How can video help schools market themselves more effectively?

We live in a media-saturated world defined by online content and presence. Although promotional films have been a big part of commercial marketing for decades, their impact on consumers and audiences within the education sector has never been more prominent than it is now, something  London-based School Reel knows only too well. The production company has been creating bespoke films across the UK since 2013 and has built an impressive portfolio of clients in that time. Their videos have been enormously effective for schools, academies, trusts and universities who wish to showcase to parents and potential students the very best their institutions have to offer through easy to digest clips and short films. Their Director, Andrew Mills, sat down with us recently to discuss why films are such an important part of marketing for schools in the 21st century.

Credibility

While it’s easy to stage a photoshoot for a hard copy prospectus, audiences for school films benefit from seeing the school in its entirety – a warts and all approach which demonstrates to the audience that the school has nothing to hide. With their films, schools have an opportunity to denote a more authentic representation of their everyday experience, which audiences are more inclined to believe because they can see it in action. Andrew says, “Our clients are always asking us to show people what makes their school different from all the others. Instead of sticking rigidly to formulas like so many companies have in the past, videos allow us to truly identify the distinct nature of every institution and present it for the audience. Every school is different and our films help to illustrate this carefully and beautifully.”

Individuality

Schools are always keen to show their prospective parents or pupils what it is that makes them who they are. Films are the perfect opportunity to encapsulate a school’s ethos and motivations in a far less formal format and allows them to show their real personality. The filming process is about capturing footage which most of the time the participants don’t even know is being shot, and that’s when the magic really happens. Those penny drop moments or expressions of genuine surprise or friendship help to peel back the layers of formality that have for so long epitomised marketing in the education sector and present a more fun and intimate portrait of an institution. Andrew adds, “Filming for several days in one school means we inevitably capture the unexpected; from cheeky grins to interview responses we could never have predicted. This is where the real school lies – in those unanticipated moments and that’s something we always try to include in all our films.”

Relevance

There is hardly anything more relatable and current than video content. Every social media platform thrives on thousands of viral films every week, and you’d be hard pushed to find a more relevant and successful method to get your message across today. Research shows that the majority of hard copy prospectuses are thumbed through at best, with the mostly adult readers not actually digesting the carefully worded text. However, film is a quick and engaging medium which everyone understands, and if it’s made correctly, audiences are happy to sit in front of a three-minute production (the average length of a promotional video at School Reel). The films are accessible to everyone, not just adults, but children too and are delivered in a format with which every audience can relate. Andrew says, “Our job at School Reel is to engage with the audience and help clients spread their message. The films are adaptable for use on all video sharing platforms and if anything, social media and contemporary communication methods have been a huge advantage to our business model. As media has progressed we’ve always stayed at the very front of it and that’s where we place our clients as well.”

School Reel produces films using a range of different packages to suit all types of budgets. They are dedicated to building relationships with their clients, as evidenced through the numerous positive testimonials on their website and have benefited from an abundance of long-term clients offering repeat business. Each film they produce is an attempt to utilise every facet of filmmaking to create something cinematic – from shot choice to editing style.  The company constantly uses new and different techniques (drone photography, logo animations, underwater filming) with state-of-the-art equipment to bring a unique and fresh perspective to their work. Their intention is to showcase the warmth and care they witness at every school, and are committed to reflecting this in their films. Andrew concludes, “We don’t just want our clients to tick the promotional box, we want them to laugh at the box, be surprised by the box and ultimately to love the box.”

To find out how School Reel can help, visit www.schoolreel.com