OFFICE PRACTICE AIDS


Video: A Marketing Edge for the 1990's
by Leslie Draper


 Among the professionals
 who market A/E services, the
 following statistic provokes a
 ripple of anxiety. The number
 of architectural and engineer-
 ing firms in Florida grew 137
 percent in the last decade. Since
 the nature of the design/build
 industry is to go where the work
 is, new firms and branch of-
 fices of established heavy-
 weights are magnetically at-
 tracted to Florida's booming
 economy. The result is an
 increased focus on marketing
 strategies and innovative solu-
 tions to better position one's
 services beyond that of the
 competition.
 There's no better way to
convey your firm's message to
prospective clients and em-
ployees than video. Profes-
sionally-produced video pres-
entations are now incorporated
into the marketing budgets of
many design/build firms for
trade show exhibits, project
updates, new business presen-
tations and employee recruit-
ing.
 Trade shows are a perfect
place for video productions.
As more A/E firms join the
ranks of other professional
service industries in trade show
marketing, they're realizing
that video is the ideal medium
for such a competitive envi-
ronment.
 Lyle P. Fugleberg of Fugle-
berg Koch Architects in Win-
ter Park, is an architect who
realized early that to be effec-
tive in a trade show format,
video was a good choice. He
felt that an exhibit utilizing
slides and renderings would
require too much time to pres-
ent adequately. Trade show
visitors generally try to see as
much as they can as fast as they
can. The exhibitor is dealing
with short attention spans
where impressions are molded
in seconds. Fugleberg feels
that his firm's video has be-
come the focal point for his
exhibit. It captures the essence


of the corporate philosophy,
shows a variety of the firm's
work and its computer tech-
nology, all within an approxi-
mate time of five minutes.
 Fugleberg adds that his firm
 has put the video to good use
 for countless new business
 presentations and admits that it
 would also be appropriate for
 recruiting and conducting new
 employee interviews.
 Another Central Florida
firm decided that a video for-
mat was the ticket for an intern
recruiting mission. Arsham
and Associates, Inc., Land-
scape Contracting and Design,
wanted a presentation that
would set the firm apart as a
"forward-minded firm." As it
turned out, Arsham was the
only firm at the University's
recruiting program to use
video, and it really captured
the recruit's attention and
generated interest in the firm.
 Let's assume for the mo-
ment, that you're sold on using
video as a marketing tool. How
do you select the right video
production company to do the
job?
 Think of the selection proc-
ess in terms of the submittal/
interview process your own
firm goes through to ensure
new work. In this case, how-
ever, you'll be quizzing the
prospective video production
company in the same, vigor-
ous manner that a new pros-
pect/client questions your
firm's capabilities.
 Here are some basic guide-
lines on what to ask a produc-
tion company regarding costs,
capabilities and quality of serv-
ice.
 First, does the company
have a strong background in
producing the kind of video
you want? Ask for a client list,
and verify that the references
are satisfied customers. Ask
specific questions about the
company's ability to finish the
project on time and within
budget. Ask about their prob-


lem-solving techniques and
their ability to save time and
money. Would they hire the
video company again to do
another project?
 Once you've talked to a
sufficient number of refer-
ences, ask the video company
for tapes of some completed
projects so you can see for
yourself what to expect from
the finished product.
 Second, ask who will actu-
ally be working on your video
and what equipment will they
be using? Who will be the
producer and how does his or
her experience relate to your
project needs? Who are the
crew members, and what is
their experience in the field?
Are they full-time employees
of the production company?
 Third, ask exactly what the
contract covers. Does it in-
clude scriptwriting, location
work, postproduction and ed-
iting?


 II


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Top, AVID video transition from Fugleberg Koch sales video illustrating how im-
portant "human comfort" is as a design factor at the office and at home. The same
man is in both shots. Above, a single frame ofAVID/AniMajic 3D animation used
in the Walt Disney Swan Hotel sales video. The full length animation depicts the
rear of the hotel and its proximity to the Majic Kingdom, MGM, and EPCOT
Center Ball.


FLORIDA ARCHITECT September/October 1989