The next step: film story-telling

We are in the midst of a content revolution. An abundance of digital content – images, videos, films, broadcasts and more surrounds us, capturing our attention like never before. This is only the beginning.

Every organisation, not-for-profit (NFP) and for-profit alike, must become proficient in communicating frequent, useful, persuasive content in order to engage and connect with audiences in a meaningful way.

NFP’s have a distinct advantage over corporate organisations in the realm of digital content – their authentic, emotive, human stories are breaking through the noise, capturing audience imaginations and changing behaviours more effectively than any other type of content.

Corporate organisations often need to craft creative stories about how their products and services impact people’s lives, but for NFP’s improving societal wellbeing is their very reason for existence. The compelling, emotional human stories that lie at the heart of a NFP’s mission provide the organisation with a powerful foundation of content that can be leveraged to deliver specific outcomes to advance their causes.

Most NFP’s are constantly striving to achieve three primary objectives – increase awareness, engage new volunteers and attract financial support. A digital content strategy that leverages film communications can be a powerful tool to help NFP’s achieve their goals.

So where to begin?

Bring your digital content strategy to life through an integrated film communications campaign.

1. Identify strategic outcomes

What are the specific goals of the campaign? How will success be measured? Who is your target
audience? Setting campaign objectives is the most critical part of any communications campaign – this will ensure the program is structured to achieve the desired outcomes.

2. Unleash creative genius

Identify the human stories that convey how your organisation changes people’s lives. Consider how these stories will be told, who will be telling them and what emotions will be captured. It’s good to note the stories that have longevity for future use.

3. Produce for maximum impact

Use quality equipment and experienced professionals within budget. For maximum impact across multiple channels consider how each piece could be produced and structured.

4. Reach your audience

Locate your audience and deliver content to them in a format that they identify with. You may choose to deliver content via websites and microsites, online forums and media outlets, social media channels and tablet applications.

5. Archive for future use

It’s critical that digital assets are categorised with the future in mind – organised and managed strategically
to preserve the value of the investment and extract additional value from them
in the future.

NFP’s have much to gain from the digital content revolution. An organisation can enhance its brand and engage with target audiences to advance its cause – a strategic film communications campaign is the new way to NFP marketing.

Case Study: e.motion21 – a mission to grow self-esteem

The mission

New NFP e.motion21, developed to help increase self-esteem in young children and adults with Down syndrome, needed a launch pad to kick-start the organisation and generate awareness.

The strategy

Harnessing the power of film communications, e.motion21’s strategy was to:

• Develop the face and feel of e.motion21 as a professional organisation
• Maximise e.motion21’s new relationship with Qantas
• Leverage the joy and sense of achievement of the participants to emotively connect with the viewer
• Build on the same emotive message to gain traction across multiple channels.

The films

A documentary was created to chronicle e.motion21’s journey to South Africa where they participated in the World Down Syndrome Congress. This provided an ideal platform to capture emotional context as the organisation experienced great recognition. Film-based storytelling showcased the impact that e.motion21 had on people’s lives by creating an emotional resonance with its audience.

Subsequently, a series of vignette products were built to engage with various audiences. These were optimised for use online, TV and social media.

The final piece of the program was an extension of the Qantas partnership to show an e.motion21 teaser film and 45 minute documentary on all Qantas international and domestic flights for a period of six months. A personalised statement of support from Qantas CEO Alan Joyce was also broadcast on all flights.

The results

Prior to launching its film communications campaign, e.motion21 had 90 participants with reach to only a few Melbourne suburbs. e.motion21 now facilitates services nationwide, assisting hundreds of participants.

Growth achieved as a result of the campaign:

• More than 10,000 views of the 45 minute documentary across the Qantas Network
• More than 3 million views of the five minute Alan Joyce address – this number continues to grow
• 10,000 views of documentary teaser on Facebook
• 90 per cent growth in volunteers when compared to 2012
• 82 per cent growth in enrolment when compared to 2012
• BRW print magazine article broadly increasing exposure.

These outcomes reflect the unparalleled increase in awareness and understanding that people with Down syndrome can achieve great things.

View e.motion21’s film at www.emotion21.org.au/moving-boundaries