The power of video media and the Post Office Scandal

It has been all over the news, the subject of many tea-time debates, and has given rise to increased action from both the public and government. The Post Office scandal is dominating the news cycle with the injustice of sub-postmasters being wrongly convicted thrust into the public consciousness after ITV’s Mr Bates versus the Post Office drama. However, this isn’t new information, and it is fascinating that it has taken a television script for justice to truly get its time in the spotlight. Why?

It was actually an issue of Computer Weekly back in 2009 that first broke the story of problems regarding the Horizon System. Designed by Japanese technology firm Fujitsu, the Post Office’s new accounting administration system miscalculated shortfalls, something that sub-postmasters were contractually responsible for. In short, any losses had to come out of sub-postmaster’s pockets with any questioning of Horizon quashed. People lost their life savings, family homes, and some were even sent to prison. Sadly, this situation also prompted a suicide.

This all made headline news many years ago, but it’s this drama that has initiated public outcry and motivated the powers that be to do more. TV can be a powerful platform with world events entering our living rooms, but the medium of drama is what made this story much more tangible and relatable to the everyman.

We have seen a paradigm shift in the way people consume media over the past 10 years with digital outlets booming and video becoming the easiest way to quickly digest content. Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok dominate viewing hours thanks to their engaging visual media. Mr Bates versus the Post Office is a perfect case study for why video media can be worth its weight in gold – it makes concepts tangible.

Producing video content can help connect your brand more directly to a target audience. Using the principle of ‘don’t tell me, show me” you invite an audience to witness something for themselves, sparking a far greater sense of awareness and connection to the subject matter. Be it the launch of a new product or demonstrating a business model, the more engaging your content is, the more likely it will resonate. Building a narrative into your content further encourages people to come along for the ride and watch until the end.

A great Nobull example of maximising exposure through visual media was last year’s world record project with client IVECO. While the concept of a van towing a heavy load isn’t blockbuster material, enhancing this incredible piece of record-breaking with a theatrical video containing a clear narrative and a sense of jeopardy, resulted in high engagement levels from a broad range of demographics.

Investing in video media can yield amazing results, and for the real-life victims of the Post Office scandal, it has had a far bigger impact than front-page news.

‍