Video is set to assume a place of importance in internal communications, according to a new survey by Melcrum. Nearly 93% of the 1,200 internal communications managers questioned by Melcrum say that [visual communications channels such as video are becoming more important to them.

{{More than 70% reported that they use video regularly or on an ad hoc basis to support their internal communications}}, and a similar number confirmed that they would be devoting more time and budget to video in the future. More than half of respondents agreed that employees now expect to see video being used within their organisations, because use of the medium outside is now so widespread.

One reason for the renewed popularity of what is far from a new technology, is that video techniques themselves have evolved. The traditional, formal ‘talking head’ approach is being abandoned as employees demand more authenticity in communication.

However, the number of organisations allowing employees to create their own videos is small, with only 6.7% reporting that they actively encourage user-generated content. But this, too, is set to change, with more than 40% already involving employees in the production process in some way, and 11.4% planning to encourage employees to produce and share their own videos.

According to Rebecca Richmond, Melcrum’s research director, ‘The social media aspect of sites such as YouTube has had an influence on organisations. A fifth of our respondents say that their employees can share, rate and comment on videos online. And for more than two thirds, it is compelling subject matter that is the biggest factor in determining whether or not videos will be watched. Content is still king.‘

Melcrum’s latest benchmarking research for its Strategic Communication Research Forum has found that the effectiveness of video is not limited to any specific type of organisation or sector. The technique has been adopted at companies as diverse as Lloyds Banking Group, Statoil, Nokia and Safeway – all from very different industries.

Says Rebecca Richmond, ‘While the full potential of video as an internal communication channel is yet to be unlocked by the majority of organisations, experimentation and the desire to explore the channel’s business value is certainly on the rise. Internal communicators are recognising that video can support, and in some cases prove to be a more empowering alternative to, traditional communication channels. Furthermore, the survey data shows that they’re increasingly willing to allocate more resources to prove it.‘