Here at Seveer we’re genuine evangelists for the video case study. Injecting life and personality into what can easily be a dry format, it’s tailormade for our mobile-first age not to mention highly shareable. So if you’re a stranger to its charms, here’s everything you need to know about the video case study.

What is a video case study?

In its essence, a video case study is a creative alternative to traditional corporate films. It allows you to showcase your company’s successes, products or services through your clients’ or employees’ stories – in their own words.

Why is it effective?

Word of mouth is still the best advertising strategy. Honest, first-hand accounts build a sense of trust in your business, humanise your company and establish loyalty.

Who is it for?

Video case studies are an essential tool in any strategic marketing toolkit. Whether your objectives are business development, employee engagement, recruitment or combinations of them all, it can be applied in any way you want. If you’re looking to introduce your team to the world, showcase products, services or results or build up your brand culture and personality and you’re NOT using video case studies, then you’re missing a trick.

Which production style works best?

Well, this very much depends on your marketing needs and the people who’ll be taking on the ‘brand ambassador’ role. Once you know who you’re shooting, it’s pretty much plain sailing. The story you’re looking to tell dictates the format – not the other way around.

For example, here are just a few examples of really effective video case studies, which give a clear flavour of what can be achieved on a relatively small budget…

 

The ‘Humanising your company’ approach

“Mercer – Building Relationships for the Long Term” is not simply a case study about Mercer’s Global Client Director. The film is very much about Wendy the person, and her own values. The growth metaphor of her personal life (love for gardening) and her business life (growing partnerships) are the core of this film. The final film feels human, bright and authentic yet still has the curated and polished finish of a high-end film.

The ‘Letting your team be the voice of your business’ approach

The Arvato employee video series was designed with a dual purpose in mind – to be used as a recruitment tool and to show their employees what roles their colleagues undertook at the company’s different UK sites. We’ve recorded audio interviews with each featured employee so that we could get more natural sounding and genuine answers and, for a better picture of life at Arvato, we’ve spent a full day with each person filming their commute, social activities and also their job tasks. The films have done their job too, driving and retaining website traffic whilst assisting with awareness of roles and opportunities at the company.

You can find the full video series here: https://www.arvato.co.uk/careers/

The ‘Don’t tell, show’ approach

The GEIC partner case study film is a good example of how you can show who you are and what you do without having to explain it all yourself. The film features a real person talking about his company’s work and what the GEIC role is in it. The images seen are of the partner’s in action, so any prospective partners can get a glimpse of what it is like to work with and at the GEIC.

The ‘Shout about the difference you’re making’ case study

The case study looks into what way Student CRT – a holistic student monitoring tool – can make a difference in students’ lives and wellbeing. The film opens with a powerful and heart-breaking sequence about a suicide victim and then delves into explaining how Student CRT can help prevent these situations. It is an emotional piece that brings awareness to the urgency of implementing and unifying systems to make a real difference.

 

So, what makes a compelling video case study?

We think that for a case study to be effective it needs to have:

  • A story
  • Genuine, honest remarks
  • Relevant and compelling images,
  • A human perspective on your services/company
  • A great music track!

 

 

Need a case study film? Want to tap into Seveer’s industry leading video case study wisdom? Then just give us a shout…

 

 

Posted on 29th March 2021