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Columbus Bar Introduces: Digital Media Studio
Columbus Bar Introduces:
DIGITAL MEDIA STUDIO
by KELLEy MARCHAL
NEW!
One of the most important tenets of marketing is that you need to meet people where they are; customers will not always come to you, so you must go to them.
More people than ever are online – in 2019, the Pew Research Center ran a study and found that internet usage increased by five percent since 2016. That number has only increased, especially over the past year. Businesses need to pivot to reaching their clients digitally; advertisements in magazines and the newspaper aren’t going to cut through the noise of other ads that they see on a daily basis. Digital media is here, and it isn’t going away anytime soon. According to a survey run by Biteable in 2020, nearly 60 percent of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and 94 percent of these businesses plan to continue. Nearly 74 percent of marketers say that videos are more effective than static imagery and also lead to a higher return on your investment. Plus, any video content you create can be used in myriad ways: on your website, on social media, as ad campaigns… the options are (nearly) limitless, depending on how creative you are.
Not a fan of video? No problem! If you’re not comfortable behind the camera, how about behind a mic? Recording a podcast can help center you as a thought leader on a particular practice area, and you can engage your
customers that way as well. If you don’t want to record a whole series or episode, you can still create an ad that’s neatly slotted into a relevant podcast with listeners who will take note of your name. (According to a 2019 eMarketer survey, 54 percent of listeners are more likely to consider hiring someone after hearing them advertised on a podcast.)
Videos and podcasts are only a couple of examples of how you can use digital media to build your brand, and there are certainly a number of other avenues through which you can do this. The point is, you don’t want to get left behind; even without COVID-19 keeping a good amount of people out of the office, clients are much more likely to be looking at your website and your social media accounts instead of giving you a phone call or, even less likely, showing up in person to ask for assistance.
So, what does this mean? Pivoting to digital media isn’t a necessity, but if you want yourself and your firm to continue being relevant (and beating out your competitors), having a strong digital presence is a great option, especially as people are still hesitant to meet face-to-face in the wake of COVID-19.
We’re here to help you put your best foot forward through the smart application of digital media. We’ve put together our very own “Media Studio”, led by skilled A/V specialist Kelley Marchal. We couldn’t have a better person at the helm to bring the CBA Media Studio to new heights; we’ve already gone through numerous professional headshot appointments and have loads more on the schedule. Members and nonmembers alike can take advantage of any number of digital media resources, including (but not limited
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to) professional headshots, podcast recording, virtual event hosting, video messaging for your website and “about me” profile videos. All of these tools (and more) will give you the opportunity to put digital media to work for you and your firm.
Now, without further ado, we’re happy to introduce everyone to Kelley!
Kelley Marchal
My dad gave me my first camera when I was five years old. It was a little crappy Kodak instamatic. The first time I got my prints images back from the drugstore, I was hooked. I continued taking snapshots throughout my childhood. Pretty terrible stuff.
When I got to high school, I got on the newspaper and yearbook staff and really enjoyed taking photos. I went to a couple of summer camps at Ball State for photojournalism, and it took me to the next level. I remember dad taking me when I was a junior in high school to Dayton, OH to buy me my first real camera. It was a Nikon FM. It was beautiful and I loved it. I remember the trip vividly, because it was the night the U.S. hockey team beat the Russians in the Olympics. My dad and I were listening to the game on the way home, going crazy with honking the horn and flashing lights. It’s a very fond memory.
When I eventually got to college, I started work with my roommate in the AV Department at Wright State University. That is where I got introduced to video. We had this ENORMOUS desktop-sized video recorder and a couple of cameras, and my roommate and I were the only ones who really figured out how to work them efficiently. So, we ended up by default being the video guys for taping lectures and classes. In the summer after we completed inventory, there wasn’t much for us to do – so, we started doing goofy skits and some crash editing and made copies for some of the people who worked on the staff. One of the administrative assistants saw the video and took it to her husband (John Stevenson) who worked for a small company called Greater Dayton Cable. They produced local television commercials in the Dayton, OH market. He thought I had some talent and asked if I would come work for them. I worked for that company for quite a few years writing, directing, shooting and sometimes even starring in a plethora of local commercials that would be inserted into cable networks. It was a very
new technology, and the company I worked for was pioneering the technology that led to total automation of local add insertion automated.
As I continued in the video field, one opportunity led to another. I was offered a position at Merlin productions in Springfield, OH. Paul Cronley, the owner of that company, decided that we were going to invest in a high-definition camera and lens package. At that time, that investment was well over $100,000 for just the camera and lens. Not including vehicle, lighting, audio, etc...
I worked at Merlin productions for 24 years. During my tenure there, I shot video for so many networks, I can’t remember them all. ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, CNN, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, History Channel, A&E, Spike, USA, ESPN, TLC, HGTV, TBS and on and on. At one point in my career, it was typical to have multiple projects that I worked on airing on the same day.
Then around 2006 or 2007, the DSLR revolution took place. That meant that a young person could go out, get a credit card, and, for under $25,000, put together a pretty nice package and start creating professional content for a fraction of the cost it used to take. It was a game changer. A lot of companies that didn’t respond and react did not survive. And then in 2008 when the recession hit, I can remember going months without a single job. Tough times for many of my friends and colleagues.
I really enjoyed my time at Merlin productions, but after a while I felt like I needed to move on to something else and accept a new challenge. I took a position at Ohio HD video here in Columbus. I thought I had a pretty good skillset, until I ran into these incredibly young talented folks who worked at that company. Some of the smartest people I have ever met! I was enjoying my time there, but also starting to feel the effects of a long career in the biz. The 14-hour days… the weekends… they were all taking a toll, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I would not be able to function at 100 percent at that level…in the trenches.
March of 2020 changed everything. COVID-19. We called it COVID the destroyer. All work stopped. The company was force-laying everyone off, except for a few key people. They were able to bring people back after a few weeks once they got a small business loan; but, once that dried up, we were back in the same boat. I was laid off and was unemployed for several months. In all my years, it was the first time ever filing for unemployment. I was crushed.
During that time, I really got a chance to reflect on what I wanted to do and what I enjoy doing. My thoughts kept coming back to the Columbus Bar Association. I used to do a lot of work for them a few years ago as a vendor, and I just enjoyed the environment and the people I worked with. So, I put together a proposal, sent it to Jill Snitcher, the executive director, and, with the help of Judy McInturff, I was offered a job Dec. 1 as the A/V specialist for the Columbus Bar Association.
Right now, it’s a very exciting time because we’re building out a lot of different types of technologies that we can make available to our members at an affordable rate. You can have video shot for your website or a television spot or something for your YouTube channel. You can come in and do a podcast. We have a photo studio, and members can come and get a free headshot for your website or your directory photo. We’re really building something here that we hope our members take advantage of. Nonmembers are always welcome too, as the price for services is structured so that it’s affordable to everyone.
Kelley Marchal
Columbus Bar Association kelley@cbalaw.org
