At 262 Creative, one of our core values is relational. For us, that means we’re not in business just to serve as many clients as possible. Instead, we focus on building long-term relationships with clients we value—and who value us and the work we do.
One of those clients is Model Technology Solutions, an IT managed service provider who we've worked with for the last 6 years. One of the reasons we resonate is because they care about their clients as people as much as we do.
This is the social version of a video we recently made for them about how they create real human connections with their clients, and it's true. We've heard the stories and read the testimonials.
Thank you, Model, for being a valued client and for inspiring us to keep putting people first—even in a tech-saturated industry!
Creating a video that resonates is all about understanding the people you’re working with—and the audience they’re trying to reach.
We've had the opportunity to partner with Model Technology Solutions for over 5 years, getting to know their team, style, audience, and sense of humor. When we created this sales video for their product, Reconnaissance, we knew exactly how to reflect Model’s personality and encourage their audience to take action.
IT people are hilarious (as we discovered when our camera assistant couldn't stop laugh-crying during our shoot). We made sure to weave humor into the script and editing, and even chose an upbeat, Ocean's 11 comic heist style track for the music.
Adding that bit of levity should go a long way toward connecting with an audience who tends to be suspicious of salesmen, but appreciates a good laugh.
People don’t buy products—they buy solutions to problems. Which is why we focused on the transformation that Reconnaissance delivers. Instead of just listing off features, we wrote the script to show how Reconnaissance can change the day to day work experience for IT professionals.
We're excited to get this out in the world!
We created this television ad for Journey Church, one of our cornerstone clients, based on the deep understanding we've built of them and their brand.
Every decision, from the music to the central message, was intentionally chosen with their preferences in mind and a clear focus on what would resonate most with their Central Oregon audience!
"Central Oregon shall be saved" is a vision that's near and dear to Journey's leadership team, so we knew from the beginning that it needed to be the centerpiece of the video.
We helped direct pastors Keith and Luke on set to make sure this critical message was impossible to miss - kinda like having kids blow kazoos full blast in your face while you're trying to film kids church...
Not that THAT has ever happened before...
Next, the music. Normally, we’d go with a straight hip hop/rap track for Journey Church to match their brand style. But, we recognized that their typical musical style might not resonate with their broader, all of Central Oregon TV audience.
So, we chose a track that still had heavy hip hop influences, as well as a subtle country twang - a simple yet effective way to stay true to Journey's brand while helping the video feel more familiar to an older, more rural crowd.
Finally, the call to action. Instead of a having full website URL flash across the screen to be forgotten and/or ignored, we opted for “Google Bend Church in the Park.” Easy to remember and easy for someone watching on TV to grab their smartphone and search for on the spot.
Yes, We Can (And Will) Edit This Interview!
I always presence before an interview that I can (and will) edit the interview. Letting my interviewee know this makes them feel safe enough to make mistakes, try different things, or say things in a different way. It makes the interview into more of a conversation and less of an interrogation.
The last thing you want is for your interview to feel like you're in cell-block C grilling your interviewee. Nothing has to be right on the first try, and nothing will be used against you in a court of law. Everything can be removed or edited!
Making Technical Requests Before Virtual Interviews
Before virtual interviews, I'll send my interviewees a long list of technical requests to attend to. Microphones, lighting, background noises, the recording platform...I presence all of these up front because when they show up for the interview, I want as much time and focus as possible to be spent on the interview content, not dealing with someone's really noisy heater rattling in the background.
Dealing with these requests before they come online both makes the interview technically better, and makes the content better too - they're able to be fully present, not dealing with technical issues that could have been dealt with before the interview!
Thanking Your Interviewee
At the beginning of an interview, I like to genuinely thank people for being willing to share their story. Like talking from stage or giving a presentation, being interviewed can feel invasive and uncomfortable. Yet people agree to do them. They're not being paid, they're often giving up their time and doing something hard. They've earned the thanks and respect of the people who are doing the interview.
And their favorite coffee drink, they've earned that too, so I often offer to buy them one before the interview (and it gives me an excuse to buy myself a coffee too...)
Directing An Interviewee
In many interviews, at the end I'll often go back to questions or things they said and direct them to say it again in a slightly different way, and I always presence this practice before the interview begins.
Why? It creates safety and trust. Like a doctor who says to you, "I'm going to touch your back, is that okay?" Prescencing somewhat uncomfortable or invasive practices gives people (1) the opportunity to opt out, and (2) ensures they're not suprised when it happens. It makes them feel safe and like a partner in the interview, not just a puppet who is dancing on the strings that the interviewer wants to pull.
Is There Any Way You Don't Want Your Interview To Be Used?
In the world of AI, people should own their image and their voice. In the followup email for my interviews, I always ask people if there are any ways they don't want me to use their content. Doing so gives them rightful ownership of their image and likeness, and also prevents me from using it in any context that they're not comfortable with.
I've never had anyone give me any stipulations on how I used it, though I have had people ask me not to use their full name and the name of their company.
I'm an amateur mind reader when it comes to interviews. No, I don't mean I can see what people are thinking, but people's techniques of interviewing often reveal subconscious mindsets about the people who they interview.
As an interviewer, my goal is to use my skillset to serve others. My clients. My interviewee. My audience. Myself, in the capacity in that I want to see, understand, and grow through my interviewing. My responsibility is to serve, and if you do interviews in any capacity, yours is too.
Demolishing someone in an argument might make you feel better, but it's not going to change their mind, or the minds of people who are like them. In fact, it will probably harden them. If you really want to change people, start with empathy, not antipathy. You'd be surprised how much better it works to soften hearts and minds.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when an interviewer is overtly hostile to an interviewee. What are you hoping for? To get a juicy, angry sound byte for your show? Or to understand their point of view actually? If it's #2, treating them hostile is not going to get you what you want. But then again, it's all about the ratings these days, not doing better interviews...
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