Y Diwydiant Cynhyrchu Corfforaethol
Clients for Corporate Production Companies range from local companies, local councils, Universities and colleges, to national corporations, Government, Public Agencies and Charities, to multi-national corporations and institutions.
Corporate production companies specialise in business communication, producing materials in a range of media for corporate clients for various purposes.
Corporate productions may be used for:
- Public Relations
For example: videos of products or services for sending to clients or potential clients, or a live feed from a major exhibition to all garages in a group world-wide to show the launch of a new car.
- Sales and Marketing
Examples: DVDs to play at presentations, or in shops and malls, or audio tapes explaining some Dos and Don'ts of Selling.
- Employee Communications
Corporate productions for this might include: a live event to inspire and bond staff, or a weekly programme of corporate news beamed to staff world-wide by satellite, or a daily feed via Interactive TV of a bank's briefing of investment analysts from HQ prior to the day's trading.
- Training
Corporate productions for this might include: a video showing various do's an don'ts of client handling, backed up by a CD-Rom with a series of learning stages to be worked through and assignments done and handed in on-line via a corporate Virtual Learning Centre.
KEY FIGURES
The International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) is the trade association representing the corporate sector. The IVCA estimate that the Corporate sector is made up of around 2,500 companies, located throughout the UK. Some of these companies have a core staff of perhaps 20 and a range of freelances they employ on particular jobs, with a turnover of millions of pounds, working for national and international clients. While other companies may be one or two person operations, doing only local projects.
IVCA runs an Annual Awards system, with various categories from Motivational Training, Health and Safety, Education, Corporate Image, to Internal Multimedia, External Multimedia and Websites. These are judged on content, form and achievement of aims for the target audience.
In addition it has the "Biz-Nets", awards for a range of new interactive business achievements, judged on the quality of content, how well it is delivered and how well it is targeted to the chosen audience. Categories here include: Learning Websites, Public Information, Business to Consumer, Business to Business, Innovation and Business Media.
IVCA has three core roles:
- Represent the sector interest and campaigns for the Corporate industry
- Co-ordinate relevant research and business intelligence
- Provide a forum for debate, networking and contacts
THE COMMISSIONERS
Corporate production companies bid for each commission, usually against stiff competition. Research and planning are vital if a professional presentation and bid are to be made.
Just as in Broadcast Television, the same roles - producer, director, writer, researcher, and production team roles - come into play, and the same skills are used.
Commissioners in private and public bodies are people in positions such as Marketing Directors, Directors of Training or Human Resources, Public Relations Specialists, or Internal or External Communications Managers.
They will commission work in the variety of media already indicated, for a variety of purposes, and for a variety of audiences ranging from:
The key to corporate work, as with Commercials, is for the commissioned companies to deliver the work to specification, to budget and to deadline in as easy a manner as possible. The aim is to build a long-term relationship with the client, and hence a long term source of revenue.