of communication with RaffertyWeiss Media?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Managment is very hands on.  More so than any competitor I've worked with.  Their level of professionalism met the high standard we required due to our clientele.

Are there any areas for improvement or something RaffertyWeiss Media could have done differently?

Yes, but ironically Rafferty Weiss thought of next years improvement before we did.  We are following their suggestion.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the creative manager of Giant Food, a grocery retailer offering cost-saving options and online services while supporting its community and providing a better shopping and working environment since 1936.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RaffertyWeiss Media?

We needed support with event management, graphic development, and run-of-show support

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RaffertyWeiss Media has provided overall event management, venue management, graphic development, and video editing. The team has also managed the event's run-of-show, slides, and confidence monitor. RaffertyWeiss Media has also provided final presentation decks and graphics used for the event's various displays.

We started with small objectives, elevating our annual business meeting from years before with better organization, stronger graphics and videos, a more professional stage, and overall vibes. RaffertyWeiss Media has accomplished all of these at the highest standard.

Once we changed venues, our goals and objectives expanded. This included having a true run-of-show manager, slide manager, confidence monitor tech, higher-end graphics, music, etc. RaffertyWeiss Media has been able to handle it all and help manage the venue as well.

What is the team composition?

We work with 6–10 teammates from RaffertyWeiss Media.

How did you come to work with RaffertyWeiss Media?

We found them through an online search. We chose them over other options because they had high ratings, their pricing fit our budget, and they were a great culture fit. Patrick was very accommodating and helpful. We were new to the event world, but with his expertise and support, he helped us feel like everything we wanted would get done and on budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2023, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

RaffertyWeiss Media has delivered a successful, stress-free, and hiccup-free event. Our attendee satisfaction scores have been the highest after our past events. We've received a lot of kudos on how well the event was run and how nice it looked.

We track our event's success every year, and it continues to get better because the overall event becomes more and more evolved. We work with RaffertyWeiss Media each year to see what we can do better, and we achieve it with their team.

Patrick and his team always bring new ideas we can try at our event. We may not use them all, but it's great to have a partner that continues to push us as a brand and at our event.

How did RaffertyWeiss Media perform from a project management standpoint?

RaffertyWeiss Media's project management is great and something they strive for. We don't give them a lot of time to produce graphics for us, but they're always willing to be flexible and able to produce high-quality work fast.

We communicate via in-person meetings, virtual meetings, and emails or messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

RaffertyWeiss Media's overall event knowledge is impressive. Nothing is ever forgotten.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren't any.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the SVP of communications for the National Mining Association. We’re a trade organization that advocates for the US mining industry, representing its interests before policymakers and promoting responsible resource development and secure supply chains.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire RaffertyWeiss Media to accomplish for the National Mining Association?

We’ve done several video projects with RaffertyWeiss Media, all of which have yielded fantastic results. We’re looking to attract the next generation of miners to the industry while educating policymakers and the public about mining.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RaffertyWeiss Media has handled multiple on-site video shoots in difficult-to-get-to locations, including a remote mountaintop, an underground mine and a port facility.

How did you come to work with RaffertyWeiss Media?

They were referred to me.

How much have you invested with them?

Multiple projects over the years

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2023 for our first project and came back in 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

RaffertyWeiss Media has produced a video series that has won two Communicator Awards. We’ve also seen increased engagement and received positive feedback from stakeholders.

How did RaffertyWeiss Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They have excellent project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve been impressed with their enthusiasm, professionalism, and top-notch work product. They’re always on time and on budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they always exceed expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP, Global Marketing of Knox

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

FedRAMP in 90 days at 90% Less

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire RaffertyWeiss Media to accomplish?

• Capture authentic, compelling customer stories that clearly communicate value and impact
• Produce high-quality, on-brand video content that can be used across marketing channels

SOLUTION

How did you find RaffertyWeiss Media?

Referral

Why did you select RaffertyWeiss Media over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from RaffertyWeiss Media were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Highlight customer success and impact
• Strengthen brand credibility
• Onsite filming
• professional audio, lighting
• editing, revisions
• Deliver primary, short form clips

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Increase website engagement, improved sales influence, social engagement shares, customer participation and advocacy lift. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The teams I've worked with have been exceptional, professional, reliable, and consistently delivering high-quality videos. Timelines have been met and communication was excellent.

What was your primary form of communication with RaffertyWeiss Media?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their ability to turn customer stories into authentic, compelling narratives, with high production quality to create content that drives impact and brand credibility. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something RaffertyWeiss Media could have done differently?

None