| Multimedia is everywhere on the Internet, whether in | | | | the creative team understands the message you need |
| the form of floating ads at major websites, streaming | | | | to convey. Is a creative firm with a great portfolio and |
| video or animated presentations. Of course, there is a | | | | appealing style really able to promote effectively your |
| good reason why multimedia has become such an | | | | product and/or service? Only client testimonials, |
| integral part of the web experience: it's an effective | | | | references, case studies with solid results, or market |
| tool for capturing attention or provoking visitors to buy | | | | research can tell you this. Even when obtaining the |
| or contact the site owner. For these reasons, many | | | | creative from a top line firm, if you do your homework, |
| educational institutions, businesses, and other | | | | you can still keep costs down. Prepare as much |
| organizations desire multimedia presentations. | | | | information about your target audience, goals, |
| Unfortunately, at first glance multimedia, often appears | | | | customers, products and services as possible. Develop |
| prohibitively expensive for small businesses and | | | | a few rough concepts of your own, in-house, to help |
| non-profits. The following represent a number of ways | | | | orient the creative team. Finally, discuss these |
| to control the high cost that typically accompanies | | | | endeavors with your chosen firm up front and |
| multimedia production without losing quality. We believe | | | | negotiate a reduction in fees if you both agree that the |
| these suggestions will ensure that you save money | | | | information you provide is helpful.A second way to cut |
| but still feel good about your investment.Let's begin by | | | | cots is to ask for fixed price development. This |
| understanding the components of professional | | | | direction can mean losing some flexibility in the design |
| multimedia production, which include creative | | | | of your site. However, the tradeoff can be worthwhile |
| development, actual production, and various stages for | | | | if you are able to exert self-discipline. For that reason, |
| revisions.The lion's share of multimedia production | | | | when choosing fixed price development, be limited with |
| costs typically stems from creative development. This | | | | revisions, as you only get a few as part of a fixed |
| is often the most controversial line item for frugal | | | | price. Avoid common mistakes such as being unsure |
| business owners, who may ask, "shouldn't the cost of | | | | of what design direction you desire or being unsure of |
| the creative be part of the design or production | | | | your marketing message. Carefully consider each |
| costs?" As with fine clothing, where the choice of | | | | deliverable in order to provide all your comments in as |
| designer adds to the cost of your product more so | | | | few phases as possible - take a couple of days, at |
| than the actual material or sewing, multimedia design | | | | least, to do this.Finally, when working with a firm, make |
| costs depend on the creative input as well. For | | | | sure that you provide them with only one point of |
| example, if you hire a designer with more experience | | | | contact so they don't spend additional time coordinating |
| or with a track record of creating unique, catchy | | | | between people in your company - although seemingly |
| concepts, your creative development costs may be | | | | amusing, that mistake is quite common, especially so |
| higher. Of course, the final product may result in having | | | | with growing businesses. Requiring your designer to |
| a stronger impact as well. The solution isn't to pick the | | | | handle internal coordination of ideas leads to dramatic |
| least expensive creative professional, but rather to | | | | extensions in project timelines, so be sure that you |
| understand their process in order to help speed | | | | appoint someone internally to act as a point of contact |
| production (thus reducing cost).The second component | | | | and clearinghouse of internal discussion. Another way |
| of multimedia production, the design and production of | | | | to save on multimedia costs is by concentrating on |
| the piece itself, typically requires less guesswork in | | | | developing powerful ideas while keeping |
| terms of defining cost. The cost per minute of | | | | implementation simple. When too much time is spent |
| production depends on a limited number of specific | | | | on design and not enough on concept, you will waste |
| parameters, such as the complexity of the animation | | | | production money and effort. To make this strategy |
| and the overall quality of the design agency selected. | | | | effective interview firms that may front load the |
| Generally speaking, there are three types of firms - | | | | creative, but also display portfolio pieces that focus on |
| from a cost perspective - you can choose to work | | | | conveying ideas rather than showing off lots of special |
| with: a purely on-shore, purely off-shore, or a hybrid | | | | effects. Work with the designer to simplify the |
| off-shore/on-shore firm. The type of organization you | | | | production process by brainstorming easier ways to |
| choose will have a strong correlation with the quality | | | | animate key concepts, and be open to using less labor |
| and the price you pay.The third component, client | | | | intensive "vector" animation rather than 3D animations |
| revisions, is an area controlled most easily and typically | | | | or video production. When it comes to sound, seek out |
| is the cause of inflating or deflating multimedia | | | | talented and "undiscovered" freelance musicians or |
| development costs beyond a designer's original | | | | voiceover actors working from home who can |
| estimate, or your expectations. The most basic | | | | provide original audio that will cut licensing costs..As a |
| revisions consist of three rounds: changes to creative | | | | final point, the operational structure of your chosen |
| concepts, changes to a draft version of the final | | | | design firm can impact cost and quality as well. |
| product, and a final review. Often, more revisions may | | | | Off-shoring software development is well established, |
| be needed when a designer is provided with | | | | but outsourcing design work abroad is less common |
| inconsistent or incomplete information. This invariably | | | | and can lead to interesting results due to cultural |
| results in a higher cost than expected.With the | | | | differences or lack of marketing knowledge. At the |
| extensive time that some multimedia presentations call | | | | same time, larger multimedia projects often benefit |
| for, requiring the efforts of creative professionals and | | | | from repetitive production taking place off-shore. |
| skilled developers, it's not surprising that multimedia | | | | Depending on your needs, a "full" off-shore firm with |
| presentations and ads can be expensive. Why, then, | | | | just a sales presence in the US may not be able to |
| consider them? Are they effective?Multimedia | | | | provide you with the customer service needed. On the |
| presentations are very successful at grabbing people's | | | | other hand, a fully US firm will likely double your |
| attention. Multimedia results in higher retention of | | | | production costs.The best choice for small businesses |
| marketing information by viewers, or more enthusiasm | | | | is a design firm employing a hybrid approach, where |
| for an offer. When compared to static text, graphics, | | | | creative development and high level design is handled |
| or even audio, multimedia is simply more compelling | | | | by professionals that you can meet and build rapport |
| due to its ability to trigger multiple senses at the same | | | | with, but where larger production is handled costs |
| time..According to DoubleClick (quoted in ZDNet.com, | | | | effectively by a well managed offshore team.By |
| Joseph, 2002) multimedia ads have a 71 percent higher | | | | controlling the costs of multimedia your business can |
| impact than their static counterparts. Similarly, in 1997, | | | | afford a highly effective communication tool that can |
| the California Community College system, | | | | pique site visitors' or ad viewers' interest. Remember |
| "implemented a test design to assess the efficacy of | | | | these key points:- Think "simple" when it comes to |
| multimedia technology as a non-traditional form of | | | | producing animations - focus on strong ideas instead. |
| instruction" (Luna & McKenzie, 1997). Surveys take | | | | - Be disciplined with your revisions to avoid charges |
| after the test determined, "40% of the students felt | | | | for many rounds of changes. |
| multimedia improved understanding and 73% found it a | | | | - Take over creative development and let your |
| positive addition to the course." Finally, a study | | | | designers simply produce your vision when your |
| published in the Journal of Management Information | | | | in-house creative is strong. Otherwise seek out a |
| Systems (Benbasat & Lim, 2002) determined that | | | | trustworthy design agency with a track record of |
| multimedia "facilitat [es] the retention and subsequent | | | | strong creative development. |
| recall of explanative information..." The study consisted | | | | - Work with firms that employ an optimal mix of US |
| of two test groups. One group processed information | | | | and off-shore development.One never needs to cut |
| through a "text-based system" and the other a | | | | out quality while cutting costs. Strong concepts and |
| "multimedia system." The subjects who were tested | | | | ideas will make the biggest difference in your |
| on the basis of a "multimedia system" received a | | | | presentation's success at the end of the |
| higher mean test score of 2.70 compared to the 2.10 | | | | day.ReferencesBenbasat, I., Lim, K.H. (2002). The |
| of the text based group (p.114); clearly demonstrating | | | | influence of multimedia on improving the |
| that higher retention is possible with multimedia. | | | | comprehension of organizational information. Journal of |
| The case for implementing multimedia into your | | | | Management Information Systems, 19, 114-115. |
| marketing, sales or advertising is clear. What can your | | | | Retrieved August 5, 2004, from EbscoHost, M. (1997, |
| business or non-profit do to cut its costs?The first | | | | February). The cost of computer based training: A |
| method involves separating the development of the | | | | directory of development houses. EMedia Professional, |
| creative (the message, concepts, and storyboards) | | | | 10, 109. Retrieved August 12, 2004, from InfoTrac Web: |
| from the production (design, animation, and sound | | | | General Reference Center Gold.Joseph, P. (2002, |
| production), or at least finding ways to control it.An | | | | January). Beyond the Banner: New strategies in online |
| article by Mark Frits for EMedia Professional (1997) | | | | advertising. Tech Update, Retrieved August 27, 2004, |
| discussing a fax survey taken of 100 different | | | | from C.J., McKenzie, J. (1997, February). Testing |
| multimedia production specialists determined, "the | | | | multimedia in the community college classroom. T H E |
| creative time spent by designers and project | | | | Journal, 24, 78. Retrieved August 5, 2004, from |
| managers, as the most expensive factor of | | | | EbscoHost, © 2004 Polar DesignPatricia A. |
| production." Therefore, if a business has already | | | | Schmal |
| developed a detailed creative concept, storyboard, | | | | Patricia Schmal is a Marketing Associate with Polar |
| schematics, or other documentation of what needs to | | | | Design where she plays a pivotal role in its creative |
| be done, it can reduce the total cost of producing | | | | team's concept development, and also works to |
| multimedia by utilizing a small design firm or freelancer. | | | | improve clients' link popularity and search engine |
| Costs are cut because the time and skill spent on one | | | | positioning. Patricia is also an active participant in its |
| creative is replaced by an in-house team. Of course, to | | | | public relations activity. Patricia is currently an |
| ensure success, only those small businesses who | | | | undergraduate student at Merrimack College in North |
| believe they possess strong creative assets (with | | | | Andover, Massachusetts where she is completing a |
| professional advertising or marketing expertise) should | | | | degree in Business Administration.Mark J. Jaklovsky |
| attempt this approach.Remember, if you do ask your | | | | Mark Jaklovsky is Managing Director and a |
| designer or design firm to handle the creative, that the | | | | co-founder of Polar Design an interactive agency |
| route of working directly with a designer (rather than a | | | | employing 25 designers, developers and web |
| firm with a creative team) may cut costs and also | | | | marketers in North American and Europe. Polar Design |
| quality. Firms with full time creative professionals that | | | | is a full-service provider of multimedia and graphic |
| are not involved in day to day design are often able to | | | | design, software development, and search engine |
| craft unique storyboards that describe and explain | | | | marketing services. In his capacity as Managing |
| products, services, or company mission in memorable | | | | Director, Mark spearheaded dozens of successful |
| ways. Freelancers are a poor choice for strong | | | | multimedia presentations, web sites and online |
| creative since they often work alone and have limited | | | | marketing campaigns on behalf of Polar Design's |
| means to brainstorm and perfect concepts with other | | | | clients since 1999. Mark is a graduate of Georgetown |
| creative professionals - a principal differentiating factor | | | | University's School of Foreign Service where he |
| and benefit of working with a firm.If you do select a | | | | earned a B.S. in Foreign Service. |
| firm for your creative and production, make sure that | | | | |