Zone Creative Group, a media development and video production company, started with two employees in 2003. Owner John Colmar and an administrative manager were the first two, with an editor soon to follow. Eight years later, Zone CG now has 10 employees, but keeps the same goal Colmar had in mind when he launched.
“When I opened up shop I wanted two things,” Colmar says. “With the profit we make doing video production for companies, I wanted to turn around and help non-profits tell their story.” Zone CG has provided companies like Kellogg’s, P&G and Samuel Adams with services from video production to creative consulting.
“What makes us unique as a media development company is that you get a lot of added value that you don’t get from a big ad agency,” says Brandon Faris, creative director at Zone CG. “We are very adaptable. We are a production house with animators, editors and everything else you need. We keep a lot of clients because they realize how many things they can use us for.”
With a growing client list, Zone CG recently expanded their presence to Nashville, but not in a bricks and mortar way. While many older ad agencies and production companies have large lobbies and suites they use to show clients videos and watch edits, Zone CG prefers a more mobile and immediate method that saves time and money.
“No one asks if they can come in and see the video anymore, they ask you to send it to their iPhone,” Faris says. “Those larger companies have so much overheard that we don’t have to deal with.”
This ability to adapt is what has allowed Zone CG to expand. With a one man presence in Nashville, he find clients and sets up projects, a crew goes down to shoot video, they edit it in Cincinnati, then send it back to their clients. Zone CG has also created a network of collaborators. “If you’re a company based somewhere else, but need us to do video, we have people everywhere we can call to help us out,” says Colmar.
These relationships have been built through open channels of communication and a comfortable work environment. Colmar and Faris foster a family environment at work. Everyone is assigned to things they are good at and encouraged to be creative.
This supportive approach allows Zone CG retain customers and staff, even under deadline pressures. “It’s very much a relationship, not a transaction here,” Faris says. “If we have a problem, we talk about and deal with it.”
Colmar thinks this philosophy keeps clients coming back and referring additional business. “We want to take over the world and dominate our category,” Colmar says. “We just want to do it in a cool way. We have a good thing going here, and we aren’t going to change it anytime soon just so we can make an extra buck.”