Companies are utilizing creative partnerships more and more to further their brand. But what exactly makes a creative partner great? At their best, they come alongside companies, empower them, and give them that extra boost of energy to push into the next stage of their brand.

Unfortunately, only some video production teams work like this. To find the right partner, clients should consider how they impact and multiply their internal team’s value by aligning with their culture and utilizing their talents through the process. This goes a long way in making impactful content that will capture who you are, and where you’re headed. 

We know that it can be daunting to set out on this journey, which is why we’re giving you some tips on what to look for in a good partner.  

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Tips to evaluate your partnership  

Good partners don’t expect you to be an expert, just an advocate

You’re the best person to advocate for your brand, but you might not know everything about video production. That’s why a good partner knows that this isn’t your full-time gig, so they don’t expect you to know the ins and outs of video strategy. What they need is for you to teach them your company’s message and mission. No one can come in and tell you who you are, but a good partner helps you refine the process and capture that core message. Essentially, they bring the video knowledge, and you bring the brand/company knowledge. 

When people want to come across as an expert, they tend to share their best, most polished ideas. But it’s important to remember that nothing is a bad idea, especially in the beginning stages. That’s the time to air it all out. Bring your most outrageous ideas to the table without disclaimers about what it might take to see them come to life. 

That’s our job. 

And don’t think that just your marketing team needs to have a say in ideation. We like to hear from people in other departments and have lots of voices and ideas on the front end. They can tell us what matters to them, their friends, and their peers. Only working with one section of your business often gets us stuck in a feedback loop. 

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They come alongside your culture, not try to establish a new one 

Great work comes from supporting and highlighting the amazing things the company is already doing and hearing from as many team members as possible to represent your brand well. That’s why good partners come alongside you and work within your existing culture. 

While getting excited about a new project is easy, a good video strategy should enhance and affirm your culture, not change it. Remember—you’re partners on this journey together. At the end of the day, we aren’t trying to bring in *our* style - we want yours! Great partners bring your culture to the front and help it shine. 

They find value in your internal team and don’t walk all over it. 

There’s a lot of value-add in maximizing your team’s efforts to help fill potential gaps. 

We really like seeing you and your team, whether that’s in San Diego (where we’re based), or across the country. This helps us connect with their editors, producers, or creative directors. It helps us better understand how their team works and get to know why each person on their team is great at their role. 

That’s why we’re big believers in team augmentation. If you have an awesome creative director, producer, story director, or script writer on your team, you should utilize them to partner with production and bring proficiency into any potential gaps. Utilizing and affirming the amazing people on your team helps video strategy soar to new heights. Your employee’s perspective is invaluable; since they know your business best, they are an amazing asset on the journey. There’s no reason to uproot all of their experience and knowledge (mainly from a cost standpoint) if team augmentation is an option that will benefit the entire project.

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No matter what your video production needs are, you want to look for partners that will help maximize your team. A true partnership won’t take over everything and work in silos while you’re left wondering what’s next. Your brand deserves more than that. Contact us today and see how we can help you on the journey. 

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