MPG Presenter Chris Hurt interacts with a P&G researcher during a live trade show presentation.

A great way to connect with your audience is to let them connect with your experts. At MPG, we often look for ways to feature our clients’ researchers, scientists and specialists on video at trade shows and other events.

Expert videos bring credibility to a brand. They help tell your unique story, and they allow your audience a glimpse behind-the-scenes. They also save travel costs.

But featuring your best and brightest isn’t always easy. Unless they have a side career in show business, scientists and other experts do their best work in the lab or with intimate teams. They might not be accustomed to the spotlight. Even if they’re a superstar in big presentations, they might not be a natural in front of a camera.

That’s why it’s important to identify and nurture your best talent. If you’re thinking of featuring an internal expert at your next event, follow these ABCs.

Assess who’s really interested. If your star scientist has severe stage fright, move on to someone else. The camera—and your audience—will be able to tell if they’d rather be having a root canal. Look instead for people who are naturally outgoing and genuinely want to help. A great way to see who might do well on-camera is to have them read a short script and capture the footage with your phone.

Be sure what they’ll say. It may seem like a good idea to just ask a few questions, then let the person talk while the camera rolls, but people rarely speak in complete, video-friendly bytes. Plus they often get bogged down in details when talking about their areas of expertise. Have your agency or staff writer craft a script, then run it past your on-camera expert for approval.

Coach Them. Speaking naturally on-camera isn’t easy! A good agency and director can work with your expert to help them appear more at-ease and deliver their lines more naturally. Prepare your expert for the idea of having their hair, makeup and wardrobe done, and let them know they’ll be doing several takes. Emphasize that it’s all to help them look their best.

Don’t Stop Looking for Potential Talent. As new people come on-board, try to get a feel for how they might do on camera. You’ll never regret building a pool of go-to experts. And keep an open mind—some of the best talent we’ve worked with are people we initially weren’t sure could do the job. Some folks truly blossom under the spotlight.

For an example of how we made one of Crest and Oral-B’s star scientists look his best, check out our post on the Crest Pro-Health [HD] launch.

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