What's NEW
What's NEW
What's NEW
What's NEW
Video Production
Video Production
Video Production
Overview
Overview
What is "What's NEW", and why does it appear to follow me from company to company? First, what an excellent question you are asking yourself, or if you haven't done so, I'm glad we're thinking about the same things. What's NEW is a video series I started developing upon discovering that employees need more time (or desire) to read emails from the typical communications department. The end result can be an office (or home offices for the lucky remote team members) with team members who don't know what's happening around them or at least outside their own department bubble. There's an employee appreciation lunch today? Who knew!? I knew something needed to change after experiencing this firsthand and seeing the lack of engagement when a new feature, training course, or improvement was pushed into my training program.
What is "What's NEW", and why does it appear to follow me from company to company? First, what an excellent question you are asking yourself, or if you haven't done so, I'm glad we're thinking about the same things. What's NEW is a video series I started developing upon discovering that employees need more time (or desire) to read emails from the typical communications department. The end result can be an office (or home offices for the lucky remote team members) with team members who don't know what's happening around them or at least outside their own department bubble. There's an employee appreciation lunch today? Who knew!? I knew something needed to change after experiencing this firsthand and seeing the lack of engagement when a new feature, training course, or improvement was pushed into my training program.
What is "What's NEW", and why does it appear to follow me from company to company? First, what an excellent question you are asking yourself, or if you haven't done so, I'm glad we're thinking about the same things. What's NEW is a video series I started developing upon discovering that employees need more time (or desire) to read emails from the typical communications department. The end result can be an office (or home offices for the lucky remote team members) with team members who don't know what's happening around them or at least outside their own department bubble. There's an employee appreciation lunch today? Who knew!? I knew something needed to change after experiencing this firsthand and seeing the lack of engagement when a new feature, training course, or improvement was pushed into my training program.
If the written (digital) word isn't worth someone's time to read each week/month, then why bother trying a new approach? Most would give up, blame the employee, and continue their 'This is what we've always done' approach to communication. This bothered me (among a growing list of other topics we'll leave for a blog post), so I started an experiment... Suppose people can find the time to watch (or listen in the background) radio morning show personalities, TikTok/YouTube/IG, or catch up on that juicy podcast discussing AITA stories from Reddit. Wouldn't that mean that if you make a video entertaining enough to be played in the background, team members would be more likely to watch/listen to communication updates?
If the written (digital) word isn't worth someone's time to read each week/month, then why bother trying a new approach? Most would give up, blame the employee, and continue their 'This is what we've always done' approach to communication. This bothered me (among a growing list of other topics we'll leave for a blog post), so I started an experiment... Suppose people can find the time to watch (or listen in the background) radio morning show personalities, TikTok/YouTube/IG, or catch up on that juicy podcast discussing AITA stories from Reddit. Wouldn't that mean that if you make a video entertaining enough to be played in the background, team members would be more likely to watch/listen to communication updates?
If the written (digital) word isn't worth someone's time to read each week/month, then why bother trying a new approach? Most would give up, blame the employee, and continue their 'This is what we've always done' approach to communication. This bothered me (among a growing list of other topics we'll leave for a blog post), so I started an experiment... Suppose people can find the time to watch (or listen in the background) radio morning show personalities, TikTok/YouTube/IG, or catch up on that juicy podcast discussing AITA stories from Reddit. Wouldn't that mean that if you make a video entertaining enough to be played in the background, team members would be more likely to watch/listen to communication updates?
Tech Stack
Adobe Premiere Pro
Video Editing
BlackMagic
Camera
Adobe Photoshop
Photo/Graphics
Canon
Camera/Lens
Adobe After Effects
Motion Graphics
Adobe Audition
Audio Editing
Tech Stack
Adobe Premiere Pro
Video Editing
BlackMagic
Camera
Adobe Photoshop
Photo/Graphics
Canon
Camera/Lens
Adobe After Effects
Motion Graphics
Adobe Audition
Audio Editing
Tech Stack
Adobe Premiere Pro
Video Editing
BlackMagic
Camera
Adobe Photoshop
Photo/Graphics
Canon
Camera/Lens
Adobe After Effects
Motion Graphics
Adobe Audition
Audio Editing
Tech Stack
Adobe Premiere Pro
Video Editing
BlackMagic
Camera
Adobe Photoshop
Photo/Graphics
Canon
Camera/Lens
Adobe After Effects
Motion Graphics
Adobe Audition
Audio Editing
Started
Started
2020
What's NEW at G6
What's NEW at G6
The Project Process
The Project Process
Exploring the Challenge
Let's go back to the year 2020...which today feels like it was either just a few months ago or something so far in the past you tend to forget it ever even happened. Anyways, let's paint the picture. For the first time in company history, Saladmaster (among many companies around the world) was forced to embrace an entirely remote workforce (except their factory employees), which only added to the leadership frustration when team members and Dealerships across the world still didn't keep up with updates, promotions, etc. I had launched a brand new global training platform (Saladmaster University) just 6 months before the worldwide shutdown, and while we had an audience, the struggle became clear that beyond some of the basics, Sales Leaders and those in the field weren't keeping up the announcements and changes from each department. Which if you're business is being forced to change practically overnight, you'd at least expect (or hope) that your leaders would have answers or solutions to their growing concerns. That's when I took a risk and made the first pilot episode of "What's NEW on SMU - the new series that takes you behind the scenes at everything new and exciting on the Saladmaster University Platform, with helpful tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your subscription, and a sneak peek at what's coming up next month." This series instantly became a hit, engagement increased week over week, and we found our audience was willing to watch the new monthly program and use the video to build relationships with key members of different departments! After a few episodes, I held contests, introduced 'Scott' (my cranky twin/roommate), and included special guests to appear on the series, with each episode gaining more views, comments, and shares. The What's NEW on SMU had a beautiful and successful impact until the series ended after I departed from Saladmaster.
Exploring the Challenge
Let's go back to the year 2020...which today feels like it was either just a few months ago or something so far in the past you tend to forget it ever even happened. Anyways, let's paint the picture. For the first time in company history, Saladmaster (among many companies around the world) was forced to embrace an entirely remote workforce (except their factory employees), which only added to the leadership frustration when team members and Dealerships across the world still didn't keep up with updates, promotions, etc. I had launched a brand new global training platform (Saladmaster University) just 6 months before the worldwide shutdown, and while we had an audience, the struggle became clear that beyond some of the basics, Sales Leaders and those in the field weren't keeping up the announcements and changes from each department. Which if you're business is being forced to change practically overnight, you'd at least expect (or hope) that your leaders would have answers or solutions to their growing concerns. That's when I took a risk and made the first pilot episode of "What's NEW on SMU - the new series that takes you behind the scenes at everything new and exciting on the Saladmaster University Platform, with helpful tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your subscription, and a sneak peek at what's coming up next month." This series instantly became a hit, engagement increased week over week, and we found our audience was willing to watch the new monthly program and use the video to build relationships with key members of different departments! After a few episodes, I held contests, introduced 'Scott' (my cranky twin/roommate), and included special guests to appear on the series, with each episode gaining more views, comments, and shares. The What's NEW on SMU had a beautiful and successful impact until the series ended after I departed from Saladmaster.
Exploring the Challenge
Let's go back to the year 2020...which today feels like it was either just a few months ago or something so far in the past you tend to forget it ever even happened. Anyways, let's paint the picture. For the first time in company history, Saladmaster (among many companies around the world) was forced to embrace an entirely remote workforce (except their factory employees), which only added to the leadership frustration when team members and Dealerships across the world still didn't keep up with updates, promotions, etc. I had launched a brand new global training platform (Saladmaster University) just 6 months before the worldwide shutdown, and while we had an audience, the struggle became clear that beyond some of the basics, Sales Leaders and those in the field weren't keeping up the announcements and changes from each department. Which if you're business is being forced to change practically overnight, you'd at least expect (or hope) that your leaders would have answers or solutions to their growing concerns. That's when I took a risk and made the first pilot episode of "What's NEW on SMU - the new series that takes you behind the scenes at everything new and exciting on the Saladmaster University Platform, with helpful tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your subscription, and a sneak peek at what's coming up next month." This series instantly became a hit, engagement increased week over week, and we found our audience was willing to watch the new monthly program and use the video to build relationships with key members of different departments! After a few episodes, I held contests, introduced 'Scott' (my cranky twin/roommate), and included special guests to appear on the series, with each episode gaining more views, comments, and shares. The What's NEW on SMU had a beautiful and successful impact until the series ended after I departed from Saladmaster.
Exploring the Challenge
Let's go back to the year 2020...which today feels like it was either just a few months ago or something so far in the past you tend to forget it ever even happened. Anyways, let's paint the picture. For the first time in company history, Saladmaster (among many companies around the world) was forced to embrace an entirely remote workforce (except their factory employees), which only added to the leadership frustration when team members and Dealerships across the world still didn't keep up with updates, promotions, etc. I had launched a brand new global training platform (Saladmaster University) just 6 months before the worldwide shutdown, and while we had an audience, the struggle became clear that beyond some of the basics, Sales Leaders and those in the field weren't keeping up the announcements and changes from each department. Which if you're business is being forced to change practically overnight, you'd at least expect (or hope) that your leaders would have answers or solutions to their growing concerns. That's when I took a risk and made the first pilot episode of "What's NEW on SMU - the new series that takes you behind the scenes at everything new and exciting on the Saladmaster University Platform, with helpful tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your subscription, and a sneak peek at what's coming up next month." This series instantly became a hit, engagement increased week over week, and we found our audience was willing to watch the new monthly program and use the video to build relationships with key members of different departments! After a few episodes, I held contests, introduced 'Scott' (my cranky twin/roommate), and included special guests to appear on the series, with each episode gaining more views, comments, and shares. The What's NEW on SMU had a beautiful and successful impact until the series ended after I departed from Saladmaster.
What's NEW at G6
Taking what I learned and experienced at Saladmaster, I quickly found that other companies (like the new one I had just joined) also shared the same problems with communication. No matter how short (or long in most cases) the emails were, most team members didn't read beyond the headline title. Excitedly, I shared my experiences of how I was able to transform how we interact with team members and actually get them excited to see what's new each month! My enthusiasm fell short, and the Comms Director then shrugged it off and recited the age-old saying, 'We've always done it this way.' While that wasn't the reaction I had hoped, I didn't give up on the series, and after his quick departure from the company, I tried again with the new communications director! Which...also feels a bit short...I hope you've noticed a pattern. When a glaringly obvious issue happens, the first reaction to any change is similar to when a cat hisses at a dog.
After a few months and hearing more vocalized complaints (from said communications director) that no one is reading emails, I decided to make another pilot of What's NEW, this time at G6 Hospitality, and for the first time, I was filming with an on-screen partner! The show, which was almost killed right out of the gate (office politics) but was thankfully saved by the VP of my department, became a success. We captured over 80% of the target audience (internal employees), used the series to highlight team members who typically work behind the scenes, and got the engagement we were all looking for!
What's NEW at G6
Taking what I learned and experienced at Saladmaster, I quickly found that other companies (like the new one I had just joined) also shared the same problems with communication. No matter how short (or long in most cases) the emails were, most team members didn't read beyond the headline title. Excitedly, I shared my experiences of how I was able to transform how we interact with team members and actually get them excited to see what's new each month! My enthusiasm fell short, and the Comms Director then shrugged it off and recited the age-old saying, 'We've always done it this way.' While that wasn't the reaction I had hoped, I didn't give up on the series, and after his quick departure from the company, I tried again with the new communications director! Which...also feels a bit short...I hope you've noticed a pattern. When a glaringly obvious issue happens, the first reaction to any change is similar to when a cat hisses at a dog.
After a few months and hearing more vocalized complaints (from said communications director) that no one is reading emails, I decided to make another pilot of What's NEW, this time at G6 Hospitality, and for the first time, I was filming with an on-screen partner! The show, which was almost killed right out of the gate (office politics) but was thankfully saved by the VP of my department, became a success. We captured over 80% of the target audience (internal employees), used the series to highlight team members who typically work behind the scenes, and got the engagement we were all looking for!
What's NEW at G6
Taking what I learned and experienced at Saladmaster, I quickly found that other companies (like the new one I had just joined) also shared the same problems with communication. No matter how short (or long in most cases) the emails were, most team members didn't read beyond the headline title. Excitedly, I shared my experiences of how I was able to transform how we interact with team members and actually get them excited to see what's new each month! My enthusiasm fell short, and the Comms Director then shrugged it off and recited the age-old saying, 'We've always done it this way.' While that wasn't the reaction I had hoped, I didn't give up on the series, and after his quick departure from the company, I tried again with the new communications director! Which...also feels a bit short...I hope you've noticed a pattern. When a glaringly obvious issue happens, the first reaction to any change is similar to when a cat hisses at a dog.
After a few months and hearing more vocalized complaints (from said communications director) that no one is reading emails, I decided to make another pilot of What's NEW, this time at G6 Hospitality, and for the first time, I was filming with an on-screen partner! The show, which was almost killed right out of the gate (office politics) but was thankfully saved by the VP of my department, became a success. We captured over 80% of the target audience (internal employees), used the series to highlight team members who typically work behind the scenes, and got the engagement we were all looking for!
The End Results
After a successful launch (and sadly, the end of both series), the results of launching a monthly series like What's NEW are apparent. Team Members are looking for a way to connect with other departments, and when you give them an option of reading a novella from a faceless employee or watching a short 5-10-minute video featuring people from across the company, they overwhelmingly will pick the video. While remote work (is ideal work), having a video series allows team members to slowly get to know each other without the awkwardness of virtual happy hours (which, I truthfully can't understand the appeal of drinking solo while watching other people awkwardly drink from their kitchen tables). There's a reason why video podcasts and influencers can grow and hold onto a large, compassionate audience, so why not adapt how we communicate as a team to follow the same successes?
The End Results
After a successful launch (and sadly, the end of both series), the results of launching a monthly series like What's NEW are apparent. Team Members are looking for a way to connect with other departments, and when you give them an option of reading a novella from a faceless employee or watching a short 5-10-minute video featuring people from across the company, they overwhelmingly will pick the video. While remote work (is ideal work), having a video series allows team members to slowly get to know each other without the awkwardness of virtual happy hours (which, I truthfully can't understand the appeal of drinking solo while watching other people awkwardly drink from their kitchen tables). There's a reason why video podcasts and influencers can grow and hold onto a large, compassionate audience, so why not adapt how we communicate as a team to follow the same successes?
The End Results
After a successful launch (and sadly, the end of both series), the results of launching a monthly series like What's NEW are apparent. Team Members are looking for a way to connect with other departments, and when you give them an option of reading a novella from a faceless employee or watching a short 5-10-minute video featuring people from across the company, they overwhelmingly will pick the video. While remote work (is ideal work), having a video series allows team members to slowly get to know each other without the awkwardness of virtual happy hours (which, I truthfully can't understand the appeal of drinking solo while watching other people awkwardly drink from their kitchen tables). There's a reason why video podcasts and influencers can grow and hold onto a large, compassionate audience, so why not adapt how we communicate as a team to follow the same successes?
Next Project
Next Project
Next Project
Leadership Development
Leadership Development
Leadership Development
Leadership Development
->
->
->