The engagement problem with corporate communications?
Sliced Bread Animation creates, amongst a number of other competencies, animated explainer videos for corporate communications. For these, we’ve followed a lot of scripts that were supplied by either the clients themselves, or in cooperation with a PR or strategy agencies (who provide usually provide consultancy on the psychology of change in large organisations). These scripts offer great strategies on how employees might best adapt to the latest policies and process that need to be circulated and planted into the team’s behaviour, supporting being compliant with the company’s values and goals.
But is a corporate video something employees really enjoy watching? Corporate communication teams are first and for-mostly concerned with their company’s news, guidelines, values, and goals being effectively communicated. They want the company culture to be understood, reinforced, and further developed by the teams they manage.
The voice and tone of this communication needs to be clear, straightforward, inclusive, and polite. Ideally it uses a format that ‘fits all’ and doesn’t cause offence. Sadly, in those instances the communication can end up a bit ‘bland’ and fail to have the desired impact. It is a genuine challenge for internal communication teams to engage employees with the messaging that needs to be communicated.
Video as a starting point
The first resort for impactful and engaging communication to reach a wider audience is often video. No matter how uninspiring or tedious the narrative might be, video is considered the best bet to grab attention:
- Firstly, the eye is always drawn to movement, and as long as the motion graphics are designed and animated beautifully the viewer will want to follow the action on the screen
- Secondly, visual messages are easy to grasp as the message is ‘pre-digested’, meaning the recipient doesn’t need to create the image in their head, but can simply absorb the content through a comprehensive visual and therefore understand the message in an instant.
Hence video always delivers on attention-grabbing and momentary understanding of your message – the question is though, is the idea being stored long term, is it taking root, and is it being talked about? What can be done to engage the viewer strong enough for them to be willing enough to share that video?
Our ‘Dangers Underground’ video for MJ-Evans builds on an emotional connection
Personalising your message
The overuse of corporate jargon, endlessly recycled graphics and lifeless stock library icons in corporate communication can create an air of being impersonal and cold. This way of communication merely addresses the viewers in their role as employees and avoids being personal in any way.
However, all employees take their personality to work. Especially now with a rising focus on mental wellness and AI, the workplace has more and more become a place where the employee needs to feel valued as a human being that thrives on being seen and heard in order to contribute their services in meaningful ways.
So, when it comes to corporate comms, employees must be able to recognise themselves in the context that is being presented to them. Recognition leads to identification and a sense of belonging, and these elements determine the effectiveness of your communication strategy. If there’s a personal touch point in the storytelling it is also likely that the video is being talked about or shared amongst their colleagues.
If the conversational approach and tone of voice also has a personal angle it’ll speak to the employee directly and it will make it more relevant to them. Sprinkling in a bit of humour could give it a lighter note. It could give your corporate communication a moment of delight, something that gets remembered because it truly entertains. With humour or a personal story thrown into the mix the viewer is also emotionally involved, more relaxed and open to your message.
What evokes emotion, provokes conversation…
Below are a few hints on how to achieve emotional responses that trigger conversations:
- Bring in characters that represent your ideal workforce but maybe add a little quirk, a sweet human imperfection that is loveable and relatable.
- Incorporate humour, and everyday work scenarios that employees can relate to. This will make the message lighter and more enjoyable. E.g. show employees dealing with common office situations, like virtual meeting mishaps or coffee machine troubles, while subtly integrating the company’s values and goals.
- Highlight and recognise achievements of individual employees or teams to inspire others, maybe even add a personal message from the achiever, sharing how they overcame a struggle to empower others.
- Gamify the video content: develop animated quizzes and games based on the content. This approach makes learning fun and interactive, where employees can earn points and badges for correct answers, fostering a sense of competition and collaboration. Introduce a platform where staff can give feedback or contribute with their own relevant experience.
Incorporating these personalised animation strategies can transform corporate communication from bland and impersonal to engaging, memorable, and effective, fostering a stronger connection between the company and its employees.
Contact us
Are you looking to create an engaging VR experience to attract visitors to your stand at your trade event? Then feel free to drop us an email at info@sbanimation.com, or give us a call on +44 (0)207 148 0526. We would be happy to help.
If you are unfamiliar with the virtual reality production process, this blog post What to expect when you work with Sliced Bread might serve to help you, it provides a complete guide on how we typically approach our projects, from concept to final delivery. It also provides information on how we structure our fees and plan the production schedule.
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