Fresh eyes bring great creativity, fresh minds ask the right questions.

By Quint Boa, Managing Director, Shoot You

I started my career behind the camera, at the BBC. Fast-forward 20 years and I’m proud to be running an international video and animation production company. Of course, it didn’t happen overnight – we took baby steps, every project taught us something new, and with success came incredible growth. From two cameramen, we now have an elite team of producers, animators, editors, creative directors, script writers; in fact, every specialism you’d expect to find in a first-class media agency.

 In this short article, I’d like to share testimonials and thoughts from our own customers – their reasons for choosing to partner with an external agency, even when they have an in-house team. I hope it gives you some insight into the ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘when’ a creative agency can bring tangible, added value to your business.

“An external agency helps us look at our brand with fresh eyes”

You know your brand inside out. You’ve attended seminars, training courses, worked on endless customer communications. You almost certainly have a specific tone of voice, set of images, colours and icons you have to use. When you need a creative, you turn to your in-house team and hey presto, a campaign is produced. But does it look or feel any different to the last one? Sometimes, you might find that you need fresh eyes. And this is where we can help. We’ll ask you challenging questions. We’ll take the time to understand your brand values, vision, commercial goals and purpose. We’ll work alongside your in-house team (if you have one) and propose options that push the boundaries of innovation so that your campaign is unforgettable.

 “Working with an agency gives us more agility to manage our business”

We are not restricted by time, skillsets or manpower. For us, there is no job too small or too big. If you need an animation fast, we can scale up our resources fast. If you need specialist equipment, we can provide it. If you need a video shoot abroad, we can send our crew. If you need a voice-over in 10 languages, we can bring in our trusted translators. The most important thing to know if is we can adapt to your needs, all the while working in close collaboration with your in-house project leaders and creative teams. The end result is that you can meet your campaign deadlines on-time and on budget.

“We chose an outside agency, but we work together in partnership”

For us, the greatest accolade is when we feel we have become an extension of your wider team. We know you well enough to understand your brand, even your customers. But we can still push you creatively to think outside the box so that we can produce amazing campaigns, together. It’s about partnership, respect, working towards the same goals, and bringing a new perspective and enthusiasm to every project we collaborate on.

"We actually save money using an agency!”

Yes, it’s true. Many of our customers say that outsourcing specialist projects such as video and animation actually saves them money. That’s because you don’t have to train staff to do what we do. You don’t have to buy expensive equipment to deliver a professional production. You don’t run the risk of losing a skillset mid-campaign if someone becomes sick or leaves the company. And of course, you have no ongoing overheads. Instead, we’re easy to work with, there when you need us, and we don’t cost the earth!

In conclusion, it’s not a question of in-house versus agency. It’s about what suits your business best at any given time. And often, that will mean pooling internal and external resources to drive the greatest value and achieve the best possible outcome. The hardest part is finding the right agency!

If you’d like to discuss a project and would like to introduce us to your in-house team, please drop us an email at: [email protected]