Episode 24
Providing Strategic Video (ft. V Strategies Inc)
Most video companies are a few years old. V Strategies Inc has been at it for more than twenty five years. The Calgary company built its reputation on a blend of strong creative, innovative solutions, first-class service, and a results-driven product, which is another way of saying it treats video as strategy, not just production.
In this episode, Jeff Bradshaw joins Dario and Kyrill to talk about providing strategic video: how the way production companies approach clients is shifting, the fine line between being a production company and a marketing agency, dealing with price-only clients, V Strategies’ target market and sales process, the transition an owner has to make as the team grows, and what a quarter century in the business teaches you about what you would do differently.
Key Takeaways
- Strategic video beats just shooting video. V Strategies positions itself around strategy and results, not just production, which is the shift the whole conversation orbits.
- Know the line between production company and marketing agency. There is a fine line between producing video and acting as a marketing partner, and the episode digs into where a production company should sit.
- Be wary of clients who only want cheap. Price-only clients are a recurring trap, discussed here alongside the practical realities of live streaming work.
- Have a real sales process. A repeatable video sales process is treated as a core part of running the business, not an afterthought, and it is tied to knowing your target market.
- The owner's role has to change as you scale. As team size grows, the founder has to transition out of doing everything, a shift many production owners underestimate.
- Twenty five years brings hindsight. The episode closes on challenges faced and what Jeff would do differently, the kind of perspective only decades in business provide.
Timestamps
From Production Company to Strategic Partner
The theme in the title is the throughline of the whole conversation: providing strategic video rather than just producing it. Jeff and the hosts get into how the way production companies approach clients is shifting, and the fine line between being a production company and a full marketing agency. It is a distinction Lapse draws too in explaining what a corporate video actually is, and why a single asset is rarely a plan, a point the show later builds an entire episode around in why one video is never a strategy.
Cheap Clients, Live Streaming, and Knowing Your Market
From there the conversation turns practical: the clients who only want cheap, the realities of live streaming work, and how V Strategies thinks about its target market after decades in Calgary. Price-only clients are a familiar trap, and the antidote is usually clarity about what video should cost and why, which Lapse lays out in its guide to what a video actually costs.
The Sales Process and Scaling the Team
A big chunk of the episode is about running the business itself: a repeatable video sales process, and the way team size forces an owner to change roles as the company grows. That transition, from doing the work to leading the people who do it, is one of the hardest in a production company. The sales side connects to the show’s episode on developing sales strategies, and the staffing question maps onto the same production company versus solo videographer trade-off Lapse weighs when a studio decides how to scale.
Challenges and Hindsight After 25 Years
The episode closes where only a long-time veteran can: the challenges faced along the way, and an honest reflection on what they would do differently. That long-view perspective pairs naturally with the show’s own recap of hard-won video production business tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jeff Bradshaw?
The guest on this episode, from V Strategies Inc, a Calgary video production company that has been operating for more than twenty five years.
What is V Strategies Inc?
A Calgary, Alberta video production company with over 25 years in business, pairing creative and innovative solutions with first-class service and a results-driven approach to video. Site: vinc.ca.
What does providing strategic video mean?
Treating video as a strategic, results-driven tool tied to a client’s goals, rather than just a production deliverable handed over at the end.
What does this episode cover?
The shift in how production companies approach clients, the line between a production company and a marketing agency, price-only clients and live streaming, V Strategies’ target market and sales process, scaling the team and the owner’s changing role, and lessons from 25 years in business.
Where is V Strategies Inc located?
Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The Hosts
Dario Nouri and Kyrill Lazarov are the co-founders of Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company, and the hosts of Creatives Grab Coffee, a weekly show about the business of video production.
About
Creatives Grab Coffee is a podcast about the business behind video production: sales, strategy, pricing, team building, and everything that happens off camera. New episodes every week on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Lapse Productions is a Toronto-based video production company serving tech, finance, healthcare, and manufacturing clients with corporate, promotional, event, and testimonial video. New to commissioning video? Start with our guide to the types of corporate video.
V Strategies Inc is a Calgary, Alberta video production company that has been operating for more than twenty five years. The studio pairs strong creative with innovative solutions, first-class service, and a results-driven approach to video. Learn more at vinc.ca.
