Identifying And Meeting A Corporate Challenge Through A Corporate Video
Corporate videos don’t just happen. Corporate videos arise when there is a need that must be fulfilled. The more clearly the need is identified the more clearly it can be addressed by the video. A not uncommon challenge for established corporations, one that is frequently met with a corporate video, is the need to inform shareholders and the public that the corporation is responding properly to a drastic change in the market the company sells in. When the market change is extreme, the video has to be extreme in reassuring the public that the company is readjusting. The Kodak Winds of Change Video is an example of a video that addresses this very situation.
It is hard to imagine a company being forced to grapple with a more drastic market change than when Kodak, the leader in traditional photography, had to face the digital camera revolution. Kodak made a video responding to this revolution in photography, and it was as extreme in format, as the market change was great. After seeing it, no can say that Kodak sat back and did nothing to address fears among their shareholders that Kodak would be severely affected by this great technological change in their field.
The video, perhaps in a unique way, informs the public that Kodak is making a complete response to the digital camera revolution and is already making unique contributions, characteristic of Kodak, to the changes in photography. The video underscores this point by presenting the old and new Kodak in the video.
The video begins with a scene one might expect from an established company with a history of excellence. A dignified spokesman addresses the audience in an ornate classical theater setting. He describes the illustrious 100 year history of Kodak. Classic examples of Kodak pictures of children and family gatherings flash in the background, while pleasant elevator music, conducive to the scene, plays in the video sound track.
Suddenly as viewers begin to shift nervously in their chair, thinking that Kodak is living on their laurels, the mood changes. “Yep,” says the narrator, “they shoveled on the smaltz pretty thick.” “But,” he adds. “that kind of crap doesn’t work any more.” Then in a very worldly wise fashion the spokesman begins to talk about the digital photography revolution. He informs us that “Kodak is back and is “taking this digital thing to a level unheard of.”
As the video continues, the dialogue of the narrator thoroughly addresses all questions and concerns shareholders are liable to have about the large concerns response to the changes in the nature of photography. The spokesman admits that there was an initial hesitation on Kodak’s part. However, once it became clear that digital was the wave of the future Kodak jumped in feet first. The narrator then lists some of the new digital features that Kodak is developing in their laboratories; photography that meets “meta-knowledge.”
The narrator paints a picture of the home photography show of the future. With technology being developed right now in Kodak labs, it will be possible to arrange photos and present them in a show along with digitally arranged background music, and even video clips which enhance the show. Then he describes how the old well loved look of Kodak, the shots of babies families and grandmas will come back in a new form within the digital media.
By the end of the video, viewers are thoroughly convinced that Kodak has recognized their predicament, become excited and aroused by the dramatic changes in the photography field, and is not resting on their laurels, but is actively becoming part of modern digital photography.
The take home lesson from this video is to name and identify the challenge and task of the corporate video and meet it fully .

