Top Rated International TV Commercial Production Companies

• Producing a TV Commercial in DC
• The Commercial Production Process in Washington DC
• No Magic Template for DC Commercial Production
• TV Is A Good First Step, But What Is Next

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TV commercial production is probably the ‘sexiest’ of our video production work. They are the most widely seen of our work given the wide-reaching nature of media buys, and typically (but not always) allow for a lot of ‘creativity’ given that TV spots open up the opportunity for humor, drama and the absurd. It’s important to understand that like all video production, commercial spot production can be tackled any number of ways, all ultimately affecting cost (and production quality) of the finished product. When shopping for commercial television production, it’s critical to understand that one can’t just ‘price shop’ as they would an automobile or washing machine – where you can hone in on the exact make and model you want, and then just call every dealer in your market to get the lowest price. On the contrary, there is a direct correlation between budget, creative and quality when discussing television commercial production.

Producing a TV Commercial in DC

We often submit proposals for a particular TV spot, only to hear back from the client that company XYZ sent a proposal half as much money. And it’s true. You can talk with several different production companies, have the exact same conversation about your needs, and then collect a series of bids that range wildly in price and approach. In fact, most cable outlets and TV stations will just about ‘throw in’ the cost of a spot at limited to no cost if you do a media buy with them. The reason being that a media buy is a constant revenue stream for the station and often means not only a steady stream of income over several weeks (most media buys start at 13 weeks), but the media buy will also frequently generate MORE income for the station than the cost of producing a commercial spot in DC. So, while we obviously can’t compete price-wise with a ‘free spot’, we always like to point out to our clients that, in most cases, the stations can’t compete with us in terms of the quality of the finished product. We all know what a locally produced cable spot looks like. Think about the local car ad or furniture store spot that you see sandwiched between 2 nationally produced ads while watching your favorite show, and how the quality difference is amplified given that the ‘local’ spot precedes or follows a slickly produced commercial. This is not to disparage local cable commercial production. There is certainly a need for clients on tight budgets to leverage this option, and some of the local production can actually be quite competently and creatively executed. However, the process, experience and overall production value (i.e., QUALITY) of your commercial is typically going to be at a much higher level when you invest with a group like ours. In short, Washington DC commercial television production truly adheres to the old adage, “You get what you pay for.”

The Commercial Production Process in Washington DC

Our process for DC television commercial production employs many of the same tactics we utilize for most of our production work regardless of the organization, product or service we are marketing. It begins with a thorough brand audit about your company and the product or service that you are looking to promote. We begin by carefully analyzing who your primary target audience is. Is there a secondary audience? What do audience members currently know about your brand name or product? Are we introducing something new to them, or is there a commonly held preconception about the brand or product? Who are your competitors and what is our competitive advantage over them? What current advertising campaigns and marketing efforts have already been launched around your product or service? What worked? What didn’t work? Is it a direct response style spot or more branding focused?

The answers to these questions, and many others, will inform our creative recommendations for your commercial. Depending on the audience, company culture and surrounding known brand / product attributes that we can identify, we will construct your spot keeping your targets in mind. We also want to make sure that your television creative development aligns with your overall brand. Do audiences see your company, or service / product, as something fun or funky? Is it deadly serious? Is it buttoned up / conservative or more ‘loose’? Do you have a tag line? Is there a brand book or style guide that dictates font styles and color palates? All of these considerations will affect our overall approach so that the finished commercial ‘feels’ as if it’s a seamless extension of the existing brand. And, if you’re working from a clean slate, or introducing something that audiences are completely unfamiliar with, then we can help you establish the new brand, come up with a tag line and overall ‘look’.

No Magic Template for DC Commercial Production

There is no magic formula, or foolproof template for producing a quality television commercial. Our deep dive will take into account even where exactly your spot is going to be running. Is it a national spot that requires a broad / general appeal? Or, perhaps it’s a regional spot that will benefit from leveraging the culture / style of the markets where it will be seen. Maybe it’s a very esoteric spot targeted to an extremely specific audience so that even though it’s going to launch nationally, it still has a very narrow appeal to a particular audience segment that we need to take into account. All of our production decisions will be informed by this data – from the style of voice-over we use, to our music selections, editorial style and overall creative approach. Our goal is always the same though – to create a spot that will resonate with your core target audience in a manner that is as tailored as possible to their needs, wants and sensibilities.

TV Is A Good First Step, But What Is Next

Full disclosure here – it is worth noting that you can produce the greatest TV commercial in the world, but a TV spot on its own isn’t necessarily going to move the needle for you. While it’s true that your TV spot may be the flagship piece, and most high-profile tactic in your advertising toolkit, the best advertising campaigns are multi-faceted and include ancillary outreach in the form of print, web, radio, PR, etc. You also need to take into account when allocating your television advertising budget that beyond the cost of your commercial production, you need to understand the cost of your media buy. Depending on the reach of your buy (e.g., Local? Regional? National?) and the length of time your spot will run, media placement costs can add up quickly and this is something that you should speak with a good media buyer about in order to accurately budget what you’ll need for the overall campaign.