When Words Alone Aren’t Enough

Video Production – A Case Study

Video, whether on your website, posted on YouTube or both, is a great way to spread your branding message through the world of social media.  When planning for a video (or a series of videos), there are many things to consider – audience, visual messaging, cost.  If you are thinking about incorporating video into your marketing strategy, read on for a case study of one of EAG’s recent projects.

Sertoma is a 100-year old national service club whose mission is to improve the quality of life today, through education and support, for those at risk or impacted by hearing loss. In 2010, Sertoma launched a member-driven advocacy campaign called “A Sound Investment,” designed to promote installation of induction looping technology in public spaces.

Looping proved to be a difficult concept to describe, but the EAG and Sertoma teams thought that utilizing video to illustrate the technology with animation and visuals would prove a success. One challenge was the lack of original video footage—and the budget to create it. With clever script writing, careful stock video and image choices, and a talented animation and editing crew, a series of three short, high-quality videos were produced within the limited budget of this nonprofit organization.

There was another challenge. The presentation had to appeal to a wide demographic and span across generations. The production team, which included our neighbors at BIC Media, managed to create quick cuts and enough action to hold the attention of the younger viewers, while not being too dizzying to older viewers.  Special attention was also paid to the pace of speech ensuring the presentation would remain easily understandable. The resulting video series clearly demonstrates the concept of induction looping and how it works in public areas

In order to capitalize on the investment, the presentation was broken up into three separate videos, each capable of standing alone.  This shorter, serialized format was meant to take advantage of the opportunities for social media sharing on YouTube, which opened up a larger audience than would be reached through presentations alone.

The end result? Without having launched a concerted effort to promote the video series, these three videos have received over 1,100 views on YouTube resulting in over 600 unique visitors to the Sertoma’s website since they were posted in late April. Sertoma groups all over the country can use the videos when they give presentations on looping to raise awareness and encourage local communities to install the technology. Having a standard video presentation ensures a consistent, quality presentation that is easy for any local club to share. Approximately 60 Sertoma clubs are already planning presentations using these videos, and 15 presentations have resulted in completed looping projects, including one in the Northwest Albany GA Airport

Video production can be a great way to get your message out to the masses, but before you do, make sure you’re working with a company that understands your needs, budget and end goal. A good video doesn’t have to cost as much as you might think, but it must start with your core brand strategy and company mission, followed by quality concepting, copywriting and production.