When Video Becomes Default

And hello everyone! So happy to be here. I hope everyone is enjoying the TwentyThree Summit and getting a lot of inspiration and learning and networking. What I really love about doing the TwentyThree Summit, which is my third this time, is that we all come together around something that we somewhat all have an interest in or like to do, if it's working daily with video or if it's just an interest. We all hear and we feel how this field is expanding and evolving, which it really is. I work on a daily basis as a client director in TwentyThree and get to work with a lot of our brilliant customers. And one thing that we're seeing right now is this kind of shift in how video is working within organizations. It is not as much a... creative, luxury and nice to have anymore. It's switching to become something that's more of an operational tool and a way of actually solving real business problems. And that's what we're here to talk about today and dive a little bit deeper into how that is done. And with me on stage, I have Toke and Johnny from GS1 and PwC, which are maybe not the first brands you think of when you think exciting video brands, creative. It's more these serious, traditional, maybe without offending anyone, a little bit boring sometimes as well. But what you are doing in your organizations is actually challenging that and changing that. And when I learned I was going to be moderating a session with these two on stage, I thought, well, that's probably going to be pretty easy because I think I can maybe ask one question and then they could easily talk video for 40 minutes on their own. So I think we're going to have a super nice conversation today. And on that topic, we didn't bring any slides today. We wanted to just be a genuine conversation. And to start that, as any other good conversation does, I would like for you to introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about who you are. Maybe not so much the bio, but more on your organizations and of course, how you work with video. And Johnny, do you want to go first? Yes. Nice to be here. And thank you for the invitation. And I've been at PwC and work in Stockholm office in Sweden. Been there for maybe eight years now. And yes, we are global in around 137 countries. And we are around 350,000 employees. So it's a huge global company that's working in the network. And yes, we are producing a lot of videos today and we are doing it more and more. And if I talk about Sweden, when I was starting, I think it was just like one guy that you could go to and ask, can we do some productions around this or that? And today we are three full employees that's working around the clock all the time and making good kind of content that we are using in different kind of ways. And yeah, that's a little about me. Nice, thank you. And Toke, now you just mentioned it or indicated that maybe not everyone in the room knows GS1 by name, but can you change that maybe for us? I didn't see anybody raising their hand because I was standing behind that scene. But were there any? That's why I have a job. So thank you also for the invitation, not just for me, but for our team. And thank you for your attention. you guys for coming here. I know there's an AI presentation going on in the concert hall, so I think that's a tough competitor. But hopefully we will send you home with some inspiration. So yes, I am from the barcode company, which nobody knows, but everybody knows the sound of the barcode. It goes beep in the checkout. And that is what we do. We are a nerdy organization. We are global. We are neutral. We are a non-profit. And we are user-driven. We are in all the countries in the world where you have more or less well-developed barcode system. And said in other words, we are also a standardization organization. Because the barcode, as all of you know, you have it maybe in the neck of your clothes. You have it in your refrigerator. In your house, on your milk. That is a standard. And that is the world's most used standards within supply chain. And soon, actually, you will be looking at the barcode's cousin. Because one thing we are working on is to transform the whole world into using 2D barcodes, as you might know as a QR code, or in our language, Data Matrix also. And that is where we are actually trying to get closer to what GS1 is all about, is to make digital twins of products or units or locations. Because that is what we do. We identify, capture, and share data in trusted sources to anybody that is interested in doing that. And that could be businesses, retailers, hospitals, authorities, regulators, and so on. It is quite exciting. And yes. And we are using, so you must maybe also ask yourself, so why are you here on stage? Where is the video coming into the picture? But because none of you raised your hands, that is the same for our members, which we have alone in Denmark around 15,000 of, and globally, 2 million. Nobody raises their hands. And so that is why we need to look good. And sound good. And take good care of them. Because we are in a nerdy business. And it is not easy always to generate barcodes and put in your data in structured specific ways. Because if you do it wrong, then the queue starts where you are in the supermarket. And nobody is interested in that. So that is why we are quite a fan of using video to also make our lives easier. But to be first, first and foremost, the life of our users. Thank you so much. And what I think is quite interesting here is that these are two quite, you come from two quite different organizations and do quite different things. But still there is some underlying things that are quite similar in the way you work with video. And I want to get a little bit into the problems that can, where video can help. So could you maybe elaborate a little bit on which problems is it actually, business problems? That you use video to try and solve and why video in that sense? I don't know. I think it has been for many years back. It was more like in our business. It's always been, we are so good to do like reports every year. And we just send them out and make them look good and make some pictures in it. And that's it. And for me, we've been talking about like, I've heard a lot of people talk about trust these days. And that's for us also. It's deep inside the whole organization that we need to have the trust from our customers out there. So for me, video is a part of that. To not just make these reports or you want to drive traffic and get people into the website. And read all the things that we want them to read and see. So for me, video is a really, really big part of the trust now. So I want people to see the persons behind these kind of reports and what they are reading, because that gives something more than just the picture that they are used to see in everything. Every report they are reading at. So that has been something I've been thinking of for a long time and how we should do it. And I think we are on a good way now to make that happen. So yeah, that's something that we're going to do now. It's more video as a mix in the content journey. To make our customers to see the persons that they perhaps are going to buy some services from. See what's behind the seriousness. Yeah. Makes sense. But I mean, that's obviously for your line of business, trust is quite fundamental in what you sell. Yeah, we are selling people. Yeah, right. How to say. And they're not... Knowledge. So we are dependent on that kind of trust. So if we can show the persons through a video, then I think it's going to be a better way. And I'm also reading a lot of reports every time it comes something new. One I was reading, I think this is some year ago, but it came out that... 80% a really high number of CEO level and above preferred to watch video instead of reading. That says something. So that's something that's stuck in my mind also. That if that number is correct, that's a huge number. And that means that you have to... You have to work with video more than ever. Yeah. Yeah, I agree with that. And Toke, we have worked quite a lot together and I know that you have some quite practical business problems that you have been trying to solve with video. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Yeah. First of all, I totally agree with the trust part, especially being a brand that you don't know to begin with. Then you need to start out. You start building a relation and build trust. You don't buy from anybody that you don't trust. You definitely don't put your data about your product that you love so much into a database and share it across borders. So definitely we need to build trust. And again, that's what the video media is just so good at. Because we can show ourselves. We can be ourselves. We can be human also. But back to your question. So in my opinion and from my side... We are not actually trying to solve a problem. We are more trying to not make problem happen down the line. So avoid problems. And that has to do with, again, if you don't work correctly with building up your barcode or putting in your product data the right way, problems will occur. And that's a problem that for somebody is that I cannot sell my product. It cannot go beep in the checkout. Or sometimes it can even be a matter of about a bit dramatic though. But we are also within the healthcare sector. You all know us from retail. But healthcare is our second biggest sector worldwide where we are also deploying all of our standards. And again, that's a sector you don't want to have too many data problems when it comes to what kind of medicine should go to that and that of that patient. So I would say it's more about avoiding problems. That makes sense. And when did this... So moving a little bit also back to the introduction on this about moving from video being a marketing thing, being brand to being something organizational and more of a tool that you can use. When did that start happening and what led to it? Can you tell us? Can you tell us a little bit about that journey that I assume is still existing? Yeah, I think people are more and more comfortable and using video every day in different ways. And so I think it's just happening naturally. It's, yeah, you know, the younger generation is on TikTok, Instagram, and just swiping all day long. And we... We also swiping all day long. So I think it's... This is something we just need to go further with. I think video is going to be something that we... Every organizations are going to need to explore even more than we are doing today. Because I think... I think... I think... I think... In the meantime, in a couple of years, when the younger one is coming up, it's going to be video first. We've been talking about video first for some years, but now I think it's really going to happen. So if you're not thinking about video today as like something you're just doing, then you have to... You have to start rethinking already now because you need to have that in your marketing strategy, on your social media posts every week. You have to... Yeah, you really have to rethinking how you are going to use videos ahead because I just think it's going to really, really grow now. For us at GS1 Denmark, a tipping point was... Two or three years ago. Three years ago when we were asked by our members. Again, when you are a user-driven organization, the members or the users are the ones deciding you, deciding on what for you to do and develop. And at that time, without boring you too much, an EU regulation about extended producer responsibility came to Denmark. It is all the way around in Europe, but then it came to Denmark. And then that puts... It puts kind of a pressure on an organization like us that is, yes, a technical or a barcode organization, but we're also a technical organization. So we built a platform for thousands of our users to put in the packaging data because they had to do it. It's a regulation, so they will get a fine if they don't do it. So it's kind of a business-critical thing for our users. Of course, also a business-critical thing for us. But how do you... Within a quite short amount of time, get on the market and make everybody understand a quite complex area. Understand it so much so they can actually use a system that we just built. So we asked ourselves, how do we do that? Because we cannot do it one by one as we maybe came from. So that was why we thought, hey, let's do webinars. Let's do... Mm-hmm. Webinars. Webinar series where we can convert people from introduction to, could this be something for you? And then to onboarding. And then from onboarding later on, hey, let's have a quality check together. So it was quite unique to see how we also could move the segments that we were interested in. Yeah. Interesting. And I think a lot of people in here maybe also would love to know how you did it. And... And now we kind of get the background for it and the thoughts that was leading. But in this movement, or it's obviously not something happening overnight, but was there anything you had to change? Any practices? Or how did you actually manage to get to the point where you are today? Well, I think... Well, you... Everybody here, we all need to know who's our stakeholders. And so be aware of... Who are your most important stakeholders in order to move yourself, your department, your organization towards the next step. For me, it was to make it clear for our CEO that if we don't do this, we cannot follow the market. And we as an organization will be quite squeezed. So we have to do it. On the side of that, we also have to find... So who is going to do it? You know, who is going to sit on the other side of the camera? And in my opinion... In my opinion, you have to be sometimes a bit lucky to have somebody that knows quite a lot of stuff. And actually is also quite good at communicating it within, you know, these 45 minutes that a regular webinar takes. And then also have the guts to say, okay, I'm going to do it. I'm going to run thousands of registrants through these video webinars that I have never tried before. So I think you need... And then you need to also have a team to back you up. Right over there, two from my team. We could not have done it without a good teamwork and a kind of like an effort that we're going to do together. So a bit of orchestration on team as well as getting the managerial buy-in as well from the top management. And then again, so we are talking also about here, how is it that videos are moving? Just being something marketing to go and in my opinion, get much more business critical. I would say if the marketing videos are not driving business, they are not good videos. They are wrong. But of course, I think and I think all of many organizations also present today here. We can actually go back to our management team also and talk more about how the video channel, is actually driving business and make it easier for us to do our job. Yeah. And I can relate to that also. Like I said, some years ago, we didn't do as much as we're doing today. And we started quite small, but I think we were talking more around video above the communications team. We talked. Around the organizations, why we were doing videos and all that. And at this time, we did also had the opportunity to sending live on LinkedIn. And they were in a beta version that they had. And it was only in the US, but we had the opportunity to try that out. So. So when we did that, we did try to just put in people in front of the camera. And I think that was a really good step for us also, because people then just saw that our video is driving a lot of attention when we are doing it. And they also could see directly after that. People. So we did get leads right away. So that was something that was. Buzzing around in the organization also that, okay, this seems to work. This is video. Okay. It was live. So it's, you know, it can be a little. People can feel a little. It can be a little dangerous to sit in that way. But I think that was a really good start when we were talking about videos in our organizations. So after that, today, people are more comfortable to be in front of camera because like I said, we're doing so much today, both internal broadcasts, a lot of them, and also external ones. So people are now more comfortable when we are talking about the videos with them. So this has been a long ride, but today I can feel that we're heading somewhere better than we did for some years ago. So that's part of our strategy to make a lot of people in different kinds of our line of services. So they, we always have people from different kind of places from the company in front of camera. Can I add? Yeah. Yes, of course. Go ahead. It's actually a point that I am now taking from main stage just before coming to here. So where they also had a chat about the marketing part. So. And. And when you start putting employees or colleagues in front of the camera and they are performing well, it can inspire other colleagues and saying, I also want a video. And we also now, I mean, we are praising video, of course, but as communication professionals, we also have to ask ourselves before going into starting up a video, is that the right media for you to solve your task? Because it's not just about making videos. It has to have the right aim. And. Yeah. And that is something I just try to myself and ask when I have a colleague saying, I would also like a video. And I say, okay, but what's your problem? What is it that you want to solve? Sometimes it's video. Sometimes it's not. And do you see a pattern in when it's video and when it's not in which problems it might be solving? See, the good thing also, and now I'm back to praising video and TwentyThree again. Because the good thing about working with. I think the good thing about working with you guys also is that you push us into actually trying to sit down and think about a video strategy and you are developing as you also are launching these days, new ways of working. So you're also inspiring us and that kind of opens up our eyes. So for instance, now I've been talking about how we work with more business critical aspects and trying to help our users as much as possible on using our sometimes complex standards to, you know, get the job done. We are also on the forefront of looking into how can we actually use, for instance, personal videos as a way for our colleagues in industry engagement to engage with a new segment that do not know about GS1 for sure. But they know, of course, about barcodes and they know that product data is important for the clients and we can help you visualizing your product data for all on your shelves in your stores. Should we have a talk? Maybe a personal video from one of my colleagues. You know her. It could be Louise. That may be also an easier tool for her than calling. Like you get called by somebody that want to sell you something. Maybe that video would be. Maybe the one thing that says she sounds exciting. She looks sweet also and she looks smart. Maybe I should have a meeting with her. If you invite me next year, I'm going to tell you about how that went. Well, I think that could be an exciting talk as well, actually, to all you testing it these days. Well, now we've heard a lot on how you operate video and how it's being used in various ways in both PwC and GS1. And the title of this session is called When Video Becomes the Default. Is it a default? Is it the default or is it becoming? Or where do you stand on that these days? Like I said, I think you have to be present on video somehow in all kind of channels that you are present in, I do believe. And I think we are quite... Of course, we always have something to improve. You can always find that. And like you just said also, should we do video for everything? That can be some discussions even at our office. For me, because I'm so eager. Because I believe so much in this. Video space, because I still rely on that people want to see people also and not just reading. So we always talk about it. Should we do videos for this production or what's the purpose for this? And sometimes we agree, sometimes we disagree, but we always find a solution. So yeah, for me, it's just so important for organizations to look after their video strategy ahead. Because that's so important for even for us in the B2B industry, how we should manage that. And we have like two sides also. Like I said, we are doing this. We have more longer productions. We get production from the US sometimes. Maybe they have things in that video that's not suits us in Sweden or in the Nordic countries. So sometimes we have to take a part of it or maybe change something. So it's something that's happening all the time. But yeah, the strategy is to maintain and just have a clear vision what to do. And yeah, so that's one side. And we have the employer branding side because we're doing a lot of shorter clips for that. Audience. So that's totally another kind of way to think around the strategy. I think just in Sweden, we I think we're looking for between five, six hundred people every year. So we do want to attract them in the best way. And of course, we have. Like you said. In the introduction, also the big four and there are many other competitors also, of course, out there. So we really, really need to think around the video, how we are going to produce it and and how we are going to do it. So that's something that we are working a lot. So. So it goes from. How to say it, this more serious. Productions to the to to the more. Regular ongoing Instagram reels productions that we are. Serving very different purposes as well. Yeah. Yeah. What about GS1? Is it. Yeah. Is it the default? I think I. What I said before, I think it will never be the. default. It will always be an opportunity. Yeah. That maybe comes even closer right now. It's it's a crazy time, right? With the with the even the the AIs and the agents talking to each other, even buying from each other without us knowing it, whether that push on higher demand for actually meeting a real human. Even though I know that we also there are talks here. About how can you produce video without any humans? Maybe that's good. Maybe that's bad in some situations. I think it's good. Some others the opposite. I do think and I'm not hardly trying to come back in a year, but I think it would be very interesting to talk about again in a year because I think it is interesting to follow up on how the the human part of being present in the video will develop now. All this. AI, Robotics is going on. Just in front of our hands. It's an interesting development that we're all following quite the quite closely. We have about five minutes left and I want to open it up for the audience to ask you guys a couple of questions. I see we have one here already. Hey, I'd like to start addressing to you. You quote quoting you. You read many reports in one of them says that CEOs prefer to watch video than reading a report. And also I tried many ways how to say this question because as I understood your company as an NGO is politically neutral. So I'd like to keep this question with a neutral political outcome. I read. That the. Responsibles in the government of the US have a big difficulty into making the president reading reports because supposedly he stops reading the report and then doesn't pay attention. Therefore. The video CNN became the pattern. So you watch the reports that the government stuff wants to address by watching CNN. So how do you see. This. Situation as. Standardization of videos as a default when the CEO of a country of the CEO because it's a government. Takes a video. As. The report to be briefed in everything with politically related. Thank you. Tricky one. And. I don't know. If I have. Right answer for you. I think it's. Interesting that you read a report through a news channel. For me it's. Feels like. Some someone is reading up a press brief. But no I don't really know how to. To answer that. Questions. I don't know. Do you know something about. The president. I think video is not a standalone channel. It's an it's an offer. That you sometimes. Can use better than. Than other situations. I guess everybody here has been lying in their bed next to somebody they might even love. And suddenly the video of something started. Not a good situation. But if you want to read something. While being in bed. You got us. Need to have some text. So. I think you. You you need to see it as a. As a one channel. And. Be next to. To to others. Especially when it comes to. Yeah. Heavy reports. It's going to be a very long video. And maybe even. Hard to to get everything. Served to the to the audience through with video. But use the video. As an appetizer. To to sell the. The the points. I know also CEOs or presidents. Whoever they are. In the world. They have busy people. So they don't have time to sit down and read. The long reads. But then actually here videos then can be. It's better that they know just a little bit about the report than nothing. So maybe here the video could be. A way of summarizing. Stuff delivered for. For any. And knowledgeable. Human being. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's. It's important to. Like you said. For me it should be the greatest. If someone who's been writing the report. Say something about the report. The five. Findings the. Deepest findings maybe. You're saying that because. Like you've been listening to maybe today also that. It's all about all about the trust. And and now with with. The GEO and all that. the SEO and all that. It's going to help you as a company also to make that kind of search and. Channels to to better understand how important this is when the author also is showing themselves in the video so I do believe that you can use the video. And. In better ways ahead also when it comes to. Talk about the reports. Great. Stare at quick last question. Corner. Quick question. But I was curious to hear. What are the. One or two. Next. In. The organization that you are excited about that you. Perhaps want to try. In the upcoming year. Or. There's one or two projects that you are. Particularly. Interested in trying out. Yeah. We're working a lot right now. On our website and internally when it comes to. We cannot forget that webinars are really big, also But. For me it's I want it to be easy for people that's. Visiting our platforms to if you don't see that well maybe. I want them to. Have like audio captions on everything and the transcriptions and so for me it's really really important that we have. Environment and a player that suits. People. The most that have some kind of. Problem to see or read. So I want to make that. The best possible ahead. Yeah. So I'm working a lot around that right now. For us in GS1 I would say personal videos as I mentioned before. Then. Part of everybody knows when you have your video on YouTube you are. Competing with the cat videos. And all kind of other videos. So what is important for us. Having audience inside our video environment is to keep them there. And from one video to the next to the next to the next. So make our website more. Video first. Even our guides. We have lots of guides and we have an ambition. Or. To do these guides mobile first. We don't know how yet because we are also very. Interested in kind of building a sustainable way of transforming. The existing guides into. Videos that are actually helpful. Don't take too much production time from our side because if nobody watched them it's waste so but we're looking into it. It's exciting. I think a lot of good things still happening. Proving that. That video is also growing internally in GS1 and PwC. I think that was a time stop. So thank you both for sharing your insights and perspectives. And thank you all for being here. Thank you.