Overview and aims
During the lockdown when it was impossible to film with a traditional production approach so we had to find new ways to capture video. Even before the dramatic events of early 2020, we’d been exploring how to capture more authentic and natural User-Gen video. With lockdown, it served a dual role allowing us to also capture video with students in remote locations off campus. One of our clients, ESCP Europe came to us in April, asking for solutions to create video to help encourage conversion for one of their course, and the app was the perfect way to do this.
Approaching The Brief
The aim of the project was to create a number of videos to help conversion of offer holders. Transitioning from offer to the first term is a difficult time for students, particularly when they will be living in a new country away from home. The aim of the videos was to ease this journey, providing support, reassurance and confidence. The students often have multiple offers, so a central objective was to increase the conversion rates from offer holder to subscribing to the course. The audience were offer-holders ahead of the final stage of acceptance. The video content was also used online as wider material for prospective students considering where to study.
h10.agency are experts in what they do, the end product is always great, I find them to be trustworthy, a very creative and talented team. They are pragmatic in their approach and proactive during the engagement with us.
Emily Centeno, ESCP Europe Business School
Our Process
Since late 2019 we have been using our custom h10 studio smartphone filming application to create high quality user-generated video. It allows remote capture of video simultaneously anywhere in the world, saves costs compared to a traditional shoot, and ultimately delivers more natural content. It also addresses many of the difficulties in creating user-generated video, and providing an easy way to produce content that stays both on-brand and on-brief. Beyond this, it is perfectly suited to a ‘by student for student’ approach, resulting in video that is both authentic and trusted by prospective students.
With a background teaching film-making at UG level, we see the creative process when using the app, a collaborative one with the students. In this project we worked together with the contributors not only to help improve their filming skills, but incorporating their ideas into the production and approach. We have found students get a lot of value from the process, and gain greater understanding of digital media and online video, a valuable skill in today’s digital world.
They are the perfect partner, they understand our brand, audience and the limitations we have for both the UK and Europe. They work with us collaboratively, chip in with ideas and always go above and beyond.
Shirley Lui, ESCP Europe Business School
Working with the school marketing manager, we developed questions and tasks which populate the application and ultimately form the content for the video. A group of students were selected to take part in the project, and together we arranged calls to discuss the project. Students were invited to log in to the project on the app, and within these they had a list of questions and tasks to complete. It includes helpful tips to aid the filming, and in addition we offer a number of help videos again to help improve quality and how they film.
The videos were primarily used in direct email and communications with offer holders, and the feedback received from the marketing team was very positive, and helped in their aims to increase conversion. The videos will likely be used in future intakes, so have longer term value. We are working on a variety of new videos using the app in 2021.
Want to create more effective and engaging video for your institution?
At h10 agency, we specialise in creating video content for higher education marketing. This ranges from higher end promo videos, through to user-gen and social.
Click here to find out more about our unique h10 studio smartphone filming application, designed specifically to create controlled and quality UGC video content. You can also check our more of our work here.