How a Strategic Video Campaign Filled an Aviation Program Beyond Capacity

Snapshot Summary

The recruitment video I made for Boeing and Wings of Hope's Soar Into STEM program helped it sell out, and Wings of Hope hired more instructors to meet the demand.

The world needs more aviation engineers. Everywhere we look, innovation is growing rapidly, but the aviation sector isn't growing fast enough for many aviation manufacturers. That's why Boeing and aviation-focused nonprofit Wings of Hope banded together and developed a program dedicated to supporting the next generation of avionics technicians, engineers, and pilots.

In order to recruit customers and make their program materials as engaging as possible, both organizations invested in building an impactful customer experience video in addition to a visual-education curriculum.

Project Clients

Boeing | Aviation Manufacturing Industry Leader

One of the world's largest, and oldest, aircraft manufacturers, Boeing owns significant market share in a number of sectors, most notably Commercial Airplanes, Defense, & Space.

Wings of Hope | Humanitarian Nonprofit

Since its founding in 1962, the two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Wings of Hope has been changing and saving lives through the power of aviation in communities all over the globe.

The Problem: Course Sales

I had known Wings of Hope since February 2020, and this was my first paid project for it, in April 2021. They knew I would be able to provide the level of expertise they needed to develop a series of education videos for their curriculum and a video to fill all the available slots in the program. In the following weeks, Boeing and Wings of Hope would be impacting a whole new generation of aviation engineers.

The Process

To create the best video series possible for the Soar Into STEM Program, I needed to start with a comprehensive syllabus.

Building off of the broad guidelines I was given, I worked with Subject Matter Experts (SME) to develop a script that was both captivating and provided incredible value. Once the education videos were finished, I set my sights on selling the program.

I knew that the sales collateral for the program would be distributed to schools across Missouri and Illinois, so I decided to make the video as relatable as possible. I worked with a Tanzanian bush pilot to share the benefits of the program. The resulting video helped the program sell out and required the organizations to hire additional instructors to fully serve the demand for the program.

Subject Matter Experts Create The Needed Trust For Buying Decisions

Before a potential customer takes the leap and puts their trust in your company, they will need to fully understand the benefits and other essential information regarding your offer. SMEs are often the best choice when it comes to picking a spokesperson for your business.

For Your Sales Pipeline, Nothing Performs Like Video Content

Every school that was shown the created sales-focused video had expressed interest in the program through the first wave of sales initiatives. Since the schools self-qualified to request the video, purchases "soared" once they understood the different benefits of the program.

Great Partners Make Scaling Targeted Programs Easy & Efficient

Boeing and Wings of Hope's partnership shined throughout the process of my contract. Both organizations leaned on each other to do what either did best, which led to incredibly efficient utilization of resources and a great experience for every customer.

The Results

The resulting project impacted Wings of Hope and Boeing's sponsored program in two distinct ways:

1. My work drove so much first-year demand for the program that Wings of Hope had to hire more instructors to open up more slots for attracted students. This blew away their expectations.
2. Both the education video series and recruitment video became pillars of the program's value proposition. The program will be able to use these assets for years to come to help attract and educate new students.

Testimonial

"I am thrilled to share my experience working with Rob Davidson on our Boeing sponsored educational program, SOAR into STEM, at Wings of Hope. From the outset, Rob and his team demonstrated exceptional efficiency and understanding of our needs, creating high-quality video productions that significantly enhanced our program.

Rob expertly crafted a recruitment video that now prominently features on our website, attracting numerous partnerships with schools and community centers. Additionally, he developed shorter educational videos that seamlessly integrated our mission footage with key educational content. These enhancements not only elevated the quality of our instruction but also allowed us to collaborate with an outside school district, effectively doubling our impact in less than a year.

Thanks to Rob's work, we were able to secure highly competitive new funding for the program and expand awareness of our initiatives within the community.

We approached Rob with a tight turnaround, and he went above and beyond to meet our deadlines while exceeding our expectations. His knowledge, creativity, vision, and reliability made the entire process a pleasure."

Tiffany Nelson, Director of Programs & Evaluation, Wings of Hope

First published on the Davidson Ventures site, November 2024; lightly edited.