You know when you get the feeling that someone or a company has their “stuff” together? Well that’s the feeling I’ve gotten since my first contact with a small marketing firm out of the Detroit, Michigan area.
Let me define small. Small, meaning they have about 45 people. Small in that they are not a WPP or a Saatchi & Saatchi. Yet, this small company does large things for large clients including Audi, Case, GM, Raytheon, Volkswagen, and Pfizer. In my opinion, they’re pretty good at what they do.
The truth is I did not find the company, a client of ours, Conferon Global Services (CGS), one of the largest meeting-support companies in the nation did. MVP Collaborative is the name of the firm, and its staff aids anyone wishing to put on events. Their services range from handling logistics, negotiating with venues, processing registrations, arranging housing, as well as dealing with many other components.
In one meeting with CGS, I was introduced to their planning partner that aids them in creating their own annual conference in order to highlight the relationships they’ve formed with their employees, logistical and supportive partners, and high-end clients. Many of these firms are household names.
Back to the point.
MVP impressed me. They impressed me first with a demo video. Not only because it was well done, but because it exemplified a company keen to the necessity of digital record keeping of their activities. More specifically, they record and photograph their work so that they can meld the content into a message that others can purchase. This becomes a powerful selling tool, because it holds key components such as success, imagery and a story that makes you feel that they can do it for you.
What I’ve found in my travels is that too few companies take the time to document their activities in a way that they can remarket themselves as being experts in the field. And if they do, it’s limited in scope.
Here are a few examples.
You’re a construction firm. Don’t only take the before and after. Continually take pictures and video of the project, with the client and without. You never know if that one picture, with K. Spacey, ends up being the picture with Kevin Spacey the now famous actor. You may also be able to show through imagery that your clients are involved, happy and engaged. Additionally, the audio might do two things. First, give you a testimonial and second, support you in court as you’re being sued for something you had actually done correctly. (It does happen.)
You’re a law firm. Sitting with different clients in different configurations may show your diversity of clients. (Obviously you’d have to get permission…in triplicate, notarized, and then blessed.) The benefit is when you do need to create that new web service or television campaign, your ad agency or designers have a plethora of choices when it comes to development of the product.
You’re a deliberator manufacturer, one where you may outsource the work to China or one where you do the work all in house. No difference. Images and video of product production, evolution, and placement in hospitals, nursing homes or airports become invaluable. It’s is based on the old saying, when you don’t need it the opportunities are everywhere, when you do need “the images,” now your scurrying around to find them. With a simple digital camera, now purchasable all over the place, you can start developing an inventory that can be used for a training video, an architectural meeting for equipment usage, or for the next web release.
In waiting for the right moment, the right camera, the right sunlight, companies miss opportunities to create an idea bank supplement of images and video that can transform a status quo marketing, training, pr, advertising, web, tool into one that’s a winner.
MVP did one other thing that impressed me; they’ve created a working haven where I think other firms would be envious. Their offices’ layouts were a true testament of their creativity. The offices “say” they are creative because their spaces are designed in such a way that they spur innovation.
Instantly upon entering the facility, the first thing I loved was that they had a client room.
This is where clients, who had to spend hours on end at their office, review projects, wind down, do business and relax. Notice the pool table, the contemporary feel and colors. The chairs are even wired with internet access IN THE ARM PIECE! Around the corner they have a full office for which a visitor could set up shop. This means the client can get away to their own space, and the space is interesting enough to keep them engaged and comfortable.
Adding on to this same philosophy, from my count, six rooms that were interesting meeting rooms for the employees (and clients if appropriate,) to develop concepts, content and plans. One room was full of futons to give a relaxed atmosphere. Another, the “ball” room, consists of exercise balls on a 3”-plank wooden floor. Post-It easel pages are tacked onto the walls. They have a presentation room with space for people to play out their ideas and then another more typical board-type room. Rounding out the six is their Idea Café with a big-screen TV, foosball table and space for individuals to congregate and to continue the work flow. The Customer Café is a very contemporary room.
MVP changes the feel, dynamics, and types of idea generation like you or we would change our television’s channels.
These few components are only a small fraction of what they’ve done to become who they are as a powerhouse recommended by a reputable firm such as Conferon.
What I thought was important were both the capturing of history for the future on an ongoing basis along with how they’ve intertwined THINKING in dynamic ways into design. In the thousands of companies I’ve interacted with, few have taken so much time to create an atmosphere that fosters thought.
Try this. For two minutes, think what your business would be like if there were two rooms in your office that were as different as a futon room and a ball room. Then think about how powerful those recorded images could be when positioning yourself for business in the future.
My guess is you’re going to say WOW also. Now the next big question…are you going to do anything about it? Create a CPM chart and a time line to get it done. Don’t wait for committees, don’t overburden everyone else. Do it and reap the rewards.
More surprising is that Zidane was willing to do this in front of 1 billion plus people. And no I don’t condone any of the above, I just know it happens. But with a billion people, your final game, your swan song, the game tied 1 to 1, with only 3 substitutions allowed. Give me a break.
I play soccer about three times a week with a crew of mostly 18-22 year olds. Being one of the few older people, at only 42 I know that my actions do have impact.
