Copper Marketing is a client we’ve collaborated with many times, acting as their video partner. In this case study on small business funding, we’ll take a look at a group of videos that form a series. Copper Marketing worked with Toronto Finance International (tfi), a public-private partnership between Canada’s largest financial services institutions and the government, the driver behind these promotional videos.
Funding for Small Businesses
This series highlights Ontario is Open for Small Business , a tfi program. But it’s done with a sublte approach. In fact, neither tfi nor the program is ever mentioned verbally. Logos and a url do the talking because the true story in each video is about the business owner and how they benefitted from various funding programs. The videos themselves are part of small business owner case studies.
Video Open & Close
Each video starts with an opening slate that has tfi branding. This includes company colours, branded font, the tfi initials, and the “Ontario is open for small business” logo. The opening page also has the name of the featured business. The bank name and project name are in a smaller font to the sides of the page with the business name and “case study” as the central focus. A similarly styled end page appears at the conclusion of each video. This time the page is dominated by “Toronto Finance International” spelled out with the program logo and url. The viewer is left with the bank name as your last impression and information on where to go to learn more.
Hope for Small Business Funding
This series embraces the power of video to connect with an audience through a relatable story. Five Toronto-area small business owners talk about their unique experiences. Each video runs 1:15-2:40, managing to deliver a message and engage the audience in a short amount of time. These testimonials are used to sell a product—or in this case a program—by drawing a parallel between services provided by tfi and success stories that used the kind of small business funding sponsored by the program.
Each video begins with the business owner introducing himself or herself and their business. We hear that person’s voice as a narrator throughout the video, keeping the entire piece personal. As each person talks about their experience, the viewer sees b-roll of them at work. Each owner details how small business funding helped them succeed. They also talk about the future of their business and give advice to other small business owners.
Although financing is the focus of each story, the format makes that point without making the video come off like a sales pitch. Each subject talks about the issues they faced securing loans. Each narrator emphasizes what worked for them: ease of application, a ready funding source, relatability, and fit. The idea is not to get into specifics, but to speak in a more general way about the kinds of funding used by these small businesses.
The overall feel of the videos is upbeat. We’re celebrating the success and sound financial decisions made by the businesses and the editing, narration and music reflect that. The target market small business owner or future small business owner should feel hopeful when watching this series. The idea is that this positive feeling is linked to tfi.
Same Format, Different Stories
By using a wide range of business types and stories, this series is built to appeal to a variety of potential tfi program users. Anybody who sees their situation reflected in one or more of the videos can better relate to the message. Although the series is formulaic, it’s not banal. The uniqueness of each story makes them different. The repeated elements, such as the opening and end pages and the general format, serve to make the individual videos a cohesive series about small business funding.
Focus on the Customer
A video promoting a business or service doesn’t have to focus on that business or service to be successful. Sometimes a customer is the most effective promotional tool. Seeing a real person builds trust and testimonials are a way to foster positive feelings toward your business. Key West Video can help you build your case through testimonials. Call us today for a free quote.
