Run by founder Emily, Active Step aims to be the most recognised clinic for the management of foot disorders and MSK injuries in the UK. It’s a tall order when given a brief to produce photo and video content. Active Step had content produced before, so they knew what they wanted and what they didn’t. Some teams find this a challenge as it feels like someone has tried and failed, almost like a tricky customer waiting to happen. However, we think it’s great if a client has already had a shoot done. If you’re not from a media background, it’s very hard to explain what you want, especially to a generic team with no experience in the industry. Thankfully, given our industry knowledge and Emily’s previous experience with a shoot, it made the process extremely straightforward.
What Did We Do?
Emily wanted to create multiple videos to improve not only the visual impact of their website but also to inform patients about the many technologies they have as a clinic and the team that provides the treatment. We arranged for each service to be explained by a separate practitioner, involving all staff members. It was clear from the start that Emily knew the value of getting her staff on camera and gaining new patients’ trust. While many clinics create videos on each of their treatments, that isn’t what people naturally search for. Thankfully, with our marketing-led approach, we decided to create videos about specific conditions. It is far more common to search for verruca treatment in Fareham than swift treatment, unless you are already educated on the topic. We presented the videos as, if you have a verruca, this is what it is and this is how we treat it. Problem first, solution after. We made sure that throughout the day we captured photos and videos of all the treatments, spaces and practitioners we could so that we could facilitate the transformation of their website.
How did we do it?
Due to the clinic being located on an industrial estate, space was not a problem; we had lots of room to store kit and no fancy tricks to make the space appear bigger. With a larger room, however, the challenge becomes a different one in lighting. With the majority of shoots, we are aiming to make the rooms look big, bright and aesthetically pleasing. With a large room, you need a lot more light so as not to create pools of darkness. Thankfully, the rooms had plenty of windows to give us a starting ambient light level which we boosted with our own lights. Emily had arranged for multiple practitioners and patients to come in for the day, giving us a wide variety of shots. We did, however, have a late-arriving patient and had to think on our feet and quickly arrange a stand-in to get the shots we need. It is not uncommon when arranging models for your shoot day for someone to be late, have last-minute plans or simply forget. When this situation arises, it can be stressful for the clinic owner, and if this is the case, we are more than happy to step in and ask incoming patients politely if they would be happy to be involved. Having us ask rather than the clinic also protects the client relationship; you may not want to ask one of your long-standing patients for fear of them feeling awkward or not having the terminology to use in order to explain their involvement. Thankfully, with our combined knowledge of the industry and a calming approach, we can often convince incoming patients to be involved. Another aspect of the shoot and a common challenge we need to overcome is staff members being nervous about being interviewed on camera. We understand; if one minute you are a podiatrist then the next day expected to be a movie star, it can be a daunting task. Thankfully, this is not our first experience of a nervous patient; we treat it the same way a clinic treats a nervous patient. We take it slow, provide coaching and explain the process so that you can ease into the interview and come away with a confident and informative video.
What Were The Results?​
Banner Video: We wanted to make sure that as soon as you hit the Active Step website, you can get a sense of the space and all the technology inside. This was the part of the day where we had to arrange a stand-in model, not that you would know!
About Us Video: Emily has an amazing story of starting with just a few hand tools and a whole lot of ambition. It is important to the brand that we shared this story to show how far the clinic has come; there is a reason the clinic is so successful. We also wanted to share Emily's take on her team and the choice to bring in certain technologies.
7 x Explainer Videos: We took seven common complaints of patients and made them into videos. We asked what is the condition? How does it occur, and what solutions can Active Step provide for this problem? The aim was to get the patient to understand their issues, know there is a solution but also a chance to know, like and trust the practitioner that will treat them.
294 Photos including headshots: While video is fast becoming the preferred medium on social media and a more convenient way of consuming information, it was still vital to produce lots of stunning images for the team to use on their website and social media. Our aim is that any time a clinic wants to post about a treatment they offer, they have multiple shots to choose from.
Reels: Aiming to gain a social media presence, it was also necessary to provide all of the videos above in a reel format to share on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
What Active Step Had To Say
They really nail down the communication around their services, from the initial remit to concluding the job, everything is communicated beautifully and easily. Like us, I suspect many of their clients are not overly natural in front of the cameras. Rob and Alex communicate and organise everything to make the day enjoyable. They certainly got the outcomes that we were after. Thank you again for your complete professionalism and achieving a great outcome for our company.
