This video was just released by the European Commission in the ongoing debate on the EU budget reform (and especially in view of recent plans to introduce new sources to the budget). The question is: does the video reach its goal? By the way, what are its goals?

The video, which is actually very nicely done, seems to aim for the following:

• Tell “the citizens of Europe” that the EU is not so expensive, after all
• Dispel myths about how much the EU costs in general, and how much it spends on itself (administrative costs)
• The EU is spending on good stuff, such as innovation, agriculture, competitiveness, social issues

However, what the video does not achieve but its makers should consider are the following:

• What is the “call to action”? What should an interested citizen do once the video is seen?
• Where is a clickable link where more info, a newsletter, further videos are available?
• Who is the video aimed at? All citizens? Pro-Europeans? Sceptics? Which demographic group?
• How do you measure its effectiveness? By view count, changed perceptions, “support” for the EU?
• Is the video part of a larger communication strategy on why the budget reform is needed, and if so, where are the other web 2.0 elements to engage viewers better?

We appreciate the Commission’s efforts to better communicate and produce online videos like this: compared to previous attempts, this is a great improvement. Just don’t forget that this is a first step of a long road, and while every long journey starts with a small step, we are eagerly waiting for the EU to “walk the talk”!

Posted in Marketing