I started my first company Serendipity Video Productions in 2003. The name was in line for the video work we started in, which was Wedding Documentaries. I had many complements on the name by both clients and those who were introduced to the company. It was on brand. Over the years, our business evolved and here’s a little background as to why.
When I was 17 years old, I worked for a wedding video and photography studio as a videographer and editor in Toronto. I soon became the video department manager and it was a great job which supported my life as a young adult and through my post secondary education years, where I studied Creative Advertising. Upon graduation, I began my career working at an Advertising Agency. I, starting as an intern, took a new position at a new firm as an Account Co-ordinator and moved up to an Account Executive. However, I realized that I wanted to work in a position that exercised my creativity. And so with the experience and knowledge I had as a wedding videographer, I started a video production company using that industry as a launch point.
Serendipity Video Productions was very successful. In our first year, we signed 6 clients in the GTA, which was great considering many couples booked their vendors a year in advance. By year two we grew to over 40 clients and continued growing. Although I loved what I was doing, and I knew my clients loved our work as well, I wanted to exercise my advertising experience towards video productions.
Serendipity was organically evolving. Many of our first corporate clients were direct referrals from our wedding clients. We were producing web content, instructional videos and internal videos. In addition, we began a photography side of the business. By 2010, we no longer worked in the Wedding Documentary industry, but had a complete focus on Corporate Video Production. I was both challenged and in line with the creative work I wanted to do.
TIME FOR A REBRAND
Throughout the years, we still operated as Serendipity Video Productions, even though photography now represented approximately 40% of our projects. It was time for a change of name that best represented what we did, and who we were. In late 2017 I decided it was time for a re-brand, including a new company name. But this was not as easy as I had planned it to be, and I faced some costly challenges along the way.
I had a great relationship and trust in the company who historically managed Serendipity’s website and branding, so I engaged them to come up with a new name and branding for the new company. I was excited by what I was presented, and even asked some of my closest clients for their review and selection of the proposed names, logo designs and overall branding. Based on their feedback, we ultimately landed on a great name that I felt passionate about.
They succeeded in completing the new business cards, but as we were beginning the development of the new website, the company was no longer available to complete the work. The owner moved on to a new career opportunity and I wished him well. I found a great company here in Toronto that could create my new website based on the branding provided, so I hired them to do what they do best.
At this stage, I engaged a very knowledgeable and talented Digital Marketer, Roshni Wijayasinha of Prosh Marketing to plan and develop a Digital Marketing Strategy for the new company. She is very smart, and has great expertise. Now here’s where everything goes sideways.
A HARD LESSON
Roshni quickly discovered that the new company name I decided to proceed with was already in use, and the company was even located in Toronto. What? I trusted the initial branding company to have done their research and present names that were original.
After spending months and upwards of $12,000 working on the new branding, business cards and a new website, I hit a brick wall.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
It was evident that I needed to start from the drawing board. I needed an original company name and branding that represented who we were, what our offering was, and a connection to our existing clients and clients of the future. I engaged Roshni of Prosh Marketing to immediately begin work, as she already proved to have done the needed research of my industry and had a great track record of creating great branding for other companies.
Roshni was very thorough. She asked me inquiring questions, and engaged me in the process. She presented her findings along with a selection of names, along with the rationale behind each one. Ultimately, we landed on the name Extensia Studios. Through her line of questioning and research, Roshni had discovered that I work closely with Agencies, PR Firms and Digital Marketers to develop content for them and their clients. She understood that I was and want to grow as a collaborating partner with these marketing firms. Extensia was a play on words that represented a company that was an extension of agency’s creative departments. Not only was this accurate, but the name was perfect.
With the approval of the name, Roshni and her team completed the branding, logo design and platform for the overall look and feel for all creative. It was brilliant and I was very happy. Next, we knew I’d have to start from scratch with a new website. Knowing what I had paid for the previous website (which I ultimately scrapped) Roshni’s team presented a cost effective solution to my Website needs by proposing a WIX site. Although we couldn’t find a template that best fit my needs, her team was able to create a site from the ground up.
A HAPPY RESULT
The branding for Extensia Studios was complete and exceeded my expectations. Roshni and her team at Prosh Marketing successfully presented a name that resonates, logo design that is engaging, branding that celebrates who we are, and all creative (from Business Cards to the Website) that are unified in creative design and branding.
With a new name, Extensia Studios now has a clear identity – we are both agencies and companies’ photo and video production partners, creating unique, memorable and on brand content. If you or anyone you know is in need of a photo or video production partner, please do not hesitate to get in touch, we’d love to help.
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