How do you sell the advantages of a significant technology evolution or the disruption that can precede business transformation? When an internal audience is key to driving change, how do you create buy-in or behaviour change?
For tech marketers facing these challenges it’s unlikely that a PowerPoint presentation will be as effective, or create the same impact, as a vision video.
The production of a good vision video begins with audience establishment. Regardless of the subject, the common purpose has to be winning hearts and minds. That means being clear about who the audience is and why they should care about the vision you are about to present.
While the vision can unfold to be something that’s compelling and even exciting, you need a starting point that resonates on a personal level. Once you’ve created early interest, make it clear to the audience how the vision can translate into short, medium or long-term benefits and what it may mean to their customer journey. For an internal audience, tell them the steps they can take in order to become part of the team that makes it happen. Vision videos may be inspirational, motivational or aspirational but they should use a call to action to lead the audience to the next step.
Making a technology vision credible
The vision also needs to be credible and, in the audience’s mind, achievable. If possible, content could include achievements to date, validation from industry commentators and evidence of ‘ability to execute’. For an internal audience, the same can apply, and if there’s already buy-in and momentum from leaders or managers in the business then you may want to get them on camera too (although, exercise caution when choosing your evangelists or advocates- see Video focus #2: Why careful casting is critical).
With what seems like a much bigger canvas for the imagination, a vision video can seem more daunting than other formats. The key is to approach it like any other format and not let the reach of the production values exceed the grasp of the budget. With the right script, energy and brevity, it’s possible to make an impactful vision video without relying on original footage or Pixar quality animations.
On another production note, the soundtrack and voice-over deserve particular consideration. The vision video presents an opportunity to be less conventional. A bold vision, a unique differentiator or an aspirational proposition calls for a voice over with character, gravitas, or simply infectious exuberance. And if it’s energy or edginess you need, you don’t have to confine the soundtrack to an anodyne piece of library music.
Finally, vision videos tend to have a more extended internal approval process with executive level and brand management oversight. So, it makes sense to share and edit a detailed storyboard with screen direction notes, a full draft script and even voice-over and soundtrack samples in order to manage expectations and avoid potentially costly revisions or additions further down the production line.
The Rubicon Agency is an experienced advocate of video for technology marketing. We’ve categorised examples of our work into the seven most common formats, covering a range of subjects. What they share in common is the advantage of our tech sector expertise and market insight combined with our creative but pragmatic approach to production. Each of these videos has created measurable impact and return on marketing investment for our clients.
Watch a vision video from The Rubicon Agency Video Gallery now.
