Visa commissioned research in 2015 that uncovered an idea so wholly new that it gained widespread attention, even landing a front-page spot in The New York Times. It showed women were choosing to travel solo in historic numbers. Higher spending power, a feeling of greater safety abroad, and the popularity of Instagram travel diaries created the right conditions for a boon in solo travel.
Visa corporate communications brought the findings to its agency, Click2View, and the parties immediately got to work figuring out how to relay the story of solo women travelers in an engaging way.
The story takes flight
From these early conversations was born a video series called Solo Traveller. The series followed the travels of three women through Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, and Singapore … then seeded those videos through Visa’s social channels as well as the women’s social networks. Each journey was released as a three-part video.
Simon Kearney, founder of Click2View, says the success of the Visa project was due in large part to the travelers chosen by the production team:
- Angela Kan is from Hong Kong; her extensive travel and writing experience meant she could collaborate with the team, brainstorming the best spots and conditions for recording her travelogue.
- As a leading travel blogger in Thailand, Chutima Treearayapong had a devoted following before joining the Visa series.
- Filipino blogger Vern Enciso is passionate about fashion, food, and music; her interests brought new ideas to the video series, as well as a distinct audience.
Now, Simon delves deeper into how you can translate what Visa and Click2View learned about video into your own visual storytelling. (The series was a Content Marketing Awards finalist for strategy – best content marketing program in financial services.)
Cast ‘characters’ in reality-based brand stories
Simon and his colleagues recommend considering the following factors when casting real people (not influencers) in any factual video-based storytelling:
Look at authenticity, not reach
“The people we chose were not influencers in the traditional sense because they didn’t have a large number of followers,” says Simon. Instead, casting focused on true-to-life qualities that aligned well with the larger story. “These women had to be solo travelers in their own right. We wanted real, independent women who were travel savvy, excited to try new things, and not afraid of the challenges of filming.”
Find naturals
In its bid to be authentic, the team sought women who spoke naturally on camera and truly shared a passion for travel. Producer/director Fraser Morton at Click2View explains, “It was my job to find millennial talent who embodied the solo traveler. We did not want anyone who had a ‘showbiz’ persona on camera – that would defeat the purpose of creating a real-life series of travel micro-docs.”
Think beyond the screen
Fraser says each woman was considered primarily for her enthusiasm and sense of adventure about travel, but creativity is also a big plus. He explains, “Angela Kan, our Hong Kong talent, was selected because…
