CSR Videos: Three Myths Debunked
The more CSR initiatives your company undertakes, the more you might want to spread the word about them.
Various forms of content, such as articles, infographics, and slideshows, are commonly employed to highlight corporate social responsibility initiatives. Once you’ve explored these avenues, consider embracing video content. Videos have the power to vividly and persuasively demonstrate the impact of your actions, potentially even going viral.
Curious about what a CSR video can actually look like? Take, for instance, this video for Solidu Cosmetics as an illustrative example.
Let’s delve into the primary arguments supporting and opposing the use of video content in your CSR initiatives.
A CSR video: the main pro… and cons
The strongest argument in favor of a video over other types of content is that video is capable of evoking a sea of emotions and building attachment to your brand. Why is that? Because a video is where storytelling, animation, voice, music and sounds come together. Each of these components is impactful by itself, isn’t it? So you can imagine how impressive it is when they all tell a CSR-related story on behalf of your brand!
A no-brainer argument against producing video content about CSR is the conventional idea that video production is labor-intensive, long, and expensive. But let’s see if this idea stands up to scrutiny.
CSR video content can be compact, quickly produced, and affordable
First, corporate social responsibility videos aren’t necessarily long movies with many people involved, both in the frame and backstage. They can be as simple as, let’s say, a one-minute clip with animated infographics, or a to-the-point excerpt from an interview with a CSR manager, or even a combo of both. So far, there’s no law that CSR videos must be exhaustively detailed or address the full spectrum of CSR issues. A short, neat CSR video is still a CSR video! And it’s totally up to you to outline the rules of how your branded video should look.
Second, if you agree that a short and easy-to-produce CSR video is still a fine example of CSR-related PR content, you are one step from the following conclusion: it doesn’t take too long to make one.
You can even try some simple online tools to test your own video production skills. In this case, the tempo of production will depend on you. Alternatively, you can contact a video production agency, agree on a production timeline with them, and specify the deadline in the contract: now you’re covered.
Third, pricing. Believe it or not, you can get a decent CSR video even if you don’t want to splash out, or simply can’t. Affordable CSR videos won’t feature an A-list star planting a tree in a branded jacket, but there are dozens of ways to convey your CSR message in a less prodigal way.
Watch the following CSR video example to get the gist of what we call an ‘affordable video about ESG initiatives.’
The cost of a video like this could start from as little as $1000. Quite something to consider, isn’t it?
You’re more ready for CSR video production than you think
An insight: if you regularly report on corporate social responsibility actions, that means you have already collected plenty of relevant data. You don’t have to conduct extra research in order to fill your future CSR video with valid factual information: you already have it all!
Any CSR activity report you’ve ever prepared, be it a document, a slide show, or a PDF file, is an excellent foundation for video clip content. Imagine a dull reporting process changing to a genuinely engaging animated presentation showcasing your department’s progress and impact! This is what you can roll out quarterly, setting a trend of vividly showcasing your efforts.
As for the video’s look, you can use your own corporate brand guidelines, if any. A brand book is a great reference in terms of desired color palette, fonts, and tone of voice in general. Most likely there are no specific rules regarding CSR videos in it, but if you refer to the requirements for other media or PR content, you can’t go wrong.
How can I use a CSR video?
This is a great question that opens up some opportunities you might not have thought of. The obvious first step is to place your video on the corporate website, but there are plenty of other options!
- Suggest a CSR clip as an asset for corporate video marketing. Your colleagues responsible for social media can include the video in their content plan and showcase it to a wide audience. It’s a great chance to demonstrate your company’s positive impact on the community and enlist its support!
- Raising awareness on a CSR-related issue can resonate with employees as well. Contact your HR manager and suggest introducing the video to the team. People will be happy to know that they work for a company that does the right things, won’t they?
- Your company’s commitment to sustainability can be a positive factor for partners and other counterparties. Talk to the business development and sales teams within the company and watch them generate ideas about how to use a CSR video in their pitches.
It’s never too late to start doing a new thing, especially if the fruit of your labor can become a valuable contribution to other departments. Check out this CSR video page if you want to learn more about it!
