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Persuasion is a Powerful Thing

studio shoot

Videos are a form of advertising, so why not treat them as such? They can have the power of persuasion but only when harnessed correctly.

When people think of corporate videos they often envision nicely staged interviews, office b-roll and maybe even some cool graphic text. Although the industry is changing and moving towards unique concepts and more dynamic filming techniques, such as the use of drones, go-pros and steadicams. However, when it comes down to the core of any video, the goal is always to engage viewers and get them to do something. One of the ways this is accomplished is through the power of persuasion.

BBC Debate

Psychology and advertising have gone hand in hand since the birth of the advertising industry. Ad execs learned early on that in order to get the public to buy into your product or service you need to sell more than just that product or service. You need to sell an idea, an emotion, a feeling.

In the video below produced by Iebnoy, through cute and funny animation they delve into the power of psychology in advertising. Although they don’t touch on video production directly, a lot of the concepts work when thinking about how persuasion is achieved through techniques found in video production.

Things such as colour, music, and an emotional story all play into how an advertisement affects viewers. While on average we all have a general sense of how to sway viewers to feel one way or another based on these factors, it often is something that gets thought of later.

Why not start to think about all videos you produce for your company as a powerful persuasion tool, that has the ability to change viewers minds and get them to feel a certain way about your product or service. The issue then arises though that today’s audiences are far more accustomed to techniques that play on their emotions through sappy music or sexually charged imagery. That doesn’t mean that these techniques still don’t work.

We all have a subconscious. And while we may be aware that advertisers are using specific colour pallets or story lines to get us to buy into whatever they’re selling, the fact is that it still does work to a degree. More innovative professionals are going further and parodying these techniques, highlighting the fact that for example they use sexuality to sell beer to men. The average consumer then appreciates the dialogue. “Yes I am smart enough to know that you use blatant sexuality to get me to buy your brand of beer. And yes I will continue to buy it”.

How long will it take for this introspective technique to become played out as well though? What new post-modern persuasion trend will pop up in advertising next? Whatever it may be, the big news is that psychology will always play a role in gaining the public’s trust, and steering them in the direction to buy. So when it comes to corporate video this is still something that needs thought and attention.

When producing your next video think about how you are going to persuade your audience. Are you going to use traditional techniques? Will you decide to do more of a parody on these techniques? Or will you stand out and try something new all together? Whatever you do, remember that you need to do something. Because if you simply put some nice looking content together without thinking about the power of persuasion you might be missing a big piece of the puzzle.

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