ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
Avid ‘Thinking’ About Its Customers
By Michael Kunkes
Avid Technology’s video division unveiled its “New Thinking,” program on Monday, a marketing outreach campaign designed to consolidate the company’s professional product line, attract new customers, improve communication and support, and create a far-reaching online community. Greg Estes, Avid’s chief marketing officer, says that the company’s new “big tent” promises no new product announcements for the present, but it does mark the beginning of a long-term commitment by the company to re-connect with the marketplace and restore customer confidence.
The company has made several significant pricing announcements aimed at simplifying current product availability. Effective immediately, the price for the software version of Media Composer is being slashed by 50 percent, to $2,495. Avid Xpress Pro is being dropped from the product roster and will be folded into Media Composer. Customers will still be able to purchase Xpress Pro through the end of the second quarter (though no service contracts on Xpress Pro will be sold), and existing Xpress Pro customers can upgrade to Media composer for $495.
Perhaps most indicative of where the company is looking to its future, students can now purchase Media Composer Academic Software for $295. “Simplifying the product line is probably the number one thing we hear,” says Estes, speaking from SXSW in Austin, Texas. “Our goal is to get as many new customers as possible into Media Composer and make Avid more accessible at the entry level points of the marketplace.”
In another major announcement, Avid is today launching an all-new series of online initiatives, which will take place in several stages. The company’s online support user interface (http://support.avid.com), has been overhauled with re-vamped support tools that feature a new search engine which ranks and categorizes content, provides 24/7 responses to questions, and provides faster response times on support issues––all of which is welcome news to editors who have had strong issues with Avid support in the past. “Our customers were pretty loud and clear that their experiences with our phone support have been mixed,” Estes stated. “It became clear to us that investing in the online side and creating a faster and better search engine was the way to go. Our engineers went through 10,000 pieces of content, revising it for accuracy and adding new material. It’s all part of reaching out to our users.”
As another component of “New Thinking,” Avid today is launching an all-new site, www.community.avid.com. The site will feature a host of social networking features, industry and Avid-authored blogs and other Avid content. In coming months, the site will add a video exchange where customers can upload work for comments, rating and dialogue; a community portfolio with personalized customer pages; and a two-way job marketplace. “We are making an honest and direct effort to improve our value, service and to foster more community,” Estes explains. “We’re also enabling two-way dialogue and email notifications. Instead of the ‘pull’ model, where you come visit us, we are pushing content out to our customers.”
 Harry B. Miller, A.C.E. |
Harry B. Miller III, A.C.E., an Avid editor since 1994, is cautiously optimistic about the new initiatives. “I think the price cuts will have less of an impact in the professional world, but will make a huge impact in the student realm, considering that students can get a full version of Media Composer for under $300. Avid has stepped up to the plate big time in that area.”
However, as a TV and feature editor for hire, Miller’s concerns run to areas of support. “In the past, purchasers of Media Composer have had to also purchase Avid Assurance, the company’s phone and automated tech support,” he says. “The only problem is that most editors are working on rented systems purchased by someone else, and usually have no way of knowing if they have that option available to them. My hope is that there will be a place on the website for editors to access that information. The company is talking a good game and saying all the right things, and it’s certainly a different attitude than I’ve ever heard from Avid. There are a lot of editors who would like to own an Avid [as does Miller], and those people should be very encouraged by these announcements.”
Estes adds that Avid is not looking towards creating an integrated package along the lines of FCP Studio or Adobe Production Studio, saying that the company’s industry-standard reputation and standalone features speak for themselves. “We are not a one on one competitor to Apple,” he stated. “We are focused on a higher end of the marketplace where collaboration is all important. We can be doing a better job at reaching the independent producer, but I think our products provide a lot of value for the money, and that is reflected in our new pricing.”
Although Avid will not be exhibiting at NAB next month, the company’s presence will be felt at two customer events at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas , as well as through meetings at partner booths and various focus groups. “These will be more in the nature of ‘thank you’ events rather than big marketing; it’s a way to get immediate dialogue with customers attending the show,” says Estes.
 Avi Youabian |
Avi Youabian, a picture editor who cut the 2006 Best Live Action Short Film Oscar winner West Bank Story, lauds the company’s new outreach efforts. “There are a lot of up-and-coming editors who are going to look at all the success Avid has had and who will realize that they can now afford this technology as well. It’s become an affordable option for this next generation of editors, where it definitely was not before. Studios who are looking at the bottom line will also see Avid as a more attractive tool, rather than as an expense they need to cut back.
“It’s taken Avid awhile to see that others are definitely in the running in terms of becoming an industry standard, especially with independent producers,” Youabian adds. “They are now thinking fast and starting to make some smart financial and marketing decisions that will help them to claim their share in that low-budget market, and the company is going to grow from that in the long run.”
Michael Kunkes is a freelance editor and writer specializing in animation, production and post-production. He can be reached at writermk@sbcglobal.net.