Who’d have predicted 15 years ago the phenomenon of cat and dog videos?! The hours we spend trailing and viewing them on social media, the emotion they evoke in us; and, the digital bond and connection it gives us with strangers across the world. It’s impressive how something so simple is so triumphant and addictive!
We’re not saying create a cat or dog video to get your employees to adopt your new technology. Although, if you could get a cute cat or dog to star in a video using your technology, then you’d be onto a winner! But, we are saying there’s some tips you could learn from cat and dog videos that will help your technology change programme go viral…in a good way…
Tip 1: Make video pivotal in storytelling
Videos are as pivotal and important to your programme as the cat and dog ones are to YouTube and social media. They’re a quick way to tell a story, engage your audience and bond with them. You can post videos on your company intranet and on digital screens in receptions and office open spaces. This gives employees the luxury to watch them from wherever they are in the world, at a time that works for them and without it taking up too much of their time.
Tip 2: Play on emotions
Cats and dogs know how to bond and engage with their audience by hooking into their emotions. Dogs pull at your heart the way they pull at a chew toy, and cats impress with their focused, clever thinking. These are two emotions you need to inject into your videos. Play on your audiences’ hearts by relaying what’s in it for them and how their work life will be better. And, wow them with how this technology will make them and your organisation smarter.
Tip 3: Say it upfront
Get your message in at the start of the video; and, keep it short and simple. All good cat and dog videos tell what they need to say in the first ten seconds – we’re going to get you to go ‘aww’, have you belly-ache laughing, make you stunned at how incredulous we’re being (cat video obviously!); and, have you asking, ‘how did they do that’? The good ones also know when enough is enough and stop play a couple of minutes in. After all, we halt the laboriously long videos after a few minutes in as we’re bored and have better things to do. Take this onboard when creating your videos. Know what you need to say, be clear and simple in how you say it and keep it short.
Tip 4: Manage your stars and stage sharing
Cats and dogs are the stars of the videos – be it, if they hold the stage on their own or share it with some companions (dog videos) or victims (cat videos). If they’re sharing the stage, there is also always chemistry and it’s a well-played double or group act. Firstly, pick the star of your video pending on the type of video it is. If it’s a talking heads video about the vision of a programme, make the sponsor of the programme the star. Success story videos are best told by a mix of people across your organisation. Secondly, if you’re opting for people to appear in a video together at the same time ensure there is chemistry between them. For example, if it’s an employee interviewing your programme sponsor they’ll need to be senior and experienced enough to feel comfortable interviewing them; and they should be media trained.
Tip 5: It’s all in the preparation
These days, stand-out cat and dog videos are the result of much time spent preparing the script, learning the lines (or rather the behaviour of the animal) and rehearsing. The outcome might be a simple video but what went into it prior to filming is usually time-consuming and well thought out.
You rarely magic a good technology change video out of thin air. Allow time to draft and edit the script multiple times until it is super clear and simple. Set up meetings with the star(s) of the video so they know what’s going on and how the video will be produced. Plus, work with the star(s) to ensure they know their lines and understand what’s best to wear in front of a screen. An old tip, but stripes and small patterns don’t tend to film well!
Discover the power of video with Inform
Good videos are a work of art – whether it’s 100% animated and stars avatar-style characters or if it’s a piece to camera or talking head with graphics and b-roll included. We’ve had plenty of experience in producing videos for clients who are going through technology change. Get in touch if you’d like to find out how we can help. We promise to stick to the cat and dog video method 😊
