By Kelly Schermer

Image by Nicole Todd

I’m the type of auntie that loves to give a holiday bundle—from Bomba’s mix-and-match socks to monthly KiwiCo STEM boxes—there’s something special about giving a gift that keeps you top of mind with the ones you love all year long. (Not to mention, I really despise shopping, so anything that makes it easier and less frequent is my jam.)  

Recently, many of our clients have started to adopt the bundle approach to marketing assets too. It’s a great strategy that takes a lot of the hard work out of planning, improves ROI through asset reusability, and helps drive toward a well-defined goal. Just think: With one SOW, you get a clearly defined plan for the quarter (or year) and a timeline for putting it into motion that you can easily share with your leaders and colleagues. It’s a great way to get budget allocated to your projects early and complete your goals on time without having to start fresh with every piece.  

Take for example, a PMM who came to us and expressed their interest in establishing a few key personas as industry thought leaders. We developed a bundle centered on a podcast series. It includes a podcast name and logo, social GIFs, podcast-based blogs, and email summaries.  

Not exactly what you had in mind? Not to worry! We’ve developed a number of bundles based on popular themes we see among our B2B tech clients. Each one addresses the sales lifecycle of the target customer while maximizing the shelf-life of the hero assets. Some of the more dynamic bundles are *ahem* bundled to better curate the target customer’s experience.  

Here are two you may wish you had gifted yourself before the big event season we just finished:  

Keynote bundle 

Get them there 

• Promotional social cards or GIFs 
• Invitation to event, email 

Wow them in person 

• 1-min keynote hype video/animation  
• 60-min presentation deck  
• Speaker talk track 

Ride the momentum 

• Summary and highlights, email 
• Deep dive into offerings, ebook 

Event booth bundle 

Put your best foot forward 

• Booth graphics 

Draw them in to talk 

• On-screen booth experience 
• Product demo video 

Earn space on their desk 

• Swag 
• Digital datasheet via QR code 

As you start planning for the spring, let’s talk about how a bundle can help you be more efficient and focused.  

By Mollie Hawkins

Ren’s journey to 2A starts in childhood—really. They grew up in New Jersey, in a household buzzing with different languages; it was like living a real-life version of Rosetta Stone. Ren’s dad spoke Mandarin Chinese, their mom had a thing for French, and their home was a lively mix of cultures, conversations, and the arts. With all those languages flying around, Ren quickly developed a spongelike knack for absorbing linguistic nuances, unknowingly switching between English, Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, and French. They didn’t know it yet, but they were already building the foundation for their top-notch editing career. 

Ren earned a BA in English Language and Literature at Rutgers University, followed by an MA in Creative Writing at Newcastle University in the UK. Then they set out to build a career with health insurance per their mom’s request. Along the way, they also published their first novel (no sweat—just kidding, plenty of it) and began working on the second. An administrative job and a cool brother working at Boeing brought Ren to Seattle for a hot minute; within those two years, they met their future husband. They moved to Chicago, where Ren sleuthed and fingerprinted their way into a copyediting gig at an investigations company. But the detective life ultimately wasn’t for them, so they hung up their gumshoes. After a brief stint back in academia, Ren worked for an IT professional association and then a tech marketing agency. Finally, they put on their dancing shoes to partner up with 2A full time. 

Ren is no stranger to the art of movement. They were a competitive dancer growing up, and that passion followed them through academia and beyond. Tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, pointe, and ballroom dance were all part of their repertoire, showcasing a versatility that mirrors their creative approach to life. Ren took their sweet dance moves from the ground to the sky (literally), with lyra (usually pronounced leer-uh), aka aerial hoop. Lyra, it turns out, requires the flying-through-the-air agility they also bring to their copyeditor role at 2A. 

When they’re not dancing on the ground or in the sky (or hanging out with their husband, fellow rainbow genderqueer community queerdos, and newly composed baby Sage), Ren is choreographing everything our storytellers create. They catch typos with grace, providing style guidance and making our words sing as well as waltz across the page for our clients.

By Olivia Witt

Image by Nicole Todd

Partner marketing is a balancing act. Between the partner, the client, and sometimes even a shared customer, everyone has their own take on the story. The goal? To show why “better together” isn’t just a tagline: it’s proof that collaboration creates value. But too many voices or messages can turn a clear story into a tangled one. 

That’s why video works so well. It’s not only about telling the story; it’s about showing it—visually, emotionally, and powerfully. Video helps focus the message, align the stakeholders, and encourage audience connection. And production style is just as important. The style of production you choose will shape both how the story is told and how it’s received. 

Whether you’re dealing with distributed teams, tight budgets, or the need for high production value, there’s a way to make it work—and make it resonate. Here are three approaches to turn scattered input into a cohesive, compelling story. 

1. Remote: Making it work from anywhere 

In a world where teams are increasingly distributed, remote video capture is more than a convenience—it’s a strategy. Remote production democratizes storytelling, letting stakeholders contribute from anywhere—ideal for global teams or time-sensitive projects. 

Platforms designed for high-quality remote footage, paired with tools such as producer mode, ensure that remote doesn’t mean amateur. With behind-the-scenes direction, we can guide the process while keeping the primary footage professional and polished. The result? A story that feels cohesive and connected. Remote video removes barriers, making it easier than ever to showcase diverse perspectives. 

2. In person: High-impact collaboration 

When your message needs that extra level of authenticity, in-person production is the gold standard. Nothing captures chemistry and collaboration quite like a room full of people working together. Whether it’s a joint interview or a handshake caught on camera, the energy of in-person interactions is hard to replicate. 

In person is ideal for high-impact moments, such as event coverage and customer testimonials, that showcase strong partnerships and authentic collaboration. And by choosing the right location—whether it’s a vibrant event space, a sleek studio, or even a factory floor—you can enhance the emotional resonance of the story, making it unforgettable for viewers. 

Curious about what goes into pre-production for an in-person shoot? Check out our five pre-production tips. 

3. Hybrid: The best of both worlds 

Not every story fits neatly into one box. Hybrid productions offer the flexibility to craft something unique and tailored. Combine the personal connection of in-person footage with the inclusivity of remote interviews, creating a well-rounded narrative. 

Each method—remote, in person, or hybrid—offers unique advantages. The key is how you use them to create a seamless narrative. 

Great partnerships deserve the spotlight 

At 2A, we help partners turn complexity into clarity, and collaboration into compelling stories. No matter where your team is or how many stakeholders are involved, we know how to bring it all together. At the end of the day, the best partnerships don’t just tell people they’re better together. They show them. 

We’d love to show you how. Reach out to learn more! 

By Andrea Swangard

Image by Nicole Todd

Animations can significantly boost audience engagement. This is especially crucial in a digital environment, where capturing and retaining audience attention is increasingly challenging. And animations are versatile. They convey complex messages concisely, telling compelling brand stories, showcasing product features effectively, and explaining intricate concepts clearly and memorably. From script to design to motion—the experts at 2A find the perfect timing, transitions, and interactions to communicate your story effectively. 

Here are the top five ways animations enrich your brand experience and help you meet your marketing goals. 

1. Get attention 

You’ve got a product launch or new features rolling out, and you want to drive excitement and anticipation. Cue an eye-catching animation that showcases your product with exciting visuals, voiceovers, and music. The right combination of sound and scenery can move your viewers—literally—getting them to groove to your content, or at least feel immersed and intrigued. Animations can be especially effective when used on the homepage of a website and as a video before a keynote presentation. Get your product noticed wherever your audience is, in a way that complements static assets. 

2. Simplify the complex 

We’re a cloud marketing agency that works with tons of tech clients—we know that products and processes can be complex. Motion design helps demonstrate capabilities and explain features when words can’t tell the whole story. An animated visual can make technical information more approachable, and more fun! 

3. Improve onboarding and adoption 

Even when a process isn’t complex, motion design helps visual learners understand and retain information. Animated assets such as demos can show the product in use, providing instructions and walkthroughs. This gives users a real-life example of what to expect, how to navigate, and how to maximize their use of a product. 

4. Ensure brand consistency 

Animated videos are flexible and can work for a wide range of use cases. Maybe you have a booth at an event and need a way to spell out key information when audio isn’t possible. Or, maybe you want shorter, image-driven video clips for social media. Motion graphics work well across a variety of platforms and devices, ensuring a consistent brand presence for websites, mobile, social media, email campaigns, and digital signage. This lets you reach diverse audiences through different channels while maintaining your brand’s visual style, maximizing the reach and effectiveness of your campaigns. 

5. Jumpstart your marketing efforts! 

In cloud marketing, speed is a priority. Motion design doesn’t involve as many production pieces as traditional video does, and reusable elements like characters, sounds, and templates allow for quick and scalable video creation. Limited budget or turnaround time? Both? The nimble nature of motion design means you get engaging assets that are ready when you need them. 

Want to see how 2A’s motion designers can make your cloud marketing more captivating? Reach out! 

By Katy Nally

Image by Thad Allen

The countdown has begun! That big event you’ve been planning for is finally almost here. (I’m looking at you, re:Invent and Ignite 😉.) You’re in the home stretch, the last inning, the [insert sports metaphor] and everything is falling into place.  

But, like all big events, inevitably something will change at the last minute, and you’ll have to pivot. That’s where we can help! We know you’re on a tight timeline, but we’re ready to create those quick-turn assets you need for a homerun experience. From building hype with a teaser blog, to leaving a lasting impression with a sleek solution brief, our team can hit the ground running.  

As you think through your event checklist, consider these assets to win big with your audience. 

• Teaser blog: Generate some buzz for your sessions with a blog that previews what’s coming. This is a great way to position your presenter as an authority on the subject and draw a bigger following. 

• Deck design: Get some oooos and ahhhs from your audience with the deck of their dreams. Our deck experts can polish your slides—fast, and we’ll deliver the same outstanding design whether it’s a keynote, session, or breakout.  

• Slide animation: Make sure no one in the audience falls asleep with slides that morph, turn, and practically leap off the stage to wave hello.  

• Recap blog: Give all those GA and public preview announcements a place to live with a recap blog that hits home the highlights of your presentation and directs readers to your solutions. 

• Social GIFs: Keep that event energy going well after you wrap with animated social GIFs that showcase big announcements in a bite-sized form.  

• Solution brief: Tell ‘em what you told ‘em in a glossy, two-paged solution brief that serves up the best parts of your solution. 

 Now let’s get going!  

By Jack Foraker

Image by Jenni Lydell

Program and traffic manager Marita keeps consulting, design, and storytelling at 2A running like a well-rehearsed show. Just as she charts the stars in astrology, Marita blends strategy with her arts background. She ensures every client project is aligned, both cosmically and creatively—one task, one timeline, and one perfectly curated Figma board at a time. 

Act I: Setting the stage 

Our story begins in college, where Marita majored in theater. As a playwright, she draws inspiration from legends such as Anna Deavere Smith, August Wilson, Henrik Ibsen, and Suzan-Lori Parks. Through her studies, Marita learned that theater production is about much more than a well-crafted scene: everything that happens behind the scenes is just as essential. 

While Marita continues to enjoy theater (and hopes to one day stage her own adaptation of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People), at that time, she knew there were future acts to follow—acts that would take her talents beyond the stage. Little did she know that her theater experiences would neatly set the stage for all kinds of future productions. 

Act II: Scene change to project management 

After a few years as a teaching artist, Marita moved into arts leadership and nonprofit project management. She learned that the skills she’d honed during her theater tenure were just as applicable offstage. The job titles may have changed, but the core of her work remained the same. 

“In theater,” she said, “you’re managing an actual production. But when you’re building an asset in the business world, they call that a production, too. You still have to manage a budget, a timeline, reporting, and tracking. It’s the same process, just a different medium.” 

Marita then joined the corporate world of management consulting, where she had the opportunity to bring together consultants, designers, and writers to build creative assets. She worked with world-renowned brands and nonprofits, including Goodwill, Nike, Starbucks, and Color of Change. 

She loved the visibility her role provided into every step of the creative process, serving as a crucial link between teams. As she coordinated the production of off-site meetings, keynotes, and client assets, Marita combined an artistic eye with project management expertise. The only thing better than a beautiful deliverable? A beautiful deliverable that’s delivered early. 

Act III: Keeping creatives and clients cosmically aligned 

With her interest in astrology, Marita brings a unique sense of insight to program management at 2A. Just as astrology tracks the movement of stars and planets, Marita carefully considers every moving part of a project to ensure that teams and clients are perfectly aligned. Her ability to connect the dots across timelines, project goals, and client needs means no detail goes untracked. For every 2A deliverable she manages, Marita directs production so that results align with the big picture. 

Whether you’re launching a new campaign or crafting your next case study, Marita will guide your project with the precision and clarity it deserves, sans drama. The show must go on, after all. And with Marita behind the scenes, the stars of success are aligned.

By Katy Nally

Image by Jenni Lydell

Does this sound familiar? 

Your partner program is thriving. Your product has a ton of new opportunities to reach customers. And your business is poised for growth. The only catch? Your go-to-market (GTM) strategy for all these new partners hasn’t really caught up. It seems like your newly onboarded partners simply go forth into the marketing ether and…poof. You don’t really know what they’re telling customers or how they’re positioning your joint value prop. You’re just badging them and hoping for the best. 

Scalable assets to the rescue!

So, how do you ensure partners are nailing your joint value prop and have the resources to secure new business? With scalable assets! Yes, the same scale that applies to your product. Scalable content often takes the form of ebooks, emails, solution briefs, and landing pages, with dedicated space for the partner to describe their offering alongside your locked marketing message. 

When you’re so focused on getting partners off the ground, that last-mile task of creating marketing materials for customer pitches and co-sell motions is often an afterthought. As the agency that helps B2B tech companies build partner programs and joint GTM assets, we know how to design scalable assets that lighten the load for your marketing team. For large cloud providers and midsized tech companies, we’ve created materials that support dozens of partners at a time. These joint assets can be in the partner’s branding or yours, and they tell your combined story.  

A win-win for you and your partner

They’re a nice win-win for both sides: Partners get a glossy piece of content connecting them to large cloud providers, while you get controlled messaging and sales reach through partners. Not only does this approach help your marketing team, but it also pulls partners back from the ether. It gives them a script to follow so they deliver your value prop consistently and persuasively every time.  

So, if you have partners who need some support—and your marketing team could too—it’s time to create scalable marketing assets. Let’s build a plan together. 

By Jane Dornemann

Image by Suzanne Calkins

Gossip (for nerds) 

• This month, Satya Nadella was like “Stoppppp giving me money” but the Microsoft board was like “Shut uppppp here are some cash wads to dry your tears.” Yes, it’s true: After asking for a pay reduction, Nadella instead got a 63% raise totaling $79.1M. It would have been $5.5M higher but he lost that incentive because of the company’s security issues. 
• AWS CEO Matt Garman said employees who don’t like the return to the office (RTO) mandate should make sure the door doesn’t slam their booties on the way out. 
• The response to “Well, then just quit” was “OK”: The company’s VP of AI dipped, along with a top exec in telecom for AWS. And a survey found that 73% of employees are thinking about leaving. Nah-uh, says Garman, who insists, in a conveniently leaked transcript, that 90% want—nay, are excited about!—RTO. 
• While Amazon is recalling people to the office, Microsoft EVP Scott Guthrie says don’t worry lil babies, I gotchu…with one caveat: Productivity must not drop. If it does, the floggings will continue until morale improves!!! 
• A flogging is exactly what Google is asking the EU to issue Microsoft, claiming that the cloud provider is giving Windows customers a choice between buying Azure or facing a 400% markup. 
• OpenAI will release its next-gen AI model, Orion, on Azure by December 2025. The model is expected to have 100 times more power, and be an “ultra-advanced model that approaches Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).” 
• That’s great and all (Is it, really?), except Azure’s CTO says the company is about to hit the power grid limit, tee hee. AI demands so much energy that the company may need to connect multiple data centers if it wants to train these advanced models. Energy needs underlie Microsoft’s nuclear energy efforts and its new virtual machines optimized for AI. 
• Meh, OpenAI is going full honey badger and doesn’t care—the company is telling Microsoft to move faster or move out of the way, and will start “lining up data centers and AI chips” outside of Microsoft. The New York Times says the bromance is starting to fray. 
• Despite this activity, some analysts think that interest in AI will dwindle as market demand corrects itself, forcing OpenAI to sell to Microsoft in the next three years. Or is this already happening? A Wall Street analyst with Oppenheimer lowered his projections for Microsoft in 2025 because Copilot sales fell below expectations. 
• Oh, look, exactly what I said would happen is happening. Researchers found that Whisper, OpenAI’s transcription tool that’s used by some medical centers, is whispering a whole bunch of CRAP. Eight out of every 10 audio transcriptions contained completely made-up chunks of text that were never spoken, including “racial commentary, violent rhetoric, and imagined medical treatments.” 

Wheelin’ and dealin’ 

• When the military industrial complex says it’s too expensive, you know it’s too expensive. Yes, we’re still stuck on the Microsoft Goggles that cost $80,000 each. The Army said the price has to come down mucho if it’s going to order 121K of them. A deal would earn Microsoft $22B over a decade, also known as Satya Nadella’s next totally unwanted bonus that he absolutely must accept despite his protests. 
• Solutions provider Presidio signed a “huge deal” with AWS, applying its consulting services to the implementation of advanced AWS technology such as ML and AI. The duo will also develop industry-focused solutions. 
• Digital Domain has moved to AWS so it can build industry-specific Autonomous Virtual Humans. Because autonomous real humans must do pesky, work-disrupting things such as eat, sleep, shower, and feel feelings. 
• Smartsheet is partnering with AWS to connect with Amazon Q Business. This will let businesses answer queries on projects and other Smartsheet-related data. 
• Microsoft and NetApp collaborated with Tessell, a database-as-a-service platform, to create Copilot for Cloud Databases. 
• In China, now only enterprises, not individuals, can subscribe to OpenAI, which this article says will affect independent developers in the country. 
• Oncology technology company Ontada is collaborating with Microsoft using Azure AI to process unstructured oncology document components. I love document components! 
• Rezolve AI, which offers AI-powered solutions for commerce and retail, is using Azure to support its Brain Suite, helping increase digital customer engagement. 
• When the Beatles wrote you say you want a revolution, what they were REALLY talking about was Microsoft’s partnership with Medline to design a healthcare supply chain resiliency solution.
• AWS and SentinelOne are building on their existing partnership to improve AI-powered cybersecurity using the cloud provider’s AI infrastructure and SentinelOne’s Purple AI solution, which sounds like Prince invented it. 
• Databricks is using AWS Trainium AI chips so users can develop custom LLMs with Databricks’ Mosaic AI platform. 
• Behavioral health technology provider Kipu Health is using AI services from AWS to reduce customers’ administrative workloads through transcription note-generation and chart summaries. 
• Omnichannel payment solutions provider Valor PayTech migrated to AWS. 
• To address the lack of diversity in cybersecurity, AWS and the NFL are collaborating to provide more support and inroads for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 
• Smarsh, a communications data and intelligence platform, is working with AWS to bring AI to financial services for risk detection and compliance automation. Wow, that solved my insomnia right away. 

World domination 

• The US Department of Defense awarded a $7.2M contract to AWS for a “zero trust pilot” of AWS Virtual Private Cloud for the Pentagon. 
• The UK government signed a five-year agreement, or 1,825 tea times, with Microsoft to bring AI to the public sector as part of a broader modernization push. In Italy, Microsoft will invest 4.3B Euros over two years in regional AI infrastructure, but it must do so at top volume while fervently gesticulating its hands. 

Ma’am, I’m going to have to call security 

Whoopsies! Microsoft lost a month’s worth of security logs for some of its customers. Which means there’s nothing to return to for…idk…root-cause analysis. 

New stuff 

• When it comes to nuclear power, mini meltdowns sound so much cuter than full-scale meltdowns. In an agreement with Dominion Energy, AWS will spend more than $500M to build small modular reactors that, with any luck, will be run by leprechauns (who will hopefully be piss tested every morning). 
• In a bid to capture some of Salesforce’s market share, Microsoft launched 10 ready-for-use autonomous AI agents for Dynamics 365. This comes just weeks after Salesforce announced its own autonomous agents, part of “the third wave of AI” that will move businesses beyond chatbots. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff (who looks like a hitman nearing retirement in this picture) slammed Microsoft’s new product, calling it “Clippy 2.0” and claiming “it doesn’t work.” In lieu of these pre-built agents, organizations can now create their own using Copilot Studio. 
• As Microsoft and Salesforce beef up their autonomous agents, AWS has added capabilities for Amazon Q in Connect. The big reveal? Companies can customize smart assistants’ responses to brand guidelines, womp womp. Things don’t stop there—how about some Salesforce Contact Center with Amazon Connect? This keeps joint customers from having to do the integration themselves and allows them to use one platform for both solutions. 
• Meanwhile, Google signed a $2.7B deal with Character.AI to drive forward its own agentic AI line of business. Google is basically paying a lot of money to hire the notable AI brainiacs leading Character.AI and to license the company’s technology. 
• Microsoft is coming to rescue us from AI’s bad side with new product capabilities that will correct hallucinations in real time. 
• Drasi is Microsoft’s new event-driven platform for data processing. It helps businesses track data activity to better understand changing needs. 
• IT admins can now use AWS Chatbot to manage AWS accounts from third-party apps such as Microsoft Teams and Slack. 

Professional pivots 

• It may have lost some, but AWS also won some: Pilar Schenk, formerly a COO at Cisco, is now VP of sales operations. And Jon Jones, formerly VP for GTM at AWS, is now VP and global head of AWS Startups. 
• OpenAI yoinked Microsoft’s VP of GenAI research. The company is being transparent about the fact that this move is focused on furthering AGI efforts. 

Best friends forever 

It was like Chrismukkah for the AWS Partner network this month. 

• Insight, which helps businesses migrate to the cloud, achieved AWS Premier Tier Service Partner status. 
• Matellio, a custom software-engineering studio, and Cloudtech, a cloud-modernization services firm, both achieved AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner status. 
• Kasada, which helps defeat automated cyber threats, earned its AWS Security Competency. 
• Education technology company Everspring and appointment scheduling platform Coconut Software are now AWS Partners. 
• Cloudelligent, a managed services provider, achieved AWS Migration Competency status. Not to be confused with CloudHesive, which had its WAF validated by AWS (why does that sound inappropriate?). 
• Observability and OTel provider Embrace has joined the AWS ISV Accelerate Program and is also slapping its goods in AWS Marketplace. 

New to AWS Marketplace 

• Zoom’s Contact Center, so you can say “Sorry, I was on mute,” but now you can say it on AWS 
• Arduino Cloud, an all-in-one platform for building IoT applications 
• Zimperium, a mobile security provider 
• StackGen’s Generative Infrastructure from Code, which eliminates developer bottlenecks 
• Finzly’s FedNow Service, an instant payment service 

New to Azure Marketplace 

• Addlly AI, a customizable, zero-prompt AI playground that simplifies content generation 
• Ascendion AVA+ GenAI Core Platform, which helps businesses customize AI for use cases
• SqlSafeKeep, a compliance solution for developers and data scientists
• Mattermost, which offers secure collaboration and communication for government and other critical sectors 

By Carolyn Lange

Image by Emily Zheng

Motion designer Chris Feige lives life in motion. When he’s not working on eye-catching animations at 2A, you’ll find him chasing adventure in the great outdoors—or chasing his toddler, Ollie, around the yard. Chris’s love of all things active stems from a lifetime of playing sports. He’s always on the move, whether he’s playing a round of golf or pickleball or riding his mountain bike. And, since he and his wife had their new home built, he’s got a ton to keep him busy, such as landscaping or planning to refinish the basement. 

On the move in a sleepy town 

Chris and his family recently moved to his home state of South Dakota, in the city of Brookings, which is somehow the state’s fourth-largest, with a population of 24,000. A small-town person through and through, Chris was thrilled to see his wife, son, and border-collie mix Zoey take to Brookings as much as he does. If you’re picturing a neighborhood where folks knock on your door to offer you baked goods, you’re right. And while others may complain about long, cold winters, Chris embraces the silence and stillness, occasionally using his camera to find the beauty in old barns and farms. 

From slot machines to slam dunks 

Chris studied motion graphics and visual effects at the Art Institute of Phoenix. From there, he joined creative agencies that gave him experience working on anything with a screen, from sports arenas to TV to mobile and websites. His first gig out of school? Creating slot-machine screen animations like that satisfying waterfall of coins when you hit a jackpot. He has done motion work for major NFL Network events and for an all-time favorite team, the Phoenix Suns, including jumbotron animations and arena banner wraparounds. The perks weren’t bad either—free Suns tickets and a stint as a model for a billboard at Chase Field, home of the Diamondbacks. 

Chris brings motion magic to 2A 

Originally a freelancer, Chris was convinced to join 2A full time by folks such as Managing Program Manager Tammy Monson. “Chris is always willing to lend a hand, noodle on new ideas, and get creative solving motion puzzles,” says Tammy. “His motion chops continue to bring the dazzle to our animations!” 2A’s seamless teamwork lets Chris do his best work without breaking a sweat. It offers work-life balance so he can pursue both his passion for motion design and his desire to get out and move. Just as he values the organic processes of nature, Chris is a fan of communicating complex ideas with clean, streamlined, 2D motion design. And he’s really, really fast. 

“We’ve always been impressed by Chris’s quickness and great sense of timing and rhythm,” says Creative Director of Motion Aaron Wendel, “including his knack for adding well-placed gifs.” 

That’s because in work and in life, Chris always keeps things moving. 

By Nora Bright

Image by Jenni Lydell

Bringing in a marketing consultant can be a great way to tackle short-term tasks or get a fresh perspective on strategy. But how do you know that your consultant has what it takes to get results? 

2A regularly interviews marketing consultants for our Embedded Consulting practice, assessing whether to add them to our talent network and consider them for client opportunities. Over the years we’ve refined a screening process that identifies consultants that will deliver results for clients. Whether you’re seeking expertise in product, partner, digital marketing, or another marketing area, the following questions can help you secure the right consultant:  

1. What do you like about consulting? 

Whether your potential consultant appreciates the flexible hours or the autonomy to choose their projects, make sure they love freelance work. You want to know they’ll be available to work with you in the future—and aren’t likely to ditch you mid-project for a full-time gig. Also, people who love what they do are generally more pleasant to work with! 

2. How long have you been consulting? 

From making decisions independently to staying organized when working with multiple clients, it takes a specific skill set to run a successful consulting business. Ideally, your consultant has experience in their marketing specialization as both a consultant and an FTE, as full-time work is a great environment for professionals to build expertise. 

3. How do you prefer to communicate with clients? 

You want your consultant to have a thoughtful approach to client communication. And, know that they’ll work well with your team’s communication style. Do they enjoy face time, or prefer to talk over email or chat? You’ll likely appreciate someone who wants to get on a call once in a while but can also work independently.  

4. How would you approach this project? 

The right consultant will have experience with projects similar to yours, and have an approach in mind. This question is also a good way to test their listening skills, and to make sure you’re aligned on scope. Look for a response that shows they understand your needs and demonstrates their expertise as they walk through the steps they would take.  

5. Is the scope achievable within the time frame? What potential pitfalls do you see? 

Less experienced freelancers might hide their concerns about a scope of work to secure a new client. You want someone who is experienced enough to spot potential issues, and confident enough to share them with you. And if your proposed scope isn’t realistic with the time or resources you’ve allotted—you’ll want to know that now. 

6. Can you provide examples of work? 

Consultants who do great work are happy to show it off. It’s never a bad idea to ask for examples! 

7. Can you provide references? 

Checking references is an important step in the hiring process, even for freelancers. Ask for a quick call instead of an email, so you can hear the reference’s enthusiasm and tone of voice. Phone calls also make asking follow-up questions easier. 

Are you interested in hiring a marketing consultant or other contract or temporary hire? 2A has a network of excellent candidates that have already been vetted. Reach out, and we’ll fast-track the consultant-finding process for you!