Stuart Maister, managing director of BroadView

What springs to mind as soon as you hear the word ‘digital’? The internet, the web 2.0 experience, and when it comes to an organisation’s brand – their website.

For many, whether prospective or existing customers and employees, a company website is the first port of call. In this ‘digital age’, more information can be gleaned spending time on a website than can be picked up from a phone call with a spokesperson or by reading about the brand in the news for example.

Brands have realised this and are ensuring their websites are accessible, informative and user-friendly. However, they can still do more.

YouTube

Data from March this year shows that YouTube users in the UK increased by 56 per cent compared with figures from January 2007, taking the total number up to 10,246 millions unique visitors. The digital era we now live in is highlighted by the rise in online video – the recent Olympics Games have been defined as the first digital Olympic Games due to the number of people following them on the internet for example.

Video

A recent report from Think Box, a TV marketing body, said that both online video and traditional television are growing because they ‘fulfill different needs for viewers and can co-exist and indeed promote each other’.

It’s true. Short and sharp videos on specific subjects are more engaging and provide different types of information and entertainment compared with traditional TV. This isn’t just a normal shift from the box to a computer monitor though. There’s something more that needs to be understood. What are the implications of this social phenomenon within our work environment? Is it already affecting how we work?

For many communication managers, video is just a way of making a website more dynamic – it catches your eye. But video can be more than just attention grabbing, it’s also an innovative way of conveying your company message. While video shouldn’t be considered a substitute to normal marketing and communication tools, when integrated into communication strategies it’s rather powerful.

Whether an interview with a senior executive on the values the company’s seeking to promote, the HR director outlining the type of applicant they’re looking for, or even the CEO’s annual speech, a video provides a more effective, efficient, personal and interactive way of getting across what they want to convey.

A video brings the brand and the employer to life and gives existing employees access to the heart of their company. Seeing the body language and passion of the spokesperson is more persuasive and informative than reading reams of text on the same topic. The combined audio and visual effect is highly regarded by viewers – as the success of YouTube mentioned earlier demonstrates.

While consumers know the value of video, and brands targeting them have learnt to exploit this to their advantage, organisations need to see the value in using videos for corporate, recruitment and communication purposes.

We work with brands such as Sony, Land Securities and the ACCA to improve their internal and external communications, as well as their recruitment, and to foster a communal sense of each company’s brand.

Carbon footprint

For global companies such as Sony, or for the ACCA with its members and students spread across the world, online videos and webcasts can replace expensive travel and accommodation costs as well as reduce an organisation’s carbon footprint.

We worked closely with the HR director of Land Securities for example to create a video which was streamed on the company’s website for employee recruitment and to convey the strategy and vision for current employees. She outlines in a video discussion with CEO Francis Salway how the company makes changes according to specific employee feedback and how much value is placed on employee surveys. Both the HR director and CEO emphasise the ability to develop yourself and how the company listens to and respects employees contributions.

The video gives current and future employees an idea of who they’ll be working for and what development is provided for them, in an easy listening format streamed on the company’s website.

Employee stories

Another customer we’ve worked with on employer and employee branding is BT. We produced short profiles of great employee stories around the world, featuring real employees going about their business, explaining a specific story and demonstrating how BT’s brand values are manifested in the real world.

These are available online for viewers to soak up the company’s brand and values in a ‘byte-sized’ and accessible format that’s appealing to internet browsers, candidates, existing employees and even prospects.

Ultimately, the website is the door to the company and its employer brand. Using video along with existing communications online will provide a deeper sense of what each organisation is about and foster good brand communications overall.

Video already exists. It’s time for companies to make the most of it to bring their brands to life online too.