DS Simon Productions Inc. faced an unusual situation on Aug. 19 when it videotaped, edited and fed via satellite two separate events for two separate clients both highlighting the 500-day countdown to the year 2000.
This recent experience of the New York-based marketing and business communications firm serves as a good example of how lack of communication between client and agency can rattle a business relationship.
Fortunately for DS Simon, the din of the rattle was low, and its efforts ultimately were unhampered.
10,9,8,.....
Hired by Rubenstein Associates, Inc. and working in conjunction with Countdown Entertainment and the Times Square Business Improvement District, DS Simon released a B-roll package presenting the countdown launch in Times Square. It featured an exploding blue disco ball balloon set to the song "New York, New York" on the traffic island followed by remarks by New York City Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani.
"We had to have everything set because we would only have one take," says point man Gene Sower, vice president of direction and video production.
The project went off without a hitch. The B-roll package was carried in nine of the top 10 Nielsen markets, airing 237 times by 193 stations with a total estimated audience of three million plus.
In many ways, Rubenstein was pleased with the results. Wooten says DS Simon was speedy, punctual, technologically professional and brought in fantastic results for the $10,000-budgeted event.
"On the production side, DS Simon did a great job with their footage, their site visits and working with our people in the edits," says Jan Wooten, assistant vice president of Rubenstein.
But Rubenstein was concerned about a possible conflict of interest since DS Simon was simultaneously working on another millennium-themed project blocks away.
"We did not find out about their other project until DS Simon was almost done with ours," says Wooten. "When we addressed this issue which was workable, dialogue was dropped on the subject. I was told 'if we didn't do it, someone else would have,'" says Wooten.
Wooten says she was worried DS Simon would group market their event. "I mean, we paid them to pitch our story in addition to the B-roll footage and for it not to piggy-back on other projects or get lost in the shuffle."
DS Simon feels there was no conflict of interest nor were they under any obligation to reveal other projects it might land.
"We believe these two projects were not jeopardizing each other because they happened at different times and went to different markets one being a fashion story and the other general news," says Doug Simon, president of DS Simon Productions. "I wouldn't shoot the new Coke and new Pepsi segment the same day because that would be a true conflict of interest considering they are hitting the same market."
The majority of the pitch calls were done separately, says Simon, and their main focus was to yield high results for both clients. "We got it done, got it out and marketed it during a very competitive news period," Simon says.
Millennium Clothing and Clock
In contrast, communications between LaForce & Stevens and DS Simon Productions ran smoothly from conception to completion of the millennium clothing line and the countdown millennium clock B-roll launch earlier that day.
This project production spanned two days, making edits, constructive criticism and reworks between client and vendor easier. "After the first day, we had time to edit the footage and have it ready to add to the next day's event coverage," says Producer Julia Cole. DS Simon Productions did final edit, shoot and feed the same day, rolling their B-roll package to stations throughout the country yielding high visibility.
The package was picked up by 66 stations, airing 101 times with total audience of 3.7 million. "The footage is still getting picked up," says Leslie Stevens, partner of LaForce & Stevens.
Cole says they had an excellent working relationship, particularly evident in the editing process. "It seemed as if we both had the same vision as to what should and should not be included in the final cut."
Stevens says DS Simon went beyond their expectations on this project, yielding an excellent professional relationship. Unlike Rubenstein Associates, LaForce & Stevens felt no conflict of interest working with the production company that also was handling the Times Square event.
"The millennium is such a great trend piece and DS Simon is such an excellent company, I'm glad they did that event as well," says Stevens.
Cole says their only tense moment came when it was time to capture the unveiling of the clock. They had decided to shoot from the second story of a nearby building to get interesting footage, but as the countdown was winding down, so was traffic on third and trucks were obscuring the view. "We had discussed alternative plans with LaForce & Stevens should something like this occur. Luckily, the traffic cleared in time," says Cole.
Open Dialogue
Successful outcomes happen when both client and vendor clearly articulate their needs and anticipate the concerns, however unlikely, of their partners. "By no means is this bridge burned and we may use them again for future projects, I just would have felt better had we sustained a dialogue on this subject," says Wooten.
(DS Simon 212/727-7770; Rubenstein Associates 212/843-8000; LaForce & Stevens 212/242/9353)
DBS In Brief
- Founded: 1986
- Headquarters: New York, NY
- Employees: 12
- Sales: $1.36 million