All brands are looking to sear themselves into the minds of their target audience. As we’ve seen in the past few years, producing great video content (whether it’s consumed on television, websites, or social media) is a one of the best ways for brands to make themselves memorable. Winning brands make themselves memorable for the right reasons in order to create a positive association with viewers, including helping to create social change in the world.
A video production agency can do their part by helping tie in themes of social change into their clients’ video content and gently advising clients when their ideas consciously or unconsciously reinforce stereotypes.
We believe it is our duty as a video production agency to do our part in helping the world become a more tolerant and equal place by making sure that the videos we produce for our clients reflect those values.
Make Better Connections With Your Target Audience
The right commercial video production company can help your brand promote an inclusive message, which serves to expand potential audiences. This goes far beyond just adding more women and a few minorities to the screen. It’s all about focusing on the stories of traditionally overlooked audiences and then delivering narratives that are shocking in both how relevant and how rare they are to those overlooked groups. This truly creates brand affinity.
At Ezra Productions, we value the opportunity to bring diverse roles and stories to the screen. For example, we created this #BuildHer empowerment campaign video for Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity which includes women of different ages, sizes, and ethnicities, and it remains one of the productions that our team is most proud of to this day:
Progressive Content = Increased Revenue
The easiest thing to do in marketing is to follow the crowd and create content that fits a norm. But there is great value in straying from the norm to share more progressive content. Studies indicate that progressive and inclusive commercials result in increasingly positive consumer perception, as well as a 47% increase in both short- and long-term effectiveness. Progressive ads also yield 25% higher positive brand engagement.
Given the stats listed above, brands have a unique opportunity to showcase their commitments to equity and inclusiveness, which can help increase brand reputation and expand connections to a broader audience. It’s only natural that creative teams with diverse voices driving content will be best positioned to help brands seize this unique opportunity.
A Video Production Agency Can Help Eliminate Stereotypes
Women represent 70% of all consumer spending, and yet brands often fail to capture the depth and diversity of women in the 21st century. Likewise, almost 40% of Americans are non-white, but the collection of actors used in branded content doesn’t always reflect that diversity. There are easy ways to combat these biases. Start by looking for a corporate video production company with the confidence and experience to come up with great ideas that promote social change and call out offensive ideas early in production processes. Make sure that the brand video production company makes it a point to elevates and empower females and non-white people both in front of and behind the camera.
When Brands Get it Wrong
T-Mobile aired a well-intentioned commercial during the 2019 Super Bowl that was meant to convey the relatable frustration of deciding where to eat on date night. Unfortunately, it also demonstrated how unconscious gender bias can still find its way into major ad buys — even in the 21st century.
The ad titled “What’s for Dinner” featured the song “She Drives Me Crazy” by the Fine Young Cannibals. And it wasn’t just the soundtrack that suggested gender bias and the stereotype that women are crazy. The rest of the ad itself also reinforced the sexist notion that women are indecisive and, consequently, difficult to be around. Watch it for yourself:
A biased commercial is often the result of a highly-regarded agency or commercial video production company that meant no harm. Nevertheless, biased ads that play on tired stereotypes can limit and isolate viewers. As brands increasingly use branded content marketing to showcase their values, commercial video production companies have a unique opportunity to provide expert guidance and bring value to the process. When a brand chooses the right video production agency, it can help promote a positive brand message and even help combat unconscious bias.
How to Get it Right
At Ezra Productions, our status as one of few women-owned video production companies with a diverse roster of talent gives us a unique perspective on our work. Rather than falling back on the stereotypes of yesteryear, we help brands convey a positive and engaging message while also promoting social and environmental change when and where appropriate. Here’s a look at how (and why) it works.
As a leader among women-owned video production companies, Ezra Productions consciously includes minority voices and brings to life stories that aren’t often told via branded content. We work with the best talent available and we focus on the small details at every step of a production, so that the final result exceeds expectations.
When you’re ready to create engaging video content and promote social change, we’re ready to help. Whether you’re looking for production companies in Los Angeles or in other markets, we can offer the skills, commitment, and perspective needed to ensure your production reaches its full potential. Contact us to learn more about our services as a commercial video production company and get a quote on your next project.