2020 has been an incredibly tough year for businesses around the world. Last year, Wyzowl* put out its annual survey “The state of video marketing 2020”, which highlights what’s shaping video strategy for marketers. It looked like 2020 was set to be another year for a surge in video content, but it has not been that simple.
Despite a mostly positive response from marketers to further integrate video into their marketing strategy, it’s entirely possible that many businesses have put video plans on hold. Reports in trade and national press earlier in the year noted that marketing and advertising budgets were among the first to be slashed as the COVID-19 crisis unfolded. So, while consumers who took part in the survey responded that in 2020 they wanted to see more video from brands (36% wanted to see more educational/explainer video content and 14% wanted to see more product demos), it remains to be seen whether companies will fully satisfy this demand.
Video as a company-wide tool, not just for marketers
Although the Wyzowl report highlights the growing need for marketers to integrate video into the customer journey, for EVS Translations, at least, additional demand for video also comes in the form of global workforce communication. E-learning (internal staff training), COVID-19 related live streaming events and even emergency ventilator training feature in our video projects for this year. (Here, of course, we’re talking about our role in video localisation. That is, original video content which is reproduced in new languages. This includes all the technical and linguistic work of creating and embedding foreign language subtitle and voice-over, as well as the translation of onscreen content and any kinetic typography.) For many global corporations, video has a significant role to play across the company and is not just a tool for the marketing department. Traditional internal newsletters are now produced in video, while recorded online events also support widescale employee communication across languages.
Video for internal communications and marketing: the rules remain the same
Regardless of which department is using video, the essential component of video localisation remains the same — well-executed production supports higher levels of engagement. If we consider the localisation process this includes:
– Linguistic content which is accurately timed with visual content (poorly timed subtitles or voice-over can be irritating, at best)
– Choosing a voice-over artist that is right for your new market (request multiple samples to find the right fit)
– Consideration of the whole viewing experience (it’s not just about subtitles. Will translation of any onscreen content aid the experience?)
– Easy-to-understand and accessible language (be mindful when including idioms or puns in the original language, which might require more time to adapt for the target market)
We all know that demand for video content is only going to increase. This is often the preferred format for information users to consume content. From consumers to employees, it has become an incredibly effective tool which is more accessible than ever before for business.
*Wyzowl is UK-based video production company. There were 656 unique respondents to their survey in December 2019. The sample included both marketing professionals and online consumers.
Contact our experts today if your department is planning to deliver video content into global markets. Our translation engineering team includes specialists who work daily for some of the world’s leading brands on video localisation projects. They can advise you and manage your project so your team can gain maximum value from its original video assets.
EVS Translations UK Ltd.
+44 (0)115 964 4288
EVS Translations USA Inc.
+1 404-523-5560
EVS Translations GmbH
+49 69/82 97 99-99
