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Slack’s communication tool is designed to help companies reduce internal emails and meetings, improving productivity, transparency, and widening the sharing of information and knowledge.
Slack wanted to commission two video case studies to show how its software transforms organisations; with the UK its second biggest market, it asked Happen to help.
We believe that case study films are one of the most effective ways to show potential customers the benefits of a company’s products and services. They play a vital role in the customer journey: providing the reassurance people need ahead of a purchase. People trust people without a vested interest to recommend things, as the popularity of TripAdvisor and Trustpilot prove. So a video featuring an effusive client is very persuasive. We focused on two companies: Ocado Technology, which develops the software and systems that power the online grocery retail platforms of Ocado and Morrisons, and Marks & Spencer. One is the sort of technology company that Slack’s initial growth has been driven by. The other is a long-established, iconic brand that is seeking to transform the way it works and its customer experience, both online and in its shops.
Each film focused on the big picture impact Slack made on the companies, digging deeper than just its convenience and advantages over email. They featured interviewees from across the businesses: senior managers to explain how Slack fitted into their overall strategies, and middle managers and staff to talk about the practical differences it has made to their day-to-day work. We made sure each included specific examples. For example, the M&S film featured an interviewee describing how she used Slack to sort out a software problem she saw when she was out of the office visiting an M&S call centres. She was able to report it back to her team, take and send a photo, and get it fixed while she was there. Her anecdote showed exactly how Slack made M&S more agile.
And we made sure each had good pictures - essential for holding a viewer’s attention. We included footage of an automated warehouse in the Ocado Technology video, which allowed us to tell the story of how Slack connected the testing team in a new warehouse with the developers in the main office. And we filmed in a shop for the M&S film, which enabled us to illustrate how its digital team is making a difference for staff on the shopfloor. We also made sure that the footage of the office was interesting by using timelapse, tracking shots and a gimbal.
Both of the films were watchable and short - clocking in at round 90 seconds. They now feature on Slack’s customer stories page and YouTube channel, as well as being used by its sales team.