There is an urgent imperative for businesses to act sustainably. After all, a significant percentage of global carbon emissions and waste threatening our planet is the result of industrial activity. However, it’s important to understand the route to sustainability isn’t just limited to the more visible elements like manufacturing and shipping. To be effective, ethical activities must have a holistic presence throughout all practices. This extends to the production of marketing videos.
Filmmaking might not be the first activity you think of when you’re considering ways to minimize environmental damage. Yet, there are aspects of creating marketing videos that can be actively harmful and even small-scale crews can have a detrimental cumulative effect. As such, it is wise to look into how your production practices can be improved to maximize the sustainable efforts of your business.
Let’s explore some practical ways your video marketing production can have a more positive impact on the world around your business.
Include It in the Narrative
Consumers are more interested in the sustainability of businesses than ever before. One recent study found 66% of respondents considered sustainability when making a purchase. It is therefore in your company’s best interest to make it easy for consumers to see how sustainable your company is. This means a great way to prioritize sustainability through your video marketing is by including it as a key part of the narrative you’re telling.
Telling the story of the efforts your company is making to become self-sustainable can be a good start here. Showcase the practices and systems you’re implementing to ensure your company is committed to achieving long-term self-sufficiency and reducing the impact you have on natural ecosystems. If your videos are promoting a restaurant, this could include the process of growing your own vegetables and the reduction of mass-produced processed foods. If your business involves deliveries, the video could show alternative forms of transport to reduce fuel consumption. Use the narrative to give insights into what you’re doing and why.
It can also be a smart choice to document the behind-the-scenes sustainability practices you’re implementing during production. Take video footage of the preparations the production team is making to minimize their negative impact on the planet. By posting these on your website and social media channels you are keeping sustainability part of the ongoing conversation with your consumers. Not to mention that the need to document sustainable practices can keep production staff mindful of their actions.
Prioritize Efficiency
One of the most impactful ways you can maintain sustainability during production is to focus on efficient practices. By adjusting here your video production can do more than minimize the consumption of finite resources. Your lower use of energy, fuel, and other items reduces pressure on the environment usually caused by the industrial practices used to create and refine them. Not to mention you’re minimizing emissions and waste produced both by your production and industrial fuel providers. As if further incentive was needed, greater efficiency will tend to reduce your production budget, too.
You can start by reviewing the equipment you’ll be using throughout the production process. Most contemporary appliances today have energy-efficient options available, including digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. Don’t neglect your lighting, either, as energy-efficient bulbs in most formats are widely available today. Even if you’re utilizing off-the-shelf items, like the computers for editing and visual effects, you should be looking for those that are Energy Star certified. This is the government-backed project to make energy-efficient products more easily identifiable.
Efficiency isn’t just related to the products you’re using during shooting, though. It has a lot to do with your approach to planning your video marketing production. Take the time to review how the activities you’ll be performing can be better organized to reduce your resource usage, time, and labor. If you’re shooting in various locations, plan your routes for lower fuel consumption. If multiple crew members have to present in a single place, arrange to carpool. Create your shooting schedule to make the most of natural light wherever possible rather than electronic lighting rigs. So much of efficiency is about your crew’s behavior — keep it part of your ongoing conversations and planning.
Act Locally
An area many video marketing productions overlook in respect of sustainability is having a local focus. This doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors and record a video call, it’s about using what exists nearby. The most obvious sustainable result of this approach is minimizing the need for travel. Whether your production crew is going by car or plane, you may be putting undue pressure on resources and releasing emissions into the environment. However, staying local can have a more wide-reaching economic and environmental sustainability impact.
You have the opportunity to work with local businesses that have a greater commitment to responsible practices than big corporations in distant locations. For instance, by working with regional organic catering providers for your production, you can reduce the number of food miles expended in feeding your crew. You’re also investing in the community in ways that build local economic resiliency.
From a purely business perspective, this can also have a knock-on effect of improving your connection to customers. After all, all demographics like to see businesses putting money back into the community. But you can also utilize marketing videos to open up a meaningful dialogue with your consumers and nourish your relationship. Shape your marketing strategy in a way that encourages consumers to reach out to you via your communications platforms and treats them as considerate humans rather than just clients. Ask them their feelings about your production in their area. Ask for ways they felt you could have improved your sustainable activities there. Help them to feel involved and show them you respect their input.
Conclusion
Video marketing is one of the most effective forms of consumer engagement in the contemporary marketplace. But it’s also important to make certain your practices during production aren’t harming the environment or local economy. Make sustainability a more central part of your marketing narrative and take steps to enhance your efficiency. Combined with a focus on using and supporting local assets, you can help make sure your video has a positive environmental and business impact.
