Video content is highly engaging and captures your attention more effectively than other forms of content, which explains why it’s a marketing ‘must’ nowadays. With their own format “Made to Stick”, companies like Sticky Chapters specialize in creating video content that tells a brand’s story in an appealing way.
Taking on a project for the Dutch branch of global brand Nestlé, the team at Sticky Chapters realized they had much more to offer besides producing some recruitment videos. They ended up developing a full training program on how to maximize opportunities with video marketing, ultimately working with Nestlé’s international divisions too.
We chatted with the founder of Sticky Chapters, Jessy van der Vlist, about what it was like for his team to transition into the role of educator and how it inspired them to launch a new division within the company.
How do you create video campaigns that convert?
Founded in 2017, Sticky Chapters has worked with a broad range of brands including Rabobank, Kanzi, and Dyson. Fresh out of college, Jessy van der Vlist started the company as a lone ranger with the occasional help from freelancers.
Since then, the company grew into a full-fledged agency with 11 employees, producing 300+ videos/campaigns per year. Experience taught the team what works, and they see it as their responsibility to warn clients about requests they reckon will be counter-effective.
Jessy van der Vlist:” In the past we just produced videos, executing exactly what a client wanted. Now, no matter how persistent a client is, we never produce something we think might not work, because we really want our clients to achieve amazing results with the content we produce.”
Providing strategic guidance, the team offers advice on best practices and pinpoints areas of improvement. Sometimes, this means advising against a brand's own strategies. Jessy recalls a client with a policy that each of their videos should start with the same branded intro clip.
Jessy van der Vlist:” They had 10 different videos, all starting with this same clip. But the number of views dwindled with each video, so clearly viewers were confused, thinking they were about to watch the same video again.”
The company’s highly effective video production formula, “made to stick” was born from this ideology and mindset. Jessy van der Vlist:” The goal isn’t just generating views and likes. We make videos with the purpose to convert. By generating more sales or project inquiries, for example.”
Sticky Chapters deep dives into the client’s organization to find their unique identity and strength through strategic brainstorming sessions. This helps them develop a strong strategy that can be translated into videos.
When the internationally known brand Nestlé approached them, they knew they had a huge project on their hands.
How do you expand a project into new opportunities?
The initial project was to guide the Dutch branch of Nestlé in how to utilize content for recruitment campaigns. However, the team was quite surprised during the sessions, as there was so much room for improvement before the material could be published.
For example, working on a stronger content ‘hook’ or splitting the videos up were ideas that Nestlé’s team hadn’t thought of before.
Jessy van der Vlist:” Using videos for different media channels means they should be edited into different formats, and you need to consider how the user interface of each platform is designed, ensuring the video corresponds with it.”
Some simple examples include knowing when a video should be horizontal or vertical for different platforms such as Youtube, Linkedin, or Instagram, and making sure the edits play into where the “save”, “share” or “subscribe” buttons are in the interface.
Then there is also the importance of creating good thumbnails as covers, as well as SEO knowledge about titles and meta descriptions.
You would think large international companies already have this knowledge, but even some of the most established companies are just catching up to the importance of video content in newer media forms. Plus, outsourcing video production to other companies maintains this void.
Jessy van Vlist:” I also think large, established companies are just very used to doing things a certain way for a long time. It’s very different from the young start-up culture where teams start from scratch, experimenting with different approaches and skills.”
By the time the videos were ready to publish, the team at Sticky Chapters realized they had a lot more to offer Nestlé. Instead of just delivering the product, they offered to create a full educational program that would teach them all the ins and outs of video marketing.
Thus, the project evolved into a 2-day workshop for Nestlé’s teams across all departments of the Dutch branch.
How do you set up an effective workshop program?
Creating the workshops was a great chance for Sticky Chapters to expand their services, but the switch also posed challenges. Taking on the role of educator was something new for the team, having to quickly come up with the right methods to present huge chunks of knowledge.
Besides the basics and essential information, they also wanted to teach participants how to create additional videos themselves, including the complete process from creating storyboards, to shooting content, and editing.
Jessy van der Vlist:” There was a lot to cover, and we found out along the way what worked and what we could have done better in terms of how the workshop was organized.”
As each company department uses video content differently, the group was a mixture of employees from different departments with varying levels of knowledge. Marketing people obviously know more about content than HR people.
Jessy van der Vlist:” Because of this, the flow of the information wasn't always relevant for the whole group.”
Nonetheless, the workshop was a success and the team at Nestlé was very happy with all the new revelations. It was such a success that Sticky Chapters went on to work with Nestlé’s international branches too.
Jessy van der Vlist:” We were in contact with some of Nestlé’s international offices, and thrilled to work on a new project that involved shooting new video footage, which was also taken up with Nestlé’s Italian branch. The new challenge was that the whole project took place online as much as possible due to the pandemic.”
Moreover, the team also worked on an improved version of the workshop. For the next edition, the team cut the workshops into specific modules and divided participants into groups with the same level of knowledge.
Jessy van der Vlist:” Everything ran much smoother than the first time around, so we were very satisfied. The whole experience made us realize that there are probably many more companies out there that could really use this training.”
Behind the scenes of the Nestlé project
How do you set up a whole new department for your business?
Sticky Chapters decided to officially develop a completely separate educational division within the company named Untaped. Its mission: giving companies a knowledge boost, while helping them form a strong media team to harness the full potential of video marketing.
The team created 70+ different modules, developed into training video workshops on demand. The modules can be bought separately, so a company can choose exactly which ones they need for their staff.
Jessy van der Vlist:” Our team can provide introduction training or parts of the modules in person, but now with all the videos readily available on demand this isn’t always necessary.”
Isn’t the team afraid to make themselves redundant, teaching companies how to become less dependent on them?
Jessy van der Vlist:” We’re not afraid at all. We can shoot the best main footage with our equipment, just like we produced the main footage for Nestlé. Our workshops explain how this footage can be used, and how to create additional footage with a simple phone camera for example.”
In today's marketing landscape where video has evolved from a hip and modern option to a bare necessity for any company, the services offered by Untaped are of undeniable value.
This strategic expansion not only adds value to their clients but also ensures Sticky Chapters remains relevant and influential in the evolving world of marketing. It's a win-win situation, where education meets innovation, benefiting both their clients and their business.
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