Here at Horizon Imaging, we create films and portfolio imagery for many different sectors for a variety of purposes. One aspect that all our work has in common is that it is designed to convey a message. That might be to explain processes, document progress, or showcase expertise. For customer vision films, it’s all about the deeper message. These films must reflect the core beliefs and visions of an organisation or project in every production element. To get them right, you have to really understand what you’re trying to create and why they’re necessary.
What is a customer vision film?
Firstly, you might not be familiar with the term ‘customer vision film’. There are variants, but they all mean much the same thing: client mission video, brand vision video, company mission film, project mission film (with ‘mission’ and ‘vision’ often being used interchangeably), etc. Basically it’s a short piece of video content which gets to the very heart of the meaning or purpose for an organisation, brand, or project.
Brand vs. Customer
The key difference between a brand mission film and a customer mission film is that a brand mission film is all about demonstrating an organisation’s fundamental values as a focal point. A customer vision film is designed to convey how an organisation has worked with their client or customer to deliver the core values of a contract or project. This might overlap with the values of the organisation, but the focus is on collaboration and a shared mission.
Construction as an example
Customer vision films are applicable / relevant for every industry and sector, but as we specialise in the property and construction industries, this blog post will focus on a customer vision film we created for a construction company. In the construction industry, a contractor or developer works on behalf of their customer, the end user, to deliver a building / piece of infrastructure which meets a specific and defined set of needs. The customer vision film is therefore based on these needs, reflecting the requirements of the end user and highlighting how the developer will work to meet these requirements.
Take a look at the customer vision film below that we produced for one of our clients, national construction company Wilmott Dixon. The film communicates both the vision of the end user, in this case a school, while illustrating the values of Wilmott Dixon, and how they will ensure the vision of the end user is met.
One of the main audiences for this film was actually the workers who would be constructing the new building – the intention being to encourage and inspire them to do the very best work possible, as they would then have a deeper understanding of the purpose of the school and an emotional connection to the people who would be using it.
The film had several key objectives:
- Provide background to the client and summarise the services / demographic served by their schools.
- Convey the special requirements of Silverwood as a SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) school.
- Create an emotional connection between the viewers and the pupils from the school.
- Explain why the new building is required and the difference it will make to the pupils at the school, the staff who work at the school and indirectly, the parents of the pupils.
After delivering this customer vision film, we received the following kind testimonial from our client, Willmott Dixon:
“David was wonderful on this project. The pupils we had the privilege to work with were funny, excited, entertaining and so proud of their school. David worked closely with us and the school team to ensure that the pupils felt comfortable in front of the camera. He was able to edit the footage together in a way that, for us, really represented the pupils and their school.”
Why make a customer vision film?
As we’ve touched on above, these films realise multiple aims. This means that the completed film is an incredibly versatile and powerful resource. It’s the power to engage that explains why most organisations could benefit from embracing vision or mission based films in their marketing collateral. So what is it that drives this power?
Power to engage
By focusing on human interest with real-life storytelling, these films are not about the hard sell. Your audience watches the film because it appeals to the innate human desire to see good. A good customer vision film will hook in the audience from the opening seconds, and by the end, leave them feeling emotionally fulfilled. They might not go away and immediately use your services, but your brand will be positively positioned in their mind.
Power to promote
Because a customer vision film is so engaging, it’s powerful in another way. It has impact, versatility, and with it you can promote your organisation in areas that you may not have been able to otherwise. You can use it as an internal tool to motivate and engage staff as well as presenting your brand to the wider world.
How to make a good customer vision film
Businesses are increasingly waking up to the fact that video is a necessary tool with which to engage both their prospects and the internal workforce. In fact, a study by Wyzowl reported that 95% of businesses consider video as an integral part of their marketing strategy. With so much video content out there though, every video is competing for attention. This means that you must make your customer vision film stand out! Here are our tips to keep on track:
Spend time on your message
Rushing into production invariably leads to a confused and disengaging final piece. Spend time discussing the mission / purpose of the film with your client. Identify where your core values align, as this is where you should focus your efforts.
Involve real people
Authenticity is key, and it’s something that can’t be replicated even with the most talented actors, let alone soulless stock / library video clips! By working with professional videographers who can put subjects at ease during the filming process, you’ll get the best from the people who are put in front of the camera.
It’s not just pictures
Film is a multisensory experience. The right audio soundtrack has the power to change the atmosphere of your video, so choose wisely. Don’t forget about captions and subtitles – these make the piece more accessible and tap into the preferences of audiences to read as well as listen.
Tell a story
There doesn’t have to be a complicated narrative, but some kind of story arc helps to maintain the viewers’ attention and build high engagement. It might be the story behind a project’s conception, or exploring the impact the project will have on people. Think about ways to slowly reveal / drip-feed detail as the film progresses, as this will help keep your viewers interested.
Clear and concise
Try not to get distracted. If additional stories or ideas reveal themselves during the creation of your film, note them down and explore them in a future piece. Customer vision films thrive on a concept of ‘do one thing well’, so each element should underline the film’s core message.
Share it!
Once your film is complete, your investment will only be returned by getting it into circulation. Good customer vision films tend to be emotive in tone, making them very sharable content – if you’re lucky, it might even go viral! Share the film internally with your immediate team, across divisions and with those in higher management positions, as well as externally through every channel possible, and then let the quality of your film do the rest!
Production values
All too often, authenticity can be used to justify cutting corners. In order to best represent both your brand and that of customers, it’s crucial to maintain professional quality. This will be evident in the technical aspects you have to get right on site, like the consistency and quality of sound and lighting, and the engaging composition of the footage; and equally how the film is assembled during post-production, including understanding dwell time (how long clips remain on the screen to allow the viewers to fully digest the content), syncing clips with backing music to help the film flow, and sequencing the clips correctly to tell the story whilst maintaining the viewers’ interest.
After delivering the customer vision film above, we received the following kind testimonial from our client, St Polycarps Catholic Primary School:
“From the moment I met David he understood the importance of how to capture the essence of our school in our video and he encouraged a collaborative appraoch to ensure the video was a true reflection of our school. He was professional at all times and managed to work in our busy school without causing unnecessary disruption. I would recommend any school to work with David on future projects.”
In Summary
Understanding the vision of both your organisation and your customers’ is of critical importance when it comes to the success of your, and their marketing material. So why leave the effectiveness of the material you produce to chance? Horizon Imaging has the experience and knowledge to produce customer vision films that will precisely meet your needs, and that of your clients’, and will help you both stand out in today’s increasingly video-centric, online world.
What Do Our Clients Say?
“Armed with a very rough brief, David offered some great ideas with regard to filming on the day and post editing of the material he had captured. The final product has certainly exceeded my initial expectations.”
“I have asked David to produce seasonal videos of our gardens for our website and he has recently completed the ‘Spring’ for us at The Dower House Nursing Home. I can highly recommend him to you for the quality of his work and his time and patience whilst undertaking these projects with us. Our gardens and the quality of our care are the unique selling points of The Dower House and David took the time to find out about us in order to focus on the areas that are important to our business, he interpreted the brief perfectly. David produced both aerial and ground level video footage of excellent quality. All the videoing was done with our residents and their families in mind and with consideration to our working environment — nothing was too much trouble. If you are looking to enhance your business image I can highly recommend David and Horizon Imaging to you.”
“David is an absolute pleasure to work with. He is reliable, creative and responsive. Nothing is too much trouble and he has great attention to detail. Would highly recommend.”
So, ask yourself:
- Are you looking to invest in your video marketing strategy with vision-based videos?
- Do you work with customers or end users who share your values?
- Are you looking to partner with an experienced and reliable videography company to produce professional promotional films for your website and social media?
If so, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us on the contact details below.