1. Introduction/Background

As Art Director and Lead Editor at PPLSI, I spearheaded the Justice For All vidcast series, a strategic initiative to elevate the company’s brand by positioning then-CEO Jeff Bell as a trusted authority in the legal and political space. Launched in [insert year if known, or omit], the series aimed to enhance brand credibility for PPLSI’s monthly subscription service, which provides access to legal support for everyday needs like wills, landlord disputes, and car accidents. My role encompassed art direction, video editing, and team management, ensuring a cohesive and professional production that aligned with the company’s branding goals.

2. The Challenge

PPLSI’s subscription service offered significant value but faced a hurdle: convincing potential customers of its necessity before a legal need arose. The abstract nature of “trust” in a brand made it critical to establish Jeff Bell as a knowledgeable and reputable figure. The challenge was to create a compelling, high-quality video podcast series from scratch that would engage audiences, drive brand awareness, and indirectly boost direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales. Key constraints included building a professional set on a limited budget, maintaining consistent branding, and managing a lean production team under tight deadlines.

3. Our Approach/Solution

To address these goals, I led the development of a 15-episode video podcast season, featuring Jeff Bell interviewing prominent figures—politicians, lawyers, public servants, and authors—in the legal and political spheres. Key elements of the approach included:

•  Creative Direction: I designed a distinct visual identity for the series, ensuring alignment with PPLSI’s brand standards while crafting a unique, professional look to stand out in the crowded online content space.

•  Production Setup: We constructed a custom film set in PPLSI’s Ada, Oklahoma office, incorporating a large screen for remote interviews to accommodate high-profile guests. This setup balanced cost-efficiency with broadcast-quality aesthetics.

•  Content Strategy: Episodes, each approximately one hour, covered current events and legal topics to position Bell as a thought leader. I curated the visual and narrative flow to maintain viewer engagement.

•  Editing and Team Management: As Lead Editor, I personally edited all episodes initially, ensuring seamless pacing and high production value. As the series grew, I onboarded and managed a small team of freelance editors, streamlining workflows to meet deadlines without compromising quality.

My expertise in motion graphics and video editing (using tools like Adobe Premiere and After Effects) ensured polished transitions, branded intros/outros, and consistent visual storytelling. I also collaborated with the marketing team to integrate promotional strategies, embedding website links and social campaigns to drive traffic.

4. Results and Impact

The Justice For All vidcast delivered measurable success across multiple channels:

•  Audience Growth: Gained over 800 YouTube subscribers during the season, with a 14% increase in platform engagement.

•  Website Traffic: An 11% increase in website visits driven by links in episode descriptions.

•  Social Media Reach: Attracted 75 new Facebook followers through targeted social campaigns promoting the series.

•  Sales Impact: A 4% increase in D2C sales during the series’ run, though direct attribution to the vidcast requires further analysis.

•  Brand Perception: Anecdotal feedback from viewers highlighted Jeff Bell’s strengthened reputation as a knowledgeable host, aligning with the project’s core goal.

These outcomes reflect the series’ ability to engage audiences and drive measurable traffic, reinforcing PPLSI’s brand presence in the legal services market.

5. Lessons Learned and Conclusion

The Justice For All vidcast was a successful endeavor, blending creative vision with strategic execution to elevate PPLSI’s brand. A key takeaway was the challenge of measuring an abstract metric like “trust.” While quantitative metrics (e.g., subscriber growth, website traffic) were strong, future iterations could incorporate surveys or sentiment analysis to better gauge trust-building impact. Additionally, managing a lean team under tight deadlines honed my project management and communication skills, ensuring alignment across creative and technical tasks.

This project showcased my ability to lead complex video productions, from concept to delivery, while balancing creative excellence with measurable business outcomes. It remains a cornerstone of my portfolio, demonstrating expertise in art direction, video editing, and team leadership in a high-stakes creative project.