8 Reasons we’re NOT the right animation agency for you
We have one simple goal - We want to create the best possible work for our clients.
To achieve that we need a great relationship with our clients so we can spend our time doing what we do best and not managing clients’ expectations and putting out fires.
We’re always looking to build trust and create an enjoyable, productive working relationship with our clients. So, we want to know that we are the right fit for you as an agency and that you are the right fit for us as customers.
So, in order to save your time and ours, here are our 8 reasons we’re NOT the animation agency for you:
1. We are a small PASSIONATE agency
We are but two humans and a dog in this business. We work with some amazingly talented people who help us create great explainer videos for our clients’, but in the end, we are still a small team.
We believe that it is not about the number of people working on one project but the talent, experience and passion that they have that matters.
And because we are a small agency, we are very close with our clients, we care about what they want and what their goals. We give personalised attention to each of our clients and they get to know us directly.
Our customers can contact us quickly and easily without having to deal with administrative bureaucracy or third parties, making communication flow efficiently.
If you are looking for an agency where you have multiple points of contact, and numerous people get their hands on your project, we are not the right fit for you.
2. We are based in Mexico
We are a UK company currently based in Mexico and FYI we are six hours behind the UK (GMT-6).
How does that affect you? Well, since the majority of our customers are either UK or US based it's likely one of two possibilities;
For UK companies:
When you are finishing up your work day, we are starting ours. There’s enough of a crossover to hold any calls in your working hours. So we are going to be working on your project while you are sleeping. And when you wake up, we’ve had a full day to progress the project.
You don't even have to hurry to give us feedback, you can do it any time before the end of your work day and we’ll still have a full day to work on it. You’ll receive the updates directly to your inbox before 9 am the next day. This means we’re not wasting time sitting waiting to receive your feedback, and you're not under pressure to do 10 things at once!
If you’re US based:
We’re on central time in Mexico city so wherever you are, east coast, west coast or somewhere in between, we’re always within a couple of hours of your standard working hours. Simple.
If you need your agency to be in the same time zone or city as you, we are not the right fit for you.
3. We involve people in the process
We are experts creating animation and explainer videos, but you have expert knowledge in your business! And no one knows your customers better than your business. These insights help us decide what's important to share about your service or product .
We also want to make sure that you are getting an animation you're proud of, so we share our work regularly, and take decisions together to get the best outcomes.
We check-in at key stages and make sure that our customers are happy with the script, the design, the animation, the voice over and even the music. That sounds like a lot to decide for you, but our streamlined process means that it won't take more than 3-4 hours of your time over the WHOLE project.
We are guiding you in every step of the process to make it as smooth and easy. We only give you good options to choose from so you just have to consider which best fits your audience, goals and brand.
Our clients feel confident that they have an input and that they are building their unique explainer video exactly the way they want it.
Maybe you are someone that wants to just pay and be hands off. Maybe you are happy to hope that the agency makes the right decisions on your behalf, understands your product correctly, knows your audience intimately and gets what's best for your business. If you strongly believe an outside agency can deliver all that without your input and correct any mistakes in three rounds of amends - then we are not the right fit for you.
4. We use asynchronous communication
We love meeting our clients via video calls and hearing their stories, it's a great way to get to know each other and build trust. But we value your time and have developed an asynchronous communication process that works super efficiently. This means we don’t need to book lots of calls, or meetings, or need you to be available at a specific time.
What is asynchronous communication?
Asynchronous communication is when two (or more) people can communicate without the need that they be “present” at the same exact moment in time.
Examples of this are email and messaging apps.
This gives you power to manage your own time and respond when it is convenient within a pre-agreed time frame (normally 24-48 hrs).
For us asynchronous communication means we might communicate initially via email (or slack if you prefer) but as we get more into the details we use dedicated platforms to collect feedback in a simple visual way.
For scripts we use google docs:
For storyboards and design we use - Boords.com to add comments to specific frames eliminating confusion :
For video feedback we use Frame.io to add drawings and notes to specific times in a video avoiding any ambiguity:
This doesn't mean that we’re not available on the phone, and there are times when a call is beneficial, but, we find that to be the exception.
It's mutually beneficial that you give us feedback and sign-off at key stages so we can keep moving forward with your project, course correct along the way and spend more time refining your project and less time redoing work.
So if you need someone local to meet face to face, or prefer frequent, long inefficient meetings, we are not the right fit for you.
5. We might not agree with you all the time
There’s nothing wrong with knowing exactly what you want and getting someone to do it for you. But we consider it important to give advice when you need it, as we said before, you are an expert in your business but we are experts in explainer videos. It would be against our values to do something that we know won't work and charge for that.
We enjoy working with businesses and advising them throughout the project. We will say if we think something won’t work or could be done better. If we didn’t, we’d feel we were doing a disservice to our clients.
Of course we don’t expect clients to always take our advice, but it’s one of our brand values to share ideas and better ways of doing things if and when they come up.
For some people, this just isn’t going to work. They have an idea in mind and they don't like to be challenged on whether that is the best solution. That’s no problem – we’re just not the right fit.
6. We are not Cheap
Sometimes people just want a cheap agency or a low budget option to knock out a quick animation that's not going to move the needle.
Our work is not cheap because we’re focused on hitting our clients goals and improving conversions. Our explainer videos and generally 1-2 minutes and start at £7995.
The price reflects the value our clients receive and the time and energy we invest.
We sometimes get asked to build an explainer for £1000 or £2000, and the answer is we can’t work with you. We wouldn't feel right creating an explainer video that is below our quality standards and what your brand deserves.
Maybe you are not ready yet to invest in improving conversions for your business.
So, if you just want to get a cheap video, we are not the right fit for you.
7. We invest time in your explainer video
We can’t create an explainer video within one or two weeks. Not one we feel would deliver you a great return on investment anyways!
We have a detailed process, which includes Scripting, designing, storytelling, recording voice overs, etc. All of this takes time and dedication, and requires communication with you.
Quality takes time, or if you need it quickly costs extra.
Unfortunately, we don’t do rushed low quality, and again, if we did, we’d feel like we were doing you a disservice. It’s very likely that the animation would not be representative of the quality you deserve and could end up damaging your brand. There's a reason you never saw Nike do a whiteboard animation.
So, if you need a two minute explainer animation done in a week, we are not the right fit for you.
8. We don't promote products or services that harm people or cause damage to the environment
We believe that technology has the power to improve people's lives, and tackle some of the biggest challenges we face, such as climate change. We love helping customers discover new and exciting possibilities through the work we create.
Using storytelling and behavioural psychology to trigger people's emotions is a powerful combination and we won’t use our expertise to manipulate people into actions that are against their best interest.
So if you’re looking to encourage people to smoke more cancer sticks, burn more fossil fuels or are creating the next AI powered weapon, we’re really NOT for you.
So are we a good fit for you?
We just want to make sure we work with the right people and that you work with the right agency. It's better to be honest from the beginning and not disappoint anyone in the middle of the process.
In the end, we want to work with clients who value our work and that share the same values as us. We really like to work with businesses that can create a positive impact on society and/or the environment.
So, if you are ok with who we are as an agency and are ready to invest in improving conversions for your business, contact us! We’ll make sure that you‘ll get the most out of your investment.
So start a conversation today and get in touch.