Brian Collins This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. AV Video Magazine Features

   www.avvideo.com/headlines/feat - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/18/2003   Last Visited: 6/18/2003

   As the American Automobile Association nears the end of its 100-year anniversary, "it's amazing to look back at how far we've come," says Brian Collins, manager of marketing presentations for AAA's Marketing Services team.

2. 2. Positively Driven

   www.avvideo.com/2003/02_feb/fe - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/21/2003   Last Visited: 2/21/2003

   As the American Automobile Association nears the end of its 100-year anniversary, "it's amazing to look back at how far we've come," says Brian Collins, manager of marketing presentations for AAA's Marketing Services team. "This is really evident in our department." The group supplies employees of the not-for-profit organization and the 44 million members of AAA's federation of clubs with multimedia support material to get a consistent message out. And with such a familiar brand, consistency is everything. Whether it's marketing kits for the sales teams, or media materials for AAA's various departments and clubs, Marketing Services spins out nearly 1,000 Web, print and video jobs every year, most of which ultimately have some form of Web or intranet presence. Some of the marketing kits have CD-ROMs, videos, ads, posters and Web banners and are posted for clubs and partners; the materials can also be sent easily to printers or magazine contacts when they're on tight deadlines.
   
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   "We're a small group, but I think we do some really innovative things for an in-house corporate department," Collins adds. "We've often had to come up with new approaches to our multimedia projects-many times due to our budget limitations. We've been able to save AAA a ton of money and provide fast service on these projects." How do they do it? The key, says Collins, is training themselves how to use the best software or hardware for the job-and knowing when to contract a project to a larger production facility. "One thing I'm particularly proud of is the way we've been able to take advantage of media tools to do our jobs more efficiently," he says. "Whether we do a project in house or have it sent out, our team is great at thinking outside the box."
   
   Known for its emergency road service, maps and travel services, the American Automobile Association has been an advocate for motorists and the safe use of the roads they travel since the dawn of the automobile age in 1902. Though a relatively new arm of this venerable organization, AAA's Marketing Services has evolved into a full-service, in-house media division that provides tactical creative support to all AAA departments and clubs.
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   Todd Vogt, Marketing Services' technical coordinator (left), and Brian Collins, manager of marketing presentations (right)
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   Collins, who worked previously in the creative development department at Walt Disney Imagineering, is Entringer's right-hand man. He oversees the development of multimedia presentations for AAA's National Office, working with the Marketing Services team to create and distribute content for the Web, video, CD-ROM, PowerPoint and other electronic media.
   
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   "I use the Canon GL1 quite often to tape smaller jobs such as testimonials and B-roll footage," Collins says. "It's perfect for smaller projects that don't require a lot of time or layering. For bigger projects, though, I'll still work with outside production houses." All of the Marketing Services' outside resources exemplify the strong partnerships the group tends to build. "Rather than hand a project off to outside firms," Collins says, "these are truly symbiotic relationships." Whether a video, CD-ROM or other type of multimedia presentation, Marketing Services often provides many of the assets used in the final production, "from video we may have acquired with our own camera to on-screen graphics," Collins says.
   
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   "The Flash movie had to incorporate graphics created by our designers," Collins says, "as well as communicate the purpose of the CD-ROM to the end-user. In addition, MindComet has also been a valuable resource to us in creating Web pages used to support a variety of projects distributed via the Internet and on CD-ROM."
   
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   "Mike's skills as a shooter and editor have enabled him to produce some of the Association's most compelling videos," Collins says.
   
   Source: AVVMMP
   
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3. 3. Getting In

   www.avvideo.com/articles/viewa - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/30/2004   Last Visited: 6/30/2004

   BRIAN COLLINS
   
   formerly manager of marketing presentations, AAAHeathrow, Florida
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   "In my experience, creative departments tend to one of the first and easiest areas to be let go," says Brian Collins, who was until December 31 the manager of marketing presentations with the American Automobile Association (AAA) in Heathrow, Florida. "If the creative department is generating a lot of revenue, that's one thing, but if it's more service oriented, and you can get the services outside, then it may be vulnerable."
   
   Collins should know. His entire department was phased out at the end of 2003 and replaced entirely with freelancers. Often companies hire back the same personnel on a freelance basis. Previously, Collins had been laid off from his production job at Disney.
   
   "After I was laid off, I wound up doing a lot of freelance work for them," he explains. "You know the product, organization, branding, guidelines, all that stuff. You also know the politics within the organization of how to get things done." AAA hasn't decided how it will outsource its video production, but Collins speculates that the company may hire back many of its former employees.