I’ve started using a phrase that I think represents what business needs to be doing more today than at almost any other time in history. That is, make business human, demonstrate and articulate through human connections and stories what it is your business does and how it benefits customers and society.
We live in a world today that has become extremely jaded, that thinks business is out to rape and pillage, that it doesn’t care about people. The reality is that in countries like Canada our economies are comprised of, what represents a majority, companies which act in the best interests of people. The people who work directly for those companies, the shareholders the companies profitability benefits, including institutional investors like mutual funds, pension funds, the Canada Pension Plan and so many others.
The concept of social license for companies of all sizes, has become a common expectation by many when determining whether or not they will patronize a company; whether they will post a positive or negative online review will likely be determined by whether or not they can relate to the company; really… the people who make up that company.
Telling the story of a corporation, a small business, a sole proprietorship in a way that resonates with the viewer; a corporate film or profile video (training, safety, product or any other video) that helps people enter the relationship you want with your customers before they ever meet you or experience your service, can be immensely powerful. People today expect authenticity, and one of the best ways to convey your companies authenticity is to make it human. Show them your people, allow the viewer to see the passion your people bring to organization and why they think the work they do is so important.
Not everything is monumentally important from a societal perspective, but for everyone who puts food on the table because your company is able to give them a job, what you’re doing is massively important. In the case of a barber like our friend Rami at Denim & Smith in Silverado, its about the importance of having people in your community who care about it, who want to deliver a service that people need and walk away happy with.
Or an accountant who may, arguably, not be in the sexiest business around, but they provide their services to other small businesses who need solid, informed advice. Trusted advice, and competent delivery of services at reasonable prices that result in hugely mitigated stress and avoidance of potentially serious problems with tax filings, or paying more tax that you could have that could have gone back into growing your business. The services these companies provide have massive impact on the lives of those who use their services. The old axiom that you should work on your business not in it, has never been more relevant and having trusted service providers is extremely important.
Telling the story about why the accountant or barber is passionate about what they do, and how what they do positively impacts the lives of their employee’s, their customers, and their communities are human stories. If business didn’t help people in one way or another, or solve a problem that benefited people, then they wouldn’t be in business. We need to work harder to tell more stories that convey the humanity of business. Business solves problems for people, and it’s the outcomes of those problems being solved that speaks to the humanity of business.
These are important stories to tell. For all business, small and large. At Scorched Ice Digital we get excited about helping make business human, by telling compelling stories worth telling. Whether we are telling a story of the wonder and amazement a magician elicits with his audience, the extrordinary work an energy company is doing to solve problems and continually improve environmental protections in their operations, or the profound ethics organizations operate on every day within the very heart of the business, it’s all about telling stories of the human condition and the connections we share. It’s all about making business human.
Calgary Video Production | http://www.scorchedice.com