Authenticity in any communication is critical to reaching people at a place where they believe what they see and hear. A rehearsed script can, for informational purposes, be of great value. A rehearsed or overly prepared interview subject can come across as disingenuous and lose much in that reception. Typically, authentic advertising is based upon a testimonial or other proof of worth. These stories are best captured in a video interview.
The video interview process is much more than simply showing up and asking questions. Research is needed beforehand to discover the intent of the organization, their manner of achieving those goals, the nature of the volunteers and employees and many other factors. Similarly, knowledge of the public perception is important, particularly that part of the public that is the demographic target of the video.
Using real people in advertising requires a unique skill set of the interviewer. Having the knowledge of the research noted above, the interviewer must be able to ask questions in a manner that invites the person to discover in their own way the answer. Often, the same question may be asked in a couple of different ways to achieve similar answers that are spoken in different tone, wording, or facial expression.
It is a debatable point as to whether a pre-interview helps or hinders. I fall on the side of hindrance. By experience I have found that the first conversations with a person about their company or organization are the most candid, the least prepared, and the most effective at capturing a person in the real moment of their enthusiasm. When a person is first confronted with a question they hadn’t previously considered it is their micro-expressions that reveal how they are responding. Seeing and hearing this in a relevant video draws the viewers empathetic response and, in their own way, they respond in kind.