Low Price Does Not Equal High Quality

So we're a bit puzzled this morning. It seems that the economy has got consumers inventing new math.

I remember my basic arithmetic from grammar school and it went something like this:

1+1 = 2
2+2 = 4
12 + 8 = 20
100 + 100 = 200

And so on...you get it.

Well, it seems to us that with everything going on in our economy, healthcare, politics, etc. people seem to have forgotten their basic math. The new math appears to be:

1+1 = 3
2+2 = -15
12+8 = (x+3y)/(17x*sin45)
100+100 = whatever you want it to be.

It doesn't make sense, does it? It certainly confuses me.

So how does this relate to Video Production and the services that we provide. Well, lets take these crazy math equation and substitute price on one side and high quality and service on the other. So your new equation would look like this.

Low Price = High Quality, High Service

And thus the opposite must apply too-correct? That high price must equal low quality and low service. Do I have that right?

Sorry to say folks, but low price does not equal high quality and high service. In fact, in 99 times out of 100 it means just the opposite. There is a reason that the low cost leader in whatever service you're after is the low cost leader. Do they deal in volume? Do they cut corners with materials? Can you ever talk with an actual person? Do they outsource to foreign operated companies? Are they "too big" to fail? Do they get taxpayer subsidies? Do they also sell dog food and pizza?

I'll venture to guess that whatever the reason, at least one of the above reasons apply, maybe more.

I recently got a phonecall from a potential customer looking for pricing. Before quoting him my list price I explained to him all the benefits of using McKenna Video:

• State-of the-art equipment
• Premium materials (discs)
• Fast turnaround times
• We do the work-we don't outsource
  
• Customized
• The fact that you can actually talk to someone
• Local business

However, that didn't seem to matter as he was focused solely on having the lowest cost possible (in this case I don't think even free would have been good enough). What he didn't realize was that for his $10 per tape (I know who he was quoting), he never, ever gets to talk with someone, he has no idea who is doing the work, he doesn't know where he tapes will end up, what equipment they use, what kind of disc his video will be transferred to, when he'll get them back, etc.

Another example was an email from an individual this morning wanting me to match Costco pricing for a service. Really? Costco? Come on, can anyone ever match Costco on anything? So the question that I ask is would you retain your attorney from Costco? Would you get your accounting done at Costco? Some might (if price is your ONLY consideration) but most people wouldn't because the quality of the service is just not there. So why would you get your video services done at Costco? (Sidenote-ask Costco who actually does their transfer work, where your tapes go, how long it takes, and what is the 'loss in factory' rate).

So it goes with any service, you might pay a little bit more than what you can find on the internet or what a big discount retailer or wholesaler might provide, but the service that that local business provides usually can't be beat.

I hope that this little dissertation helps you look beyond price as being the only factor in determining where you have your services performed.

Blessings.

McKenna Video Unveils New Logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(February 18, 2010)

McKenna Video Services Unveils New Logo

(Puyallup, WA) McKenna Video Services announced today that they are unveiling a new logo.

“We are so excited about how our new logo will bridge the gap between McKenna Video Services, MVS Weddings and Chris McKenna Photography,” says co-owner Chris McKenna. "For the last five years, we have been searching for ways to bring unity to all our operating units and we believe that this new logo will help us achieve it," he adds.

The logo, the result of a contest between 20 different graphic designers will be implemented immediately into all McKenna video productions, including weddings, and the photography side of the business, Chris McKenna Photography.

McKenna will continue to operate all 3 of their websites independent of each other for marketing purposes, but all printed marketing materials, videos and photographs will now bear the 'McKenna Video and Photo' brand.

For more information on McKenna Video Services and Chris McKenna Photography, visit their websites at www.mckennavideo.com, www.mvsweddings.com and www.chrismckennaphotography.com or call 253-539-3438.

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Getting Married in Pierce County, WA

So 2010 is the year that you are planning to get married? Maybe 2011 or 2012? Or maybe you’re already married. Great! Congratulations.

Well, we are in the process of collecting nominations for 10 best places to get married in Pierce County, WA (we’re actually planning to produce a video that features these places). So if you have your venue or church picked out, let us know what it is and where it is so we can add it to our list. (of course, it helps in the venue is beautiful and not your backyard). At the top of our list so far is Laurel Creek Manor and Rock Creek Gardens.

So let us know your thoughts. Drop us an email a tinfo@mckennavideo.com or info@chrismckennaphotography or look us up on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/mckennavideophoto ) and leave a note there.

We look forward to hearing from you. And we promise not to try and sell you something–unless you want us to.

Blessings,

Chris.

Wedding Planners in Pierce County, WA

To stress or not to stress...that is the question!

Do you have a friend who is getting married, or are you getting married yourself? Have you ever been to a wedding which was chaotic and unorganized-where the wedding party didn't know where to stand, the food was cold and the DJ stopped playing music leaving "dead air" during dinner? Awkward!?!?!

We have had the honor of documenting so many beautiful weddings over the years, some of which were well organized, others, well, could have used some (OK...a lot) of help. If you are a bride-to-be, my advice to you is to take that extra step to get new and innovative ideas, add a touch of luxury and alleviate the stress from your most beautiful wedding day.

We recently had the pleasure of meeting and amazing wedding planner/coordinator, Tricia Fisk, of Weddings Realized (www.weddingsrealized.com) Her expertise in providing planning and coordinating services is evident in her personality and knowledge of her profession. In the years that she has been in the "wedding business", she has offered couples an opportunity to truly enjoy every aspect of their wedding, from the planning stages to the day of their union.

What many couples don't realize is that someone needs to be the "go to guy", especially the day of their wedding. There are so many details that need to be attended to; delivery of the flowers, DJ, food, cake, making sure all parties needed for photos are in place and ready to smile, dress is flawless, officiant is present, and so many other needs.

Also, many couples don't know that a wedding planner has great connections to other wedding professionals, and can refer you to an appropriate vendor. Often times a wedding planner can orchestrate and pass along a professional discount on flowers, rentals, venues etc. She can refer you to the best photographers and videographers in the area, where you can be sure that your wedding day is documented perfectly forever.

Couples preparing to be married should be able to concentrate on each other, not the minuscule details that can make or break their wedding day. Hand these stress makers over to a pro. I recommend that you call Tricia for a brief consult and see if she is a good fit for you. Ensure that your wedding day runs smooth and beautiful. Hire a professional wedding planner. It will be so worth your while.

God's blessings,

Chris

McKenna Video Attending 5th Annual AVP Conference

This week, McKenna Video is in attendance at the 5th Annual Association of Video Professionals Conference and Training. The conference is being held in the center of the film and video world - Los Angeles, Ca at the LAX Radisson Hotel.


Bringing together the very best video educators, trainers, and professionals in the industry, AVP’s annual conference offers great training and opportunities to network and build relationships (and sometimes partnerships) with other professionals that continue years beyond the conference. With three days of training and over 18 different sessions on topics from lighting and green screen techniques, to Final Cut Pro shortcuts, to expert techniques on creating smooth and crisp web videos, we have found ways to make video more exciting.


One of the most exciting classes that we attended was production in green screen, offered by Frank Rohmer. During the class, we had the opportunity to put together our own web-intro video, which I am posting here (sorry about the bad acting-but I was "on the spot" and had to record this in 1 take with no rehearsal).

Please visit our website, http://www.mckennavideo.com/, for more information on our services and to see more demos (with better acting, of course).

Blessings,

Chris.

Why Every Business Needs Video

In today’s fast-paced world, video is ubiquitous. From cell phones to still cameras, most electronic devices have the capability to capture video. Length, quality and special features vary across devices, but it’s still video. And with the surging popularity of public video-sharing websites such as YouTube, virtually any newsworthy event can be e-blasted to the entire world in a matter of minutes – or even faster. Whether rudimentary or polished, silly or sophisticated, videos can captivate even the most finicky attention span. In fact, people are so fascinated by this newly accessible and personalizable technology that they’ll watch almost any kind of video. Just think about all of the video links you’ve received in emails over the past month. This is the message we need to heed in business – Videos Get Attention!

Let’s start with the basics. Every business should have a website. Period. Today, a website is the equivalent of a business card. Would you ever consider not having business cards? Of course not. Now that we’ve established this marketing mantra, let’s talk about the value of having video on your website.

The importance of video is obvious in these examples of uses on a business website:

· Promotional video – the perfect vehicle for telling everyone about your latest
and greatest product or service;
· Training video – more compelling than a boring training manual;
· Client/customer testimonials video – enhance your credibility with real-life feedback from people who know what you do;
· Product demonstration video – join the infomercial bandwagon;
· Before-and-after video – a great way to show dramatic results;
· Video message from business owner/president – words on paper lack the clout and personality of an owner’s first-person video;
· Website introduction video – with millions of websites just a few keystrokes away, it’s a challenge to grab and keep a visitor’s attention unless you make an excellent first impression with a great video story.

As you can see, there are many ways videos bring a website to life with your unique stamp, helping to distinguish you from the competition. With the ease of creating video today, you can quickly and inexpensively express your message using motion, color, audio, graphics, images and people – which would otherwise take pages to convey. The more personality your website has, the more likely visitors are to stick around and read about your products and services. Think of video on your website as the equivalent of going to a party wearing a great shirt or dress that makes a statement. Naturally, people are drawn to personality-driven websites the same way they’re drawn to personality-plus people.

If you’d like to know the next steps for creating a video “personality” for your website, email me so we can cover it in detail in the next newsletter.

Blessings,

Chris.

Thank you for 2009

All of us at McKenna Video Services would like to thank all our customers for the trust they place in us to safely handle and transfer their precious family memories to DVD and in producing those special videos and photographic memories. We know how important each and every one of these captured memories are to you and we will always pledge to handle them as if they were are own.

A special thank you to all our brides and grooms of the past year for the honor of capturing and creating their wedding memories:

Kristine & Andrew Bicking
Jessica & Shyenne Feist
Jason & Jennifer Radach
Mary & Byron Eagle
Ashley & Jason Bishop
Kara & Josh Gillanders
Stacy & Shaun Moody
Dee & Zac Bishop
Kim & Reese Andy
Jodi & Alden Erickson

We are looking forward to a great 2010 and we hope that your new year is full of incredible blessings. Live life, be charitable, smile a lot and be happy! :-)

Chris