We know crowdsourcing in general is still unfamiliar territory for many out there, and we want to change that. We’re devoting a blog series over the next few weeks, each one focusing on a phase of the video campaign planning process. If you want the Strategic Guide to Crowdsourcing a Video Campaign in its entirety, visit www.geniusrocket.com/whitepaper to access the online and pdf version.

Whether you choose us or another agency, these pointers should help you execute your campaign with confidence. Ultimately, we want you to maximize the power of the crowd and nail your business objectives with an outstanding video campaign.

Production

So you are confident with the campaign concept your brand has chosen, have validated it with focus groups and advertising critics, and have completed the storyboard and scripting.  Now, the next step is to bring it to life by producing it. Here are the 2 biggest recommendations we have on making sure the production process is a success when using a crowdsourcing agency.

Stay Actively Involved

At GeniusRocket, we always advocate for clients to be actively involved with the production team and be on set- after all, no one knows the brand better than the people representing it, and there may be certain elements they’re looking for that the production team may miss if they’re not present on set.

The Marketing Manager for Audio-Technica appreciated the value of being on set for the production of Audio 911: “…being on set, I stood there as a representation of my brand. There were certain things pre-production that people in the office talked about that they really liked in the video concepts and felt passionate that they be included; I was able to make sure those things were done and didn’t get cut out of the process. Even if it didn’t get used in the end, I felt good knowing I was the voice of the brand and the voice of what our expectations were.” Clearly, it was worth it for her to take the time to be engaged in the process. She was deeply involved with the production team and GeniusRocket from beginning to end, and the results showed with a highly successful video marketing campaign.

So the question is: when it comes to using a crowdsourcing agency, how much control do you have over the production process? The answer is: it depends. Crowdsourcing agencies operate on different models, and the involvement clients have in various stages along the process differ from agency to agency:

Open or contest-based crowdsourcing models. The amount of control is low in these models. For instance, with agencies that require crowds to submit videos rather than creative ideas as the first step of the campaign process, you’ll have little input on production processes aside from your creative brief. You have more control over the production process in other type of open models, though communication with the production company can be limited. The risk of limited communication can result in an inadequate video; agencies offer the ability to re-shoot and/or edit, but this can add extra time and costs to your campaign. Based on your business objectives and priorities, however, this model can still work for you.

Who this makes sense for:

• Brands that want fans to be involved in the production process and create user-generated videos as part of the marketing campaign strategy
• Brands that plan on using the video for low-priority, low-impact distribution (example: Company X uses their Agency of Record for their promotional video that is centered around their main marketing campaign, but uses contest crowdsourcing for a series of videos to be featured on their social media channels as a secondary marketing campaign just to keep up brand awareness)

Closed or curated crowdsourcing models. You’ll have the most control over the production process in a closed model. Open communication channels and the staged approach from ideation to distribution enable you to be pulsed into the process. In addition, since production companies in a closed model are vetted, they will be guaranteed to be professionals with strong portfolios that are aligned to your needs.

Who this makes sense for:

• Brands planning on using the video as part of their main marketing campaign
• Brands planning on using video for prominent display in major distribution mediums (national broadcast, featured online videos, etc)
• Brand managers who expect and demand to be involved in the video production process

Ensure You’re Getting a Professional and High-Quality Video

If you drive around 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS, chances are that people will automatically assume you’re rich. Similar to that, if you launch a video that is professional and high-quality, people can transfer those feelings and develop an enhanced perception of your brand. Indeed, studies even indicate high-quality professional video improves brand lift. So if you want to enhance perceptions of your brand, make sure that the designated production company has solid experience and professionalism.

Again, based on the agency you are working with, the caliber of production companies that belong in the crowdsourced community differ. There are amateurs that can easily join one crowdsourced community, but not have the professional credentials to enter another one. Take an active role in understanding what your options are before you even sign the contract with the crowdsourcing agency. Ask what type of creatives belong in the community, and what, if any, processes exist that filter the good from the bad. Even go far as to ask what the compensation structure for the creatives is. If there is spec work involved, chances are that good professionals won’t be incentivized to join or stay in a community. If there is is a fair compensation structure, on the other hand, chances are good that you’ll have a quality community to work with.

In Summary

By staying actively involved and ensuring quality production standards in the crowdsourcing process, you can create a video that is of top-agency quality at an affordable cost. For brands, the greatest benefit of using crowdsourcing is finding the brilliant idea to inspire their next campaign, but the added value and impact of making the video professional cannot be ignored. So get involved!

In our next blog post, we’ll provide guidance on how to make sure the video production process stays in line with quality assurance standards. Stay tuned! (Or… just go to www.geniusrocket.com/whitepaper where you can access the entire guide at once)

What are your tips on maximizing the success of the video production process? Share them with us in the comment section below! 

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Read previous posts:

Crowdsourcing a Video Marketing Campaign Stage 1: Defining Business Objectives

Crowdsourcing a Video Marketing Campaign Stage 2: Choosing Your Creative Partner

Crowdsourcing a Video Marketing Campaign Stage 3: Concept Generation

Crowdsourcing a Video Marketing Campaign Stage 4: Concept Validation and Risk Management

Measure Success Factors That Matter in the Crowdsourcing Domain