Who: Cushing Co. and Chicago Literacy Alliance, Stacy Ratner, Co-Founder
What:The Chicago Literacy Alliance is all about books and reading. Cushing produced the signage that gets their brand across. Cushing also printed the door wraps, wall décor, wayfinding, and staircase which is her favorite feature. The client said there were forty stairs, each different, and it was no problem for Cushing.
“No other names were mentioned other than Cushing for the stairs.” Cushing was recommended by another client of theirs—Partners by Design, an architectural firm in Chicago. According to the Literacy Alliance, “Cushing was such a joy to work with. They came by recommendation and we stayed with them because it was such a delight to work with them.”
When: The video project was initiated by asking clients to participate just after July 4. Once the shooting began in mid-August, it took about 6-7 weeks to complete.
Where: On site at each client’s facility.
The Story Behind The Story…
Why: Cushing Co. wanted to collect a number of client testimonial videos to use in the video emails they send out to clients and prospects on a regular basis. Currently, they have two videos published, one for Mosaic, and another for the Alliance.
According to Jon Davis, Marketing Manager “Joe and Cathie really trusted their marketing team and let us run with it. We knew it would help showcase what we’re doing here at Cushing.”
How: Cushing’s marketing department started with "the ask". Davis began with a list of 15-18 clients, reaching out to them to pitch their idea. Davis recommends “overshooting” the number of clients you ask because there will always be some who back out. Then, once the clients were firmly committed, he had to remind them, prep them and make sure their facilities were in good shape.
Cushing and their videography team filmed several clients during a few days out and about, traveling to each of their locations and interviewed their clients with a series of prepared questions. Actual shooting took a few days. But once video was shot, they started seeing footage they liked in a few weeks. Davis stresses that you want to save what he calls “B footage” or the video that’s removed from the finished product because you might be able to use it in something else. "B-Roll" also includes footage around the client location--for example, people working on laptops, video stills of a client location that may not be part of the installation (it would provide a feel for the location beyond the work Cushing completed). Cushing has enough of a “b-Roll” to do another video about the Cushing experience.
Finally, they wrote the captions, and made structural changes. The first two videos were finished by the end of September.
Davis says they are already looking at other clients for next year and planning out their shoots. “Now we can reach out to other clients next year with finished video to pitch them and hopefully convert them faster.”
According to Davis, this is “great content for the email newsletter” plus the videos improve the webpage traffic and increases time spent on the website. “I think it will increase our website conversions, if they’re shopping around, this will set us apart from our competitors.”
In the future, Davis says they have so many project testimonials in their print portfolio that they will just go take a look and pick the ones they want to pitch for a video testimonial. Soon there will be an overview video of Cushing Co.
TIP: Ask your video company to provide a standard waiver/release to use --we asked each client that appeared in the video to sign one permitting us to use their audio, likeness and photos in the website. This was providing by our video company.
