The Australian Psychological Society is the largest professional association for psychologists in Australia. When they needed a way to advertise their organisation to potential new members, they chose video.
The APS approached Dream Engine to create a corporate video production that targeted potential new APS members. They intended to distribute the video on USB sticks, as well as social media, to people who weren’t familiar with the Society and their work.
As the video’s audience was made up of students, recent graduates, and people who were considering a career in psychology, it was important to the APS that the video explained:
- What the APS is;
- What the APS does; and
- What benefits you receive by joining the society.
It was important that the video showed the variety of careers available to a psychologist, as well as offering an insight as to what it is like to work in that field, and an idea of the support that the APS offers.
Video is the best way to cover these points in an engrossing and comprehensive way. In fact, we did all this in just five minutes and twenty-two seconds… but more on that in a second!
We worked closely with the APS from the beginning of pre-production. The project, called “Psychologists’ Stories”, would contain interviews with five notable Australian psychologists and tell the APS’s story.
Because the video was centred around the interviews, we needed to ensure that they were authentic and real, because authenticity helps the viewer to receive the video’s message. To ensure this, the Dream Engine crew travelled across Melbourne to conduct the interviews where the psychologists worked. We then supplemented these interviews with documentary-style footage of them going through their day-to-day business.
Each professional featured in the video came from a different field of psychology. We compared their approaches, their practices, and their backgrounds under the umbrella of their involvement with the APS.
I’ve spoken at length about the positive impact of using real people in your videos. The Psychologists’ Stories video used five authentic, varied examples of psychologists whose work benefitted from being part of the APS. This helps the video to build a genuine connection with its audience: these are real people talking about their experiences.
This is one of the greatest benefits of using video . We kept the flow of the video moving steadily, so that in five minutes, the viewers have been introduced to these people, heard their stories, and learned about the APS.
The Psychologists’ Stories video is hosted on the APS website and distributed on their Facebook page, reaching thousands of people through their YouTube and Vimeo accounts. It was also distributed to psychology students on USB sticks at career events and university open days.
By working closely with the team at the APS, we delivered on time, and within budget, a professional video that serves as an introduction to the organisation as well as a powerful marketing tool.
Ryan Spanger is one of Melbourne’s most respected and sought-after video production professionals. Ryan founded Dream Engine in 2002, and specialises in helping medium to large corporates, government departments, and the non-profit sector to connect with their audience more effectively by using video.
