Starlog

When One Thing Is More Than Meets the Eye

(Six Minute Read)

Imagine a time traveler from the 1980s just arrived in your living room and you’re trying to explain your iPhone to them:

TIME TRAVELER: (TURNING OFF THEIR PORTABLE CASSETTE PLAYER PLAYING VAN HALEN AND POINTING TO YOUR PHONE) “So, that’s a phone?”

YOU: “Yes, but I can also take pictures with it. And shoot videos. And get directions. And do calculations. And play games. And look up anything I want on any subject.”

TIME TRAVELER: (CONFUSED): “I…I thought you said it was a phone.”

YOU: “Well, it is, but…”

Technology and the ability of products to do more than one thing has turned many of those products into absolute necessities. The same is true with businesses. When you think of Coca-Cola, do you think of Classic Coke, or the company’s numerous healthier zero-sugar products and sparkling waters? When you think of Gerber, do you think of baby food? Or children’s wear? Or life insurance? They do all three. The point is, companies that are primarily well-known for one thing, are often equally good in other areas you might not expect.

At Hybrid Moon, we’ve referred to ourselves as a “Video Ad Agency” many times. Videos are the heartbeat of our business. But through our years of experience, not to mention all the people in different fields we’ve collaborated with, we’re also able to offer clients services that truly make up the Ad Agency description of our business.

THREE SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

As you know, a full-service ad agency is theoretically set up to handle all of a client’s marketing needs regardless of their business. This includes everything from market analysis, to developing creative assets for any channel, to media placement. In recent years though, many companies have preferred to divide up their marketing needs through multiple agencies that specialize in a particular field: one company for website development, another for video production, another for social media. Or maybe the company even selects an agency that specializes in their particular industry, like healthcare, or manufacturing. We get the advantages of both the “all encompassing” and “specialized” schools of thought. But there is also a third school of thought: choose a marketing partner known primarily for one thing, but has, over the years, developed deep expertise in other areas.

HOW IT HAPPENS

In our case, when you’re in the video business, it’s inevitable that you’re going to wind up doing animation. And when you shoot videos and produce animation, it’s inevitable that you’re going to wind up doing an analysis of your client’s competitive landscape. And when you shoot videos, produce animation, and do competitive market analysis, it’s inevitable that clients are going to ask you to develop a longer term marketing strategy. And when you shoot videos, produce animation, examine competitive landscapes, and develop longer term marketing strategies, it’s inevitable that—well—you get it. You become an ad agency. In our case, a Video Ad Agency.

PICK & CHOOSE YOUR SPECIALIZED NEEDS 

Over the years, we’ve developed expertise in a number of areas. Need a marketing partner that can help define your product’s unique selling features? Do a competitive analysis? Launch a new product? Develop a multimedia campaign that moves seamlessly across digital, social, and traditional channels? We can do that. Our network of resources includes most everything a client might need. No, they’re not all housed in one big building. But these virtual resources are yours for the asking, and are all funneled through a company where you’re not dealing with a project manager, but one of the principals of Hybrid Moon.

When you stop and think about it, expanding the use of your video ad agency makes perfect sense because video itself is a multidimensional, multichannel medium. So much of a company’s marketing is centered around video; for your website, for social media, for sales and recruiting, for broadcast, for live events, and more. It therefore makes sense that we would know a thing or three about UI/UX development, or email drip campaigns, or writing brand manifestos—all of which, on the surface, doesn’t seem to have much with making videos—but yet, it does. This is just like Gerber being in the business of protecting tiny tummies with nutritious baby food, and protecting little bodies with clothing, and protecting entire families with life insurance. 

ANY INDUSTRY, ANY TIME

We’ve lent unexpected expertise to clients in the destination, security, HVAC, healthcare, financial, construction, apparel, fire & safety, and retail industries to name just a few. We’re always honored when clients refer to us as their “marketing partner” instead of their “video production company.” 

But, of course, if you’re looking for a partner that can handle your video production needs—from conceptualizing, writing, casting and shooting, to a simple, nimble two-person crew—we can do that, too. We’re not trying to be all things to all people, but for some of our clients, we’re certainly more than one thing. We’re also trying to keep things simple for clients.

As Steve Jobs said: “Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” 

So, before you call that full-service agency, or that specialized agency, keep it simple. Look to the Moon and call your video ad agency!