Ready to work with a content production agency? Here are 2 ways to set your brand up for success!
First, Happy New Year!
2023 is another opportunity to create amazing & captivating photography + video for your business that attracts consumers who want to instantly add to cart!
I wanted to use the first 2 months of the year to share ways brands can set themselves up for success when working with a photo & video [content creation] production agency while also pulling back the curtain on how Darden Creative operates.
This year marks Darden Creative’s 7 year anniversary! While a few things have changed, the objective remains the same: Creating bright, colorful and modern lifestyle photography + video for nationally recognized beauty and lifestyle brands and the agencies that represent them.
Content Creation is our zone of genius and as the Creative Director & Lead Photographer, I take pride in hiring a dynamic team of creatives, ensuring that every client is taken care of through our proven content creation process. We handle the entire process from beginning to end including: creative direction, prop sourcing & styling, photography, editing/retouching, talent sourcing & hiring and location booking.
In a nutshell, clients hire us to execute their marketing vision so brands can focus on client acquisition. What makes it a symbiotic and beneficial experience for all parties, is a brand’s ability to communicate their marketing objectives and end use of content, in order for us to produce photography + video that reflects their goals. A simple explanation: The Brand Provides the What + Why and Darden Creative provides the How.
After working with many amazing clients over the years. Here are 2 ways brands can prepare working with a content creation agency for great results.
Understanding your Brand’s Content Creation/Marketing Budget
I thought using this popular Spiderman meme was a great way to introduce this point. Sometimes the Budget/Rate question can lead to a stalemate. We sometimes treat it like what came first, the chicken or the egg? When working with a content creation agency, it’s important for a brand to know their budget and what they’re willing to spend in order to execute their vision. Understanding one’s budget gives us a better understanding of what we can and cannot achieve for our clients.
When working with Darden Creative, there isn’t a one size fits all package. There are several variables that must be factored into our quote and it will be based on your needs. Those variables include but are not limited to:
Number of Images
Usage [Medium and Duration][Check out this article, where I talk about Copyright + Usage]
Talent Needs [Prop Stylists, Models, MUA/Hair Artists, Manicurists, etc]
Video Needs
Availability
Having a clear scope of a brand’s needs, allows us to provide a straightforward and easy to understand content creation proposal that captures all of a brand’s needs.
Lastly, do not be afraid of negotiation, with the understanding the scope of work may change in order to reflect a budget that works for both parties. I always like to recommend a Good, Better, Best strategy when deciding what you need to accomplish when working with a content creation agency.
Provide a High Level Shot List/Creative Brief Some of our best experiences with clients occurred when they had clear objectives on the photography + video they needed. As I shared briefly, a relationship is symbiotic when the brand provides the What & the Why in order for Darden Creative to deliver the How. I’ve shared screenshots of working documents provided to Darden Creative for a previous project.
A Shot List is a working document that provides specific details needed for the photography + video. What is usually included in the shot list, but not limited to:
Type of Shot [Model, Family, Group, Individual]
Products being highlighted in each image
Marketing Channels where images will be featured [This is an important detail for image orientation when capturing photos on set]
Inspiration Reference
Below is an extensive breakdown; however it provides a lot of context for what the client is looking for. It provides structure, but also creative flexibility for us to come up with fun & creative concepts.
** A creative fee is added to proposals where a shot list/creative brief is not provided.
A Creative Brief is a complementary document also shared by the client and is more visual driven. It provides:
The brand’s mission, goals and platforms
Mood Board & Color Palette [This is extremely helpful in the pre-production stage, when purchasing backdrops & props for the brand]
Target Audience [Helpful for hiring models & makeup artists that align with the Brand’s DNA]
Image Inspiration
Approaching Content Creation with a transparent & organized strategy lends itself to creating a symbiotic experience for the brand & content creation agency. Having a clear idea of your marketing needs + budget allows an agency to provide a straightforward and easy to understand proposal that covers all of your needs. Knowing your brand’s What + the Why allows a content creation agency to execute the How with more ease, creativity and flexibility.