(Photo above by Kevin Watkins)
Try to say this without smiling: Wahoo! Wahoo Films believes that great stories can make an impact on the world and that videos are excellent tools for telling your story and engaging with your audience. Since 2005, Wahoo Films has been helping businesses and non-profit organizations effectively use video for marketing, education and outreach. In the last decade, Wahoo has created over 450 videos, from 30-second commercials to feature documentary films.
“As online digital marketing and social media continue to grow, videos are becoming an increasingly important marketing tool for businesses and non-profits,” says Wahoo Films owner Michelle Alvarado. According to numerous market research studies, videos will continue to climb to be a critical component of content marketing. In February 2012 alone, 179 million U.S. Internet users watched nearly 38 billion online videos. As this trend continues, by 2017, video will become the most consumed content on the web.
Growing up in the Tahoe area, Alvarado started making underwater videos when she was 13 years old. She knew early on that she wanted her own video company called Wahoo, named after the tropical fish known for it’s strength and speed. And as Alvarado says, “It’s just fun to say, Wahoo!” so the name stuck, many years later.
In 2001, when Alvarado moved to Bend, she at first thought it might be difficult to continue video production. Central Oregon was quite a bit smaller then and the client base was not nearly what it is now. However, with the rapid rise of online videos, Wahoo continued to grow, eventually working with businesses all over the country, from California to Alaska, New York to Florida, and of course, many projects based in Oregon. Wahoo Films now employs a team of three and regularly hires freelancers whose talents best fit each project.
Wahoo Films works with all sizes of businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies. When you watch their videos, you might soar over a wild place worth preserving or watch the underwater perspective of a fly cast into a stream. Though natural resource focused videos are their main industry, they’ve also produced videos for numerous tech industries such as Microsoft, manufacturers like Fuel Safe, or product videos like Traeger Wood Pellet Grills.
Wahoo Films is unique in that they handle the complete package for video production—from concept and development to script writing, project management, production, editing, delivery and distribution. “Often times, a business will come to us not knowing how or where to begin. They want to produce an engaging video, but need direction with all stages of it. To start, we determine what their goals are and how video can best reach those audiences, then develop a concept, script and on to production,” explains Alvarado.
Wahoo also knows that having a video is most effective if it is distributed through the right channels, whether through your own website, social media, or in a film festival. Wahoo Films helps determine the right distribution strategy for your videos. “We look for creative ways to help a business of any size and with any budget get their video out there.”
Alvarado is excited to see what the next ten years bring. “Video is such a powerful marketing tool, quickly engaging and emotionally connecting with an audience. I believe the demand for online video is still growing and we are looking forward to expanding our team and clientele both locally and nationally. My favorite moments are hearing client success stories resulting from the videos that we produce for them.”
Wahoo Films can help your business fully utilize the power of media.
