THE PROBLEM 

DIAGNOSIS & POSITIONING

THE PROBLEM MAY NOT BE YOUR MARKETING

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A company says it needs more content.

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Sometimes it does.

But that request usually comes with an assumption:

the company already knows what needs to be said and only needs someone to package it.

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That is where I like to slow things down.

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Before discussing cameras, concepts or deliverables, I want to know why the current communication is not working. The answer might be marketing, but it could just as easily be the offer, the message or the lack of convincing evidence.

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Those problems can look nearly identical from the outside.

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A company with weak positioning may believe it needs more reach. A company with an unclear offer may believe it needs a better video. A company making unsupported claims may believe higher production value will make those claims more credible.

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In each case, producing more content could make the company more visible without making it more convincing.

Marketing can only amplify what it is given

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I generally look in four places.

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1. First, does the audience understand what is being offered?
    

2. Second, can the company explain why it matters in language that makes sense outside its own walls?
    

3. Third, is there enough evidence to support what the company is claiming?
    

4. Finally, is the right message actually reaching the right people?
    

If the first three are unclear, increasing distribution usually multiplies the confusion.

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That is why I do not start by asking what kind of video a company wants. I start by asking what the audience needs to understand, believe or do.

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If people do not understand the product, the work needs explanation.

If they understand it but do not believe the claim, the work needs proof.

If they believe the claim but cannot picture the value, the work may need demonstration or story.

If all of that is working but no one sees it, then distribution may actually be the problem.

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The format should come after that diagnosis.

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We The Free started with a system problem

When We The Free began developing original programming, they were not trying to repair an existing content system. They were building one.

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They knew they wanted original shows, but they did not yet have a complete framework for how those shows should be developed, produced and marketed in a way that strengthened the larger brand.

Working through Coyote Ranch, I became involved during that foundational stage. My role eventually covered creative development, cinematography, directing on selected episodes, editing, visual effects, audio, promotional material and live production.

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The larger question was never simply, “How should this episode look?”

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We had to think about how separate programs could have their own identities without feeling disconnected from We The Free. We also had to consider how the production process would support the show itself, its promotion and the continued growth of the platform.

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That is a different job from showing up with a camera and executing a finished idea.

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The questions that need answers

Before recommending production, I want to know:

• What must the audience understand?

• What are they likely to question?

• What evidence do we actually have?

• What decision should the communication support?

• Where will the finished material be used?
   

These questions do not restrict the creative process. They keep the creative work attached to the reason the project exists.

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They can also reveal that production is not the immediate answer.

Sometimes a company needs a campaign. Sometimes it needs a documentary, a series of interviews or a clear demonstration. Sometimes the message needs to be fixed before money is spent producing anything.

 

That is why I start with the problem, not the camera.

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