The brief
As a creative content production agency, we know that relationships are everything. All Seveer’s client relationships are distinct, something we share with The University of Manchester’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme.
The University’s Knowledge Exchange team acts as a matchmaker between their world-leading academic experts and businesses looking to innovate and grow. From product and service development to radical process transformation and organisational change, each Knowledge Transfer Partnership is unique. And their success depends entirely on the vision of the businesses involved and the academics’ ability to rise to that challenge.
In seeking to promote knowledge exchange funding opportunities to a wider business audience, the University of Manchester asked us to help them create a film that would drive awareness, consideration and buy-in.
The solution
Following a collaborative discussion with the client it was agreed that a video case study was the ideal way to rapidly communicate the benefits of such a bespoke and individual service. Authentic testimonials from the key people involved would allow us to clearly demonstrate the value and expertise of the partnership through impactful filmmaking.
After outlining this approach with the Knowledge Exchange team, we began the creative process for what has become a full series of films, each focusing on a different successful partnership story. Engaging videography was paired with in-depth interviews from both the commercial and academic sides to explore the collaboration and demonstrate, in a few minutes, how each contributed to the project.
All of their most successful partnerships have gone beyond simple business expansion to deliver a real step-change for the commercial partner. So every new case study film gave us a chance to showcase the value knowledge exchange had brought to the relationship, building a positive brand reputation and establishing credibility. It also placed people front and centre, demonstrating the importance of collaboration between the two partners.
The results
KTP x inov-8
One particularly successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership project was between The University of Manchester’s Graphene scientists and challenger sports footwear brand inov-8. Graphene is the lauded atomically thin material, first isolated by the University of Manchester Scientists, leading to the awards of the Novel Prize in Physics in 2010. At just one atom thick, it is lightweight yet incredibly strong, meaning it has many unique properties. Inov-8 was the first brand in the world to use the material in sports footwear. In the case study we documented how the partners worked together to pioneer graphene-enhanced G-Fly foam, a groundbreaking tread technology delivering high-level performance with outstanding durability.
Marrying insights from the lead scientists and inov-8’s CEO and MD with compelling footage of the labs and runners, the end result is a compelling, people-centric case study that highlights the power of collaboration and perseverance.
KTP x Sandon Global Engraving Technologies LTD
Sandon Global is an award-winning manufacturer of anilox rolls, and now – thanks to their collaboration with The University of Manchester – firmly placed as drivers of innovation in their sector.
Our case study video documents the development of their high-tech rolls, building a narrative for viewers that really set the scene for the entire project. Starting by outlining thirty years of stagnant innovation in the industry, we looked at the evolution of anilox and how the University team worked alongside them to develop and embed expertise in surface engineering of advanced materials.
The whole series was delivered in a clear but cinematic and dramatic visual style, aligned with the forward-thinking and optimistic tone. While each individual film tells its own story, as a suite it has remained fresh in delivering its broader message: academia and industry can do amazing things together.
What the client said
“Seveer as a team understands the key messages that we’re trying to portray. They were able to extract those bits and put the edit together really nicely. It’s not just about driving new business and new projects, but it’s about demonstrating the output and the impact of the projects that we’ve supported. The video case studies are a real tangible asset for us to demonstrate that the University supports innovation. We really value working with Seveer. They take the time to understand us and the messages we’re trying to put across and are a lovely bunch to work with!” – Caroline, KTP Manager
To speak to us about creating video case study content for your organisation, just get in touch.
