Category Archives: Big Tips

As any marketer worth his salt (a culinary essential) will attest, telling a compelling story is a brilliant way to engage your viewers and communicate information about your brand’s history and values. Video storytelling is widely regarded as one of the most effective approaches that food and drink brands can adopt when persuading consumers to consume their products. 

Let’s take a look at how you can tell stories that leave the right taste in your mouth with a review of some of the best storytelling videos that have been made by the food and drink industry.

Make an emotional connection with your audience

There are few better ways for food and drink brands to promote their offering than to connect with their audience on an emotional level, and this is where good storytelling comes in. Longer-form stories are usually composed of the following elements: i) the introduction of the characters, ii) the drama and iii) the resolution. 

Start by acquainting your audience with a likeable and/or relatable character. Once you have established your character(s), it’s time for the fun part: the drama. It is here that your character(s) encounter a problem of some sort. And it is in the story’s resolution that a solution presents itself – an ideal entry point for the food or drink that you wish to advertise.

Sainsbury’s 2014 Christmas ad marked the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Truce of 1914 that was observed during the First World War, and it is one of our favourite video storytelling examples. It begins with an unarmed English soldier risking his life by daring to rise from his trench, his arms raised. Whilst we know little about him, his actions raise the stakes in a dramatic fashion, and we root for him to survive.

The drama culminates in a tense stand-off. Happily, the situation resolves itself in a satisfying manner: the soldiers agree to a truce and play a game of football in no man’s land before returning to their respective trenches, whereupon a German soldier finds that he has been gifted a bar of chocolate by the English soldier.

1914 | Sainsbury’s Ad | Christmas 2014

The decision to focus on the key events of the Christmas truce is a huge part of what makes this ad so effective, and it feels appropriate, given the sensitive subject matter. Including the bar briefly at the beginning and towards the end, alongside a simple but powerful message, Christmas is for sharing, was a smart creative move that helps make this video an effective, memorable advertisement for chocolate.

Inform and entertain your audience

Video storytelling enables brands to teach viewers about their foods and drinks products, the ingredients that they include and their health benefits. They’re also a wonderful way for brands to provide information about the social and environmental work that they have undertaken.

In this video for Tilda Rice, we explained how Tilda has worked alongside the World Food Programme to provide healthy meals to mothers in developing countries. We used striking photo imagery, animation and motion graphics to impart relevant information (the importance of nutrition from an early age, the donation of 5.8 million nutrition-boosting meals, etc.) and deliver a strong call to action (‘To find out more, visit tilda.com/mums’).

Tilda Rice – Helping Mums Together

Making use of such techniques can help food and drink brands to weave a compelling narrative and demonstrate the positive impact that they are making. Find out more about brand storytelling today.

Produce shorter-form content for social media

The short video format is very popular these days, and there are plenty of opportunities for food and drinks brands to take advantage of this trend with bite-sized clips that showcase their products in all of their deliciousness. Such videos often work well on social media, as we found when producing Facebook and Instagram ads for Mackies.

Simple, punchy messaging and a dollop of humour go a long way in shorter-form videos. Humour has long been used in food advertising – one need only recall the iconic For Mash Get Smash ads, with their cast of chortling Martians looking down upon humans as a ‘most primitive people’ for peeling and boiling potatoes.

We recommend that you consider incorporating lighthearted humour in your short-form food and drink videos. John West’s classic Bear Fight ad is a cracking example of how it’s done.

John West Salmon “Bear Fight” ad

Appeal to the senses

The best food and drink videos successfully appeal to the viewers’ senses. Capture your viewers’ interest with enticing visuals and a soundtrack that fits with your brand’s vibe.

Hendrick’s beautifully colourful ads are a model to follow for drinks brands aspiring to take their viewers on a mini adventure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKhanRHWu1I

From the Depths to the Heights – A Summer of Gin – Hendrick’s Gin

Give your viewers an exciting sensory experience, using close-ups and a variety of angles to do justice to the deliciousness of your offering. Consult our food videography tips to make your product look as appetising as possible in your videos, and take a look at the gin brands that have nailed their marketing efforts in recent years.

Start selling your food and drink with storytelling

We hope that this has given you plenty of, um, food for thought. Learn more about filming food and drink videos with our top 10 tips on how to make recipe videos.

If you’d like to find out more about Small Films, take a look at our work for the food and drink sector, and view our latest work on our YouTube channel. Alternatively, check out our E-Book on how to use video to grow your food and drink brand.

>> Download Our E-Book 9 WAYS TO GROW YOUR FOOD AND DRINK BUSINESS WITH VIDEO <<

Small Films is a video production company in London. Our team of videographers, editors and animators create all sorts of videos, including awesome product videos, testimonial videos, explainer videos and animations that can help bring your brand to life. Do get in touch; we’d love to hear from you!

Creating fast turn-around ads for a summer campaign

Mackie’s marketing agency, Curzon Marketing, had a challenge for us – to create some eye-catching Facebook and Instagram ads that would enhance the experience of summertime with their iconic Scottish treat.

So, Small Films went on the mission to get Mackie’s name out there in full force and build its brand awareness!

>> See our social media video ads 

We wanted to make sure this campaign packed a punch, so we made the most of limited time and limited resources. We put together existing assets combined with stock imagery and smooth animation – all while keeping it simple! The client played an invaluable role in distilling the main idea behind their message: “Making Simple Delicious.”

>> Read our blog: Lessons from Johnnie Walker’s Video Marketing

Mackie’s wanted to make sure their summer products were seen and savoured, so we created three adverts that captured a special “moment” of the season. These square-shaped posts caught everyone’s attention in social spaces –– allowing them to imagine themselves enjoying Mackie’s delicious ice cream. We continue our partnership with this amazing brand for more projects ahead.

>> See other examples of our work 

Small Films is a video production company in London. We create social media video ads for a wide range of leading brands, from Upbeat drinks to Mackie’s ice cream.  If you’d like to get in touch with the team for our support with video production, then do drop us a line. 

Whether you’re a food brand or a finance company, events are likely to play a vital part in your marketing mix. From brand activations to company conferences, events are an exciting and powerful medium that can help you reach more people, increase your visibility, and help generate leads. But when it comes to events, are you leaving opportunities on the table by not capturing them on film? Here at Small Films, we love supporting brands with their event videography, whether it’s an event agency showreel or an annual conference opener.

There are multiple ways you can use video to enhance your experience.

1. A teaser video highlighting what to expect at the upcoming event
   A fantastic way to encourage ticket sales, registrations or get employees excited about the event
2. Talking heads from key speakers showcasing what to expect in their session
   Showcasing insights into sessions on the agenda is a brilliant way to help drive attendance to the sessions. It will also ensure that your audience knows what to expect at each, so they’re getting the most value with their choices.
3. At an annual conference, tell the story of the past year to your audience, bringing it to life with animation.
   In the hybrid work world, you might find that many employees aren’t aware of all goings on in the business. A recap of the previous year is a fantastic way to detail what’s been going on and make them feel proud to work for the company.
4. Use video to create icebreakers throughout the agenda
   A full day of back-to-back presentations is a surefire way to have your audience switch off. Break the day up with icebreaker video content throughout the agenda.
5. Intro sessions with short and impactful introductory videos
   Short, snappy and with upbeat music is the perfect way to engage the audience and fire them up for the session ahead.
6. Use background video content during drinks receptions
   Whether it’s a showreel or a recap of your last year, testimonials or brand films, then video content at a drinks reception is a useful way to convey your message in a more relaxed setting. Ensure to include subtitles.
7. Live stream to a hybrid/virtual audience. Add motion graphics
   Open up your event to a much wider audience by live streaming your content. Whilst it may add a greater cost, it is a fantastic way to increase ticket sales.
8. A post-event highlights showreel
   Key for all your post-event marketing, a highlights reel is a great reminder of your event, plus a useful tool when marketing next year’s event.
9. Video replays of the sessions
   For those who weren’t able to catch all the live sessions, full replays (plus shortened highlights) will keep them in the loop. Consider monetising the content replays

Let’s take a look at four ways event videography can be used to drive results for your brand.

Capture Your Audience’s Attention

Event videography is one of the most effective ways to capture people’s attention and get them engaged with your brand. People love watching videos because they are quick and visual. By creating an event video, you can tell a story about your brand in a succinct way that will draw people in and keep them interested. If you’re an event agency, then having a top-notch creds showreel to show off your work is a must.

Check out our showreel for events agency, onepointfive

Showcase Your Brand’s Personality

With event videography, you have the opportunity to show off the unique personality of your brand. You can capture candid moments between attendees, showcase interesting tidbits about your business, or highlight key activities that took place at an event. This can give viewers an inside look into who you are as a company and what you stand for—which can make them more likely to engage with you in the future.

Capturing the Drinks Sales Network on film

>> See our event videography work

Increase Visibility & Reach More People

Another great benefit of event videography is that it gives you an opportunity to increase your visibility online and reach more people. With digital video becoming more popular every day, it’s important to capitalise on this trend by creating videos that are shareable across different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. The more engaging the content, the more likely it is to get shared, so the higher chance there is of new people discovering your brand.

Generate Leads & Sales

Finally, event videography is highly effective at generating leads and sales for businesses. When potential customers watch videos about your company, product/service offerings or event agency credentials, they are much more likely to become interested in what you have to offer.

Capturing the Connections networking event on camera

>> See the immersive film content we delivered for a 1,000-person conference

Event videography is an incredibly powerful tool when it comes to driving results for brands. Not only does it allow you to capture people’s attention, but also showcases the personality of your business while increasing visibility online and generating leads & sales opportunities as well! If used correctly, event videography could be just what your business needs in order to take its marketing efforts up a notch! So why not give it a try?

Small Films is an agency that specialises in event videography. We’ve delivered event showreels, conference openers, and live-stream awards shows for some of the UK’s biggest brands.  If you’d like to discuss your event videography needs, then do get in touch with one of the team.

A customer’s endorsement of your product or service is invaluable. Testimonials are one of the most powerful tools in a marketing manager’s toolbelt because they help build trust, credibility, and rapport with potential customers. Videos are especially effective at capturing customer stories and experiences. So, what questions should you ask when creating customer testimonial videos?

The key to getting great customer testimonials is to make sure that you ask the right questions. Here are some questions to consider when creating a customer testimonial video:

1. How long have you been working with (insert company name)?

2. Can you give us an example of a great experience you had with (insert company name)?

3. When did you first discover our business?

4. How did you discover (insert company name)?

5. Why did you choose our product/service over others?

6. What do you feel makes our business unique?

7. Describe how we currently work with you and your business?

8. How would you describe the quality of the work our team has performed for you?

9. Are there any examples of where we have exceeded your expectations?

10. What was your #1 problem when you came to us for help?

>> Read our full list of 50 Questions to Ask for Customer Testimonial Videos 

By asking these types of questions, it will give viewers a better idea of why they should choose your product or service over others on the market and how it can help solve their problems or meet their needs better than anything else out there! Additionally, it helps create an emotional connection between potential customers and existing ones by showing them that people have already had success with your product or service in solving their problems – and that’s something everyone can relate to.

Asking customers the right questions can make all the difference when creating a customer testimonial video! Video testimonials are an incredibly powerful tool because they allow potential customers to see real-life proof that others have had success with using your product or service – which builds trust, credibility, and rapport quickly! These 10 questions are a great starting point for creating effective customer testimonial videos that will help boost sales for any business!

Small Films is a video production company in London. We regularly create customer testimonial videos and know exactly what makes your client stand out on video. If you want to chat through your project, then do get in touch with our team. 

Employee testimonial videos are an effective way to showcase your company culture and values, promote your brand, and attract new talent. But to get the most out of the video, you need to ask the right questions. Here are 10 essential questions you should consider when creating an employee testimonial video.

1. What’s your role at the company? – This question is important because it helps establish who is speaking in the video and how they relate to the company. It also helps viewers better understand their perspective on working there.

2. How long have you worked here? – Asking this question allows viewers to gauge how long a particular employee has been with the company, which can be helpful in understanding their commitment level and experience working at the company.

3. What do you like best about working here? – This question helps viewers understand what employees love most about their work environment, which can give them an insight into what it’s like to work at your company on a daily basis.

4. What’s the company culture like? – Asking this question allows employees to share their perspective on how it feels to work at your organisation from day-to-day and provides potential job applicants with a better idea of what they can expect from your team if they apply for a position.

5. What are the company’s values? – Knowing what values are important to your organisation gives potential employees an idea of where it stands on certain issues or topics that matter to them, which could be key in helping them decide whether or not they want to apply for a job with you. It also helps viewers understand more deeply why people stay with your organisation and why it might be attractive for new talent to join your team!

6. What are your career goals? – Understanding each employee’s individual goals can help give viewers insight into what motivates employees as well as provide potential job applicants with examples of opportunities available within your organisation that could help them advance in their own career paths if hired by you!

7. How has the company helped you achieve your goals? – This question allows employees to share stories about how specific initiatives or programs that have been implemented by the organisation have enabled them to reach their own personal goals while working there – providing evidence of tangible benefits associated with becoming part of their team!

8. What are some of your favourite projects that you’ve worked on? – This question encourages employees to share stories about specific projects they were involved in while working at the company – allowing viewers to gain insight into how successful projects looked from an insider’s perspective!

>> Read the essential guide on Employee Testimonial Videos

9. What do you think sets the company apart from its competitors? – Asking this question helps employees articulate why they choose (or chose) to stay with one particular employer over another – enabling potential applicants viewing this video to get a sense of why someone would choose yours over someone else’s!

10. Would you recommend working here to your friends and family? – Lastly, asking this question invites employees to speak honestly about their experiences at the workplace – giving potential candidates an honest appraisal of what life is like at your organisation from real people who have actually been there!

Creating an effective employee testimonial video requires thoughtfully crafted questions that draw out meaningful answers from participants and provide valuable insights into both current and prospective employees alike! By considering these 10 essential questions when crafting yours, you’ll be sure that it accurately reflects all aspects of life at your company—from its values and mission statement down through individual roles and experiences—and will result in an engaging, informative piece that effectively showcases everything great about being part of your team!

Creating a great promotional video for your business can be daunting—how do you make sure all the right elements are there? You want to make sure it hits the right marks but also stands out from the competition. We’ve put together some tips and tricks to help you create the perfect promotional video that will help bring in new customers and showcase your brand.

1. Keep it Short and Sweet

The ideal length of a promotional video is usually around 30 seconds, as this is enough time to get your message across without boring viewers. That said, if you have more complex information or features that need to be explained, don’t be afraid to go longer—just make sure not to drag things out too much and lose your audience’s attention.

2. Make it Eye-Catching

Your promotional video should stand out from the crowd and grab people’s attention, so think carefully about the visuals you use. Use bright colours, interesting graphics, upbeat music and catchy slogans or jingles to keep people engaged. Also, think about how you can make your video unique—maybe use animation or a funny skit to get people talking about your ad!

3. Focus on Benefits

When crafting your message, focus on the benefits of using your product or service instead of just listing features or facts about it. Ask yourself, “What’s in it for them?” Instead of simply saying, “Our product has X feature,” explain why that feature is beneficial for customers (e.g., “Our product has X feature so you can save time on Y task). That way, viewers can easily see how they would benefit from using your product/service over competitors.

Creating a successful promotional video requires careful thought and planning—you want something that stands out while still conveying all the necessary information in an efficient way. By following these tips and tricks, you can create an effective promotional video that really resonates with your target audience and drives home your message!

Video marketing has exploded in the past few years — and it’s no surprise why. It’s a powerful way to communicate your message and engage with your target audience. But with so many channels available, it can be hard to know which ones are best for your brand. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the top marketing channels for video marketing and how you can use them to get the most out of your campaigns.

YouTube

YouTube is the go-to platform when it comes to video content, and it’s also one of the best channels for video marketing. With over 2 billion monthly active users, there are plenty of opportunities to reach potential customers on this platform. Plus, YouTube provides lots of features such as analytics and search engine optimisation (SEO) that make it easy to track how successful your campaigns are.

Social Media

Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok offer great platforms for sharing videos online. Platforms like Facebook have their own native video players that allow you to embed videos directly into news feeds and stories so they can be seen by more people in less time. Social media also offers an opportunity to interact with viewers and build relationships with them over time – something that is key for successful video marketing campaigns.

Vlogging Platforms

Vlogging platforms such as Vimeo and Dailymotion are quickly becoming popular places for brands to share their videos online. These sites offer a more focused environment than YouTube or social media networks because they focus solely on videos rather than other forms of content like text or images. This means that you won’t have to compete as much with other types of content when trying to get people’s attention – making it easier for your videos to stand out from the crowd.

Email

Email is another great channel for sharing videos because you can directly target people who have already expressed interest in hearing from you by subscribing or signing up for your email list. You can use email newsletters or automated emails (such as welcome messages) as a way to share videos with subscribers without having to worry about competing against other types of content on social media or search engines like Google or Bing. Email also offers excellent measurement tools so you can track how successful each campaign is at engaging with viewers and driving conversions.

With so many options available today, choosing the right channel(s) for your video marketing campaigns can be overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be! By focusing on platforms such as YouTube, social media networks, vlogging sites and email marketing, you should be able to find success in no time! Just remember that whatever channel(s) you choose should align with your overall business objectives so that each campaign adds value and achieves its desired results.

Small Films is a video production company in London. Our team of videographers, editors and animators create all sorts of videos, including awesome product videos, testimonial videos, explainer videos and animations that can help bring your brand to life. Do get in touch; we’d love to hear from you!

YouTube remains one of the most powerful and popular social media sites in the world, with over two billion users logging in every month. As such, it’s no surprise that marketers are turning to YouTube for help content. After all, creating helpful content on YouTube can be an effective way to engage customers and build loyalty. Let’s take a look at how to make the most out of your help content on YouTube.

Choose Your Topics Wisely

When creating help content on YouTube, it’s important to choose topics that are relevant and interesting for your audience. By creating video tutorials that address common customer questions or problems, viewers can get quick answers without having to search too far and wide. Additionally, consider using videos to introduce new features or explain complicated topics in an easy-to-understand format. Discover your topics through undertaking a competitor analysis and looking keyword research tools such as SEMrush or Ahrefs.

Create Quality Content

Once you have chosen a topic, it’s time to create quality content that will keep viewers engaged and interested. Make sure your videos are well-crafted, visually appealing, and informative so that viewers will find them helpful and engaging. Additionally, consider adding subtitles or captions so that people who don’t speak English as their first language can still understand the message in your video.

Maximise Reach

Creating quality help content is only half the battle—you also need to make sure it reaches as many people as possible! To do this, optimise your videos with descriptive titles and tags so they appear higher up in search results when users type in keywords related to your topic. Additionally, promote your videos across other social networks, such as Twitter or Instagram, to expand their reach even further.

Creating help content on YouTube is a great way for marketers to engage customers and boost loyalty for their brand. When creating these videos, it’s important to choose topics wisely and ensure they are high-quality and informative. Additionally, make sure you optimize them with descriptive titles and tags, so they appear higher up in search results when people type in related keywords. With these tips in mind, you should be able to create engaging help content on YouTube that resonates with viewers!

Small Films is a video production company in London. Our team of videographers, editors and animators create all sorts of videos, including awesome product videos, testimonial videos, explainer videos and animations that can help bring your brand to life. Do get in touch; we’d love to hear from you!

Videos are a great way to engage your audience and tell an effective story. Whether you’re posting short clips, tutorials, or full-length films, it’s important to find the best place to host your content. The right hosting platform can be a game-changer for your video marketing efforts. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular options out there and how they stack up against each other.

YouTube

We’ll start with the obvious choice – YouTube. Everyone knows about YouTube, and it is by far the most popular video hosting platform on the web. It offers a wide range of features, including analytics tools that enable you to track engagement and viewership, as well as monetisation options if you want to make money from your videos. However, it also has some drawbacks; for example, ads can distract viewers from your video content, and YouTube takes a portion of ad revenue when monetisation is enabled.

Vimeo

Vimeo is a video hosting option that many people are beginning to use in lieu of YouTube for its more customisable options and better security settings. Vimeo also offers powerful analytics tools so you can track viewer engagement and business solutions, such as selling content directly from the platform itself (which is not available on YouTube). The downside? Vimeo does not offer monetisation options like YouTube does, so if this is something you are interested in then YouTube would be the better choice.

Wistia

Wistia is a video hosting platform for businesses of all sizes. It provides comprehensive tools to help you easily host, manage, and share your videos. Through its flexible plans and streamlined features, Wistia makes it easy to communicate with your target audiences through stunning video content. That’s not all though – Wistia also offers in-depth analytics so you can track your success while learning more about your viewers. This means you can stay on top of which formats, channels and topics are helping bring in results, as well as drill down into data such as viewer engagement rates and location demographics.

Vidyard

Vidyard is another great tool for businesses that want more control over their video hosting experience. It enables users to create custom playlists, add interactive calls-to-action (CTAs) within videos, personalise playback experiences based on user data, and measure performance metrics with detailed reporting tools. However, as with any tool, there are downsides—namely price; Vidyard’s pro plans start at $300/month, which may be too pricey for those just starting out with video marketing or those with limited budgets.

There are lots of great places out there to host your video content depending on your needs and budget. From free platforms like YouTube or Vimeo to paid services like Vidyard, there’s something for everyone when it comes to finding the perfect place for your videos! With careful consideration of the features offered by each one and what best suits your goals, you will be able to find the perfect spot for all of your video content needs!

ABOUT SMALL FILMS

Small Films is a video production company in London. We have a team of expert videographers, animators and strategists who are experienced in ensuring your video content hit the mark. If you’d like to speak to one of the team, then do drop us a line

Videos are a great way to deliver information and make training more engaging. They offer a fantastic opportunity to show employees how things work in a visual and interactive way. But creating effective employee training videos can be a challenge. Here are some of the most important tips for creating an employee training video series.

Choose the Right Platform

The first step is to choose where you’ll host your videos. Ideally, you’ll want something that makes it easy for your employees to access the videos quickly and easily. If you’re looking for something more private, consider a platform like Wistia, Vimeo or Vidyard, which both offer secure hosting options for corporate organisations.

>> Read our blog on The 5 Best Platforms for Hosting your E-Learning Course

Outline Your Content
Before you even think about filming anything, you need to have a clear plan for what your video series is going to cover. Start by making a list of all the topics you want to include in your employee training series and then break them down into easy-to-follow lessons or modules. Planning out each module ahead of time will make it easier to create visual aids and other materials that will help guide your employees through the material. Keep in mind that each module should build upon the last one, so make sure they flow logically from one lesson to the next.

Choose Your Presenters

The most effective employee training videos feature presenters who are knowledgeable about the subject matter but also personable and likeable enough that viewers can connect with them on an emotional level. When choosing presenters for your video series, look for people who have both technical knowledge and charisma—you want someone who can explain complex concepts clearly and make them interesting at the same time!

Film Your Videos

Now it’s time for the fun part—actually filming your videos! If possible, film in HD resolution; this will ensure that viewers get a clear picture of what’s being taught in each lesson. It’s also important to use good lighting. Finally, make sure you have plenty of space for your presenters; having too many people crowded together on camera can be distracting for viewers.

Keep It Short and Sweet

When it comes to employee training videos, shorter is almost always better. Employees’ attention spans are limited, so try to keep each video under 10 minutes if possible. This will help ensure that they stay focused on the content and don’t get bored or distracted while watching the video. You may even want to break up longer topics into several shorter videos if necessary.

Make Sure It’s Engaging

Employee training videos can be incredibly boring if they aren’t engaging enough—and if people aren’t engaged with the content, they won’t retain any of it.  Use different visuals like charts, diagrams, and screenshots throughout the video; include interactive elements like quizzes or polls; focus on stories instead of facts; and use humor where appropriate (just make sure it fits with your company culture!). These elements will help keep viewers engaged with the content from start to finish.

Training is essential for any organisation—but delivering that information in an effective way isn’t always easy. By following these tips for creating an employee training video series, you’ll be able to create engaging content that helps ensure that employees retain as much information as possible in an efficient manner!

ABOUT SMALL FILMS

Small Films is a video production company in London specialising in e-learning videos. We have a team of expert videographers, animators and strategists who are experienced in ensuring your e-learning content hits the mark. If you’d like to speak to one of the team, then do drop us a line