The introduction of digital content marked the beginning of a new era by sparking a revolution in live events, marketing, and advertising services. A renowned media production organization named edgefactory has become one of the primary players in this highly competitive market under the leadership of Brian Cole.
edgefactory’s cruise sailed out in 1999 as an out-of-the-box content firm to craft brand experiences with energy, emotion, and edge to engage audiences worldwide. It is a strategic branding and design consultancy that is extremely diligent about its output. By leveraging purposeful creativity to tackle every business hurdle, it speaks the language of brands and consumers.
edgefactory is a fantastic production firm for businesses and event planners who want to add WOW to their brand experience by thematically packaging content through dynamic visuals and audio. The company collaborates with planners, agencies, AV technology companies, and attractions. Some of the biggest brands on the planet use edgefactory’s services, which range from unique event packaging and experiences to Emmy Award-winning video creation. They were nominated in 2008 and WON an Emmy in 2013.
The Artistic Head Behind the Venture
Since 2008, the edgefactory team has won over 60 awards, including the factory’s first EMMY Award, thanks to the creative vision and enthusiasm of Brian Cole for communicating a message with “energy, emotion, and edge.”
Over his twenty years of experience, Brian held various progressive positions with Walt Disney Entertainment in Orlando, including Production Stage Manager and Global Entertainment Manager for Disney Event Group. Brian also held a contract position with The Jack Morton Company before becoming Creative Director for Hard Rock Academy, the educational arm of Hard Rock Cafe International, where he oversaw the team of creatives on the Universal Studios backlot (Production Building 22A) and was promoted from within. He earned a public relations and advertising degree from the esteemed University of Central Oklahoma, graduating on the Dean’s List.
The Primary Factors that Make edgefactory “The Blue Diamond of Content Space”
edgefactory has built a team whose members are all experts in their very specific fields of expertise, unlike other agencies that use “production generalists,” who attempt to do it all yet have a cursory understanding of any one field. Some people focus solely on editing, motion graphics, or design, which results in expertly crafted materials that will wow the audience. Another unique factor about edgefactory is that here, all the producers are equally creative and frequently convene in Writers Room meetings to discuss the most original and effective ways to portray their client’s event in a way consistent with their brand, message, and tone of voice. Last but not least, the tech team members are experts at maximizing the information they produce using the ideal AV equipment, including cutting-edge playback in everything from layered general sessions to modern digital signs.
The Inception Story
While employed by Disney Business Productions as a production assistant, Brian came to the realization that despite the money invested in AV equipment, talent, and scripts, clients would simply have a PowerPoint slide to display on the screen during so-called walk-in or networking time.
Brian came up with the idea of edgefactory to fill the gaps and turn a meeting into an experience. Disney offers “magic,” so it would make sense to include EDGE.” To put everything together, he considered employing visualization in a more imaginative manner. edgefactory is a creative organization that produces “creative works” for businesses all around the world, with a focus on three main areas: events, brand video production, and attraction engagement.
Further, the leading man apprised, “The ambition to consistently WOW people through visualization was what inspired our founding. Our strategic creative production department, which is integrated with our service team of producers and project managers, can handle high-volume, high-capacity creative turns. edgefactory was founded as the ideal production partner to help our clients carry out their vision by collaborating closely with their other vendors and suppliers to bring their story to life because there is always room for improvement.”
Insights into Future Trends in the Industry
One of the major trends now in this segment is letting customers make the most of their AV and technology budgets by prioritizing creativity rather than treating it as an afterthought once AV has been obtained. The latest industry trend, according to Brian Cole, “Integrating creativity with technology, as more event and video production projects want to sell an experience rather than just another event or video to watch online.”
Battling the Challenges Along the Way
Many people don’t understand that AV technology doesn’t equal creativity. It is one of the greatest problems Brian and his team must deal with. The entire team is still working to spread the word that AV and content make events stand out from the crowd and become unforgettable experiences. It is a little tough to make people understand that while they may have an agency, an AV vendor, or a meeting planner, there still needs someone in the mix to bring it all together for a cohesive brand experience.
Diversity and Inclusion in the Culture of edgefactory
As a certified LGBT business enterprise, they not only celebrate diversity and inclusion but also produce DEI events around the country for some of the world’s biggest brands! edgefactory frequently collaborates with other LGBTQ organizations to produce outstanding events that honor, uplift, and serve the needs of the queer community. Examples include the National Trans Visibility March, the Equality Florida Greater Orlando Gala, the Pride Chamber or Orlando Business Awards Gala, and the NGLCC International Business and Leadership Conference for the National LGBT Chamber.
From the Founder’s Desk
Text and graphic content are now both referred to as content. The actual message or information being conveyed to the audience is what matters, but content packaging is how that content is made memorable and compelling. The way that content is presented along with “creative works” is what sets a meeting apart from an experience.
The scope of an AV company often excludes creative efforts and content packaging. Many firms that put together events try to create the content internally, but they are unaware of all the components that actually improve the event as a whole, nor are they skilled at speaking the “language” of various brands to make the content relatable to that specific audience. Companies hire AV companies, but production is frequently excluded. Using technology to maximize a client’s investment while adding energy, emotion, and edge through music and visualization has become our main mission, regardless of budget size.
Crafting for Future Success
edgefactory has an exciting future ahead. Through brand experiences that combine creativity and technology, it intends to keep expanding and having a significant impact on some of the biggest corporations on the planet. Their long-term goal is to dominate the creative experience industry and surpass customer expectations while constantly bringing energy, emotion, and edge to every project. Additionally, they want to continue working with companies like Disney, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Meta, and Google while expanding their list of clients to include more international companies.
Words of Wisdom by Brian Cole
Figure out what sets your company apart and lean into that. What sets edgefactory apart is that energy, emotion, and edge are present in everything we do—from large meetings with thousands of attendees to promo videos and digital signage. Leaning into that recipe has created the word of mouth that has built our resume of lifelong client relationships.