THE POWER
FILM
OF
NO LONGER A NICE-TO-HAVE; FILM IS A MUST HAVE
T
ake a quick look at any successful company’s website or social media and film content will usually be playing a big role. In these times of constant, direct communication between brand, customer and B2B, film is an essential marketing tool which helps businesses stay ahead of the competition. Up to 95% of film messaging is retained by viewers compared to only 10% with static text. That’s a powerful statistic. Whether it’s announcing a product launch or CSR initiative, promoting corporate training or raising investment, brands are using film as an engaging, motivational communication tool for a wide audience, both external (clients, press, partners) and internal (employees, international franchisees, suppliers). Advocates of film say that it can save time and money, as well as have an incredible impact at an event or presentation. In most cases, it does all of this within 1-3 minutes on a screen, laptop, tablet or phone. However, management teams can be dubious about investing in film. It’s expensive and the return on investment can be difficult to quantify; it’s very difficult to track sales to a specific sales tool, and when it comes to intangibles like reputation, it can be nearly impossible. John Vincent, CEO of Leon Restaurants, is a believer. “I see people go through exactly the same process where they move from “I’d like to do a film but I’m not sure it’s going to do me any good” to “That film is so amazing, it’s my idea!”. They’ll usually end up saying that they “can’t believe what a positive commercial impact that film has had”. John would know, his healthy fast food chain has grown from just a few stores in London, to having a presence across the world; success he attributed in part at least, to the power of film. Back in 2014, John invested in a film that told the story of his company and what it does, explaining its culture, vision and values. He believes that his investment has been paid back many times over, by securing investors
8
NETWORKS
Sponsored by www.jcoffey.co.uk
for international expansion. Leon global franchisees have used the film to tell the Leon story to their suppliers and partners without having to travel to the UK, and it’s also used as a training tool for new recruits. John firmly believes in the power of film and is still using this initial investment for social media and point of sale purposes today. “When you’re running a business there is always calls on the cash. Film has really deep commercial impact and is the most amazing way to showcase who you really are, tell people what you do and excite them about it”. Choosing a quality film partner who can deliver the goods ensures your return on investment, but as demand for films has grown, so has the number of suppliers, some of whom sacrifice quality for cost. “For me, film is not something that can be done on the cheap” says John. “Everyone has a mate who
