Dubai
Need a corporate video done at short notice and without having to spend an exorbitant sum? Try crowdsourcing.
As seems to be the case in any business activity these days, the “gig economy” is digging deep into the UAE’s advertising and marketing space as well. This is where legions of freelancers with specific skills come together on an online platform and offer up their services for the right price.
Local businesses needing video content for branding or marketing campaigns can check out this very option, with Human Films being the via media. “The marketers approach Human Films with a potential brief which is then translated into a community brief and then sent out to our community of filmmakers,” said Rakesh Kumar, CEO.
“People are asked to send in their entries for competition. Post the closing date, the client and the Human Films team choose the winner, who then transfers the IP rights to the marketer to release their work in the public domain. The client can either can use the film as is or go to their creative agency or to us for further refinement. The fundamental theory behind the concept is “crowdsourcing”.
The sort of video-on-demand service was launched mid-2016 and since then has started to build up interest among its intended audience — brand marketers, media houses and even creative agencies. Currently, there is one contest running for Michelin right now.
Another campaign was recently wrapped up for the Italian confectionery brand Raffaello, which managed to pull in pitches from its Human’s data base of 260 film-makers. “It offers marketers access to multiple viewpoints and creative expressions,” said Marika Magri, Brand Manager at Raffaello. “The top submissions were from the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.”
According to a statement from Human Films, crowdsourcing is a “move away from relying solely on agency or in-house talent, which could develop biases and fatigue over time, or miss the fundamental concept of connecting at a human level, due to the constant proximity to the brand”.
The cash prizes for the winning video are decided beforehand and based on the output expected from the competition. We typically have two or three prizes per competition,” said Kumar. “We have had new ideas which do not deliver on the brief, but can still guide future brand direction.
“The client typically pick ideas for the future and award prizes. So, yes, through one competition clients do get many ideas and even ideas which can be used for future brand communication strategy.”
And what’s in it for Human Films? “We charge clients a fee for managing the community and the process,” said Kumar. “The process involves operational, brand strategy and creative/digital expertise.
“We have a filmmaker on board who guides clients and looks at the entries from a storytelling and production value perspective. The brand strategist looks at the branding and impact and the digital expert looks at the “virality” potential on social media.”
