Marketing Video Benefits Case Study

One of the great things about a PR or marketing video is that it can serve so many purposes, and in some cases it can even surprise those who produce it… providing multiple marketing video benefits.

This is the first in new series of blog posts. I’m going to start sharing case studies featuring our clients. I’m consistently impressed with their marketing strategies, and I think getting some behind-the-scenes insights will help others as well.

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We’ll start with Savor…Chicago. That’s the catering company for Chicago’s convention center, McCormick Place. If you’re unfamiliar with the complex, McCormick Place is North America’s largest convention center and Savor is in charge of feeding the millions of people who pass through it every year.

General Manager Connie Chambers asked us to produce a video highlighting some of the company’s green efforts regarding sustainable foods, trash disposal, and cleaning supplies.

“We thought it would be a great thing for employees to use as an orientation and for customers to see what we’re doing,” said Chambers.

I love that they knew in advance that this video could be used both internally and externally. A lot of business leaders get tunnel vision. Someone has an idea to produce a marketing video, so the assumption is only prospects and customers will watch.

The reality is once a business produces a PR or marketing video, it’s going to find its way in front of team members. In many cases, they’ll seek it out purely because they’re curious.

Savor’s leaders decided early on that both customers and their own employees could benefit from watching the video. As a matter of fact, they’re showing it not only to existing employees, but new people joining the team as well. It’s a culture thing. They want everyone to feel pride around what the company is doing and the role each of them are playing. There’s also an added advantage.

Courtesy: Savor...Chicago

Courtesy: Savor…Chicago

“(Video is) a great way to educate employees and to help generate ideas,” said Chambers. “They become our sales people.”

Did you catch that? They become your sales people. Think of video as a way to turn each and every team member into a sales person.

RELATED CONTENT: How-To Use Videos To Inspire Team Members

Once you show them the video and they’ll start doing something magical. They’ll share the video online with their friends and family. When asked about what they do for a living, they’ll talk about working for your company and share tidbits from the video.

Your videos become an educational tool for your “sales force.”

That’s tends to be an unexpected benefit when business leaders produce their first video. In Savor’s case, they planned for it all along. What they didn’t expect was some of the feedback they received from both audiences.

Savor uses the video to highlight cutting-edge technology used to produce their own green cleaning chemicals, and there’s also a rooftop garden to provide farm to table fresh food. Some of their current customers and team members were unaware of these things.

Company leaders knew the video would be a great way to educate people new to Savor, but they had no idea how valuable it could be to people who already knew about them.

“They’re still learning about us by watching the video,” said Chambers. “Business is always changing, and it’s a great way to keep people up to date on what we’re doing.”

Another unexpected benefit? “We sent (the video) to corporate and they loved it. They thanked us for putting it together,” said Chambers.

Video is a great way to show a parent company what you’re up to and get corporate leaders and other stakeholders excited. It’s one thing going over reports and reading a balance sheet. It’s something else getting to see how teams are operating and what they’re proud of.

On top of everything, you still get the marketing video benefits you were planning for all along. Educating your intended audience… tapping their emotions… leaving them feeling good about your business.

That’s the power of video.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau - T60 ProductionsTony Gnau is the Founder and Chief Storytelling Officer at T60 Productions. He’s a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, has led T60 Productions to winning 18 Telly Awards for its corporate videos, and is the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller “Lights, Camera, Impact: storytelling, branding, and production tips for engaging corporate videos.”