A video about IT security has got to be hard sell, right? But this Big Ideas video from IT hardware company EMC is pretty compelling.
You can believe me when I say this…because I’m not a big fan of B2B videos. And also not a fan of online videos in general. Sorry everyone.
I’ve written some B2B video content and actually love writing video scripts. There is something very absorbing and stimulating about thinking about visuals while writing text. But as a viewer, I am just not the target demographic. For better or worse my video viewing is, unless dictated by circumstance, primarily for entertainment purposes.
Big Ideas: Why Trust Matters
What makes this video so compelling?
The narrator, for one–Patricia Florissi, EMC’s Global Chief Technology Officer. The first thing you know about her is that she is enthusiastic about the topic. Her delivery alone is compelling. But she is also obviously intelligent and knows the subject matter. And she has enough of an accent that she sounds a bit mysterious. Seriously, I would listen to this woman read aloud a menu or automobile repair manual if that wasn’t as creepy and stalkerish as it sounds.
Another element that makes this video compelling is the animation. Storyboards and drawing are credited to Tom Benthin. This is good stuff. I really like the medieval castle theme: fortifications for IT security, you see. Honestly, I wouldn’t have imagined that a video about IT security could be visually all that compelling. This is so much better than a talking head, no matter how fantastic that person is.
Lastly…I just have to love a video about IT security (maybe a video about any topic really) that puts the following words on the screen (at 9:17): Here’s the pig–where’s my data? (It’s a cute pig, too.)
Clearly this team is having fun. Kudos to the content advisors, editors, and everyone who worked on this!
Further Analysis
- Length
At 15:22 it seemed a little long. I almost gave up when the overview that started with the words “In this video, we will focus on…” didn’t start until 4:48. But the video kept me interested throughout. Fear not if you are interested in checking out the entire series–not all the Big Ideas videos are this long. - Format
As stated…loved the graphics and the way they told the visual story. - Salesy quotient
Low
The video is mostly to educate and entertain. But EMC has so many different product offerings it literally takes almost two full minutes at the end to run through the various product offerings. I wish that part was shorter–perhaps a link to landing page with all the products and how they tie in? Or listing them as part of the description under the video? Don’t want to take away the call to action, but that is a lot of information that probably isn’t being absorbed as EMC would wish. - Educational quotient
Very High
This video is all about educating the viewer (while having some fun).
If you like this one, check out other Big Ideas videos here.
What are your thoughts about this video? Does it educate viewers effectively? Do you think the tone and visuals resonate with the target audience?