How the Royal Society of Chemistry transformed LinkedIn Live into diverse video content

Challenge

A costly, clunky video infrastructure

The RSC creates a variety of content across a number of social media, traditional media and public relations, and digital channels. The goal of each piece of content is to engage its members and grow awareness of the organization’s high-impact programs.

Edwin Silvester, the global integrated media manager for the Royal Society of Chemistry, and his team showcase the RSC’s cutting-edge scientific advances, highlighting senior leaders and influencers across the organization. Featuring a number of non-professional broadcasters was a challenge as the media team used a number of tools and found it difficult to feature individuals outside of the area local to the London headquarters.

The RSC was limited to “one or two” events per quarter and had a rigid approach to the type of content the team could create. Larger in-person events required travel, freelancers, equipment rentals, and tons of logistics.

Perhaps a bigger concern to the RSC, the limitations of in-person events and recordings didn’t allow the content to reflect its global community.

A partial solution was to expand its livestreaming content, using studio broadcast platforms. Hiren Joshi, RSC’s digital channel owner, saw LinkedIn Live as an area of opportunity. The problem was point solutions had a poor guest experience and didn’t allow streaming to multiple platforms.

Solution

Much more than just livestreaming

Joshi and RSC found Socialive as a livestreaming solution and were happy with the seamless guest experience and ability to simultaneously stream to multiple destinations. While Joshi appreciated the upgrade in professional quality and ease of use for guests, the media team truly found value in Socialive the more they realized they could do much more than just produce livestreams.

The platform’s ability to not only livestream, but to remotely record video was a game-changer for Silvester’s team. It opened a variety of use cases, primarily the ability to record anyone, anywhere, at any time. In cases where the RSC couldn’t previously provide coverage, the team was able to “parachute in expertise,” as Jim Rice, the RSC’s press and media specialist, puts it.

The key to getting the best out of each recording session was the ability to remotely guide contributors, who may not have as high a level of proficiency in video as the RSC’s media team. This allowed real-time tips on framing, sound quality, advice on the surroundings, and calls for an additional take if needed. Rather than sending a script and equipment, leaving talent to fend for themselves, this allowed RSC to drastically scale up professional video creation by being “the experts not in the room.”

With the RSC team live-coaching the talent behind the scenes to make the experience comfortable for presenters — whether it be an influential leader in the sciences or a member from the RSC’s underrepresented global base — Socialive empowered the RSC to create more high-quality content featuring a truly representative group of members.

Outcome

More inclusive content with easier video creation

There are a number of benefits for the RSC as the organization has increased the number of events — and content around it — without impacting the budget.

Professional quality from anywhere

The team is no longer limited to a physical studio, they are now able to replicate the studio from anywhere in the world with Socialive.

Reduced carbon footprint

The new approach for the RSC is more sustainable from a cost perspective and much more eco-friendly, as well. With fewer people needed to travel to events, the RSC sees Socialive in line with the organization’s net zero ambitions. “Socialive fits perfectly into our goals as an organization to lower our carbon emissions,” according to Joshi.

Hours saved in editing and file transfers

The team has also saved time in each video created, especially for the RSC’s podcasts. By using Socialive to record episodes and include branding in real-time, Joshi has saved between 30 minutes and one hour per video on file transfers alone. Once the recording session is over, Joshi has both video and audio ready to edit or publish.

Featuring more diverse voices

In part thanks to Socialive, the RSC is meeting its goal to fully feature underrepresented people from the Global South. Without travel as a barrier to entry, the RSC has included more members in content for its global events that are in line with the likes of COP27. The RSC can truly empower the voices of its people, eliminating the need for international travel.

The RSC has received recognition for its inclusive programs, winning the Diversity and Inclusion Award at the 2023 PRCA Dare Awards for its Broadening Horizons program. The RSC even used Socialive to record a video showcasing the students who benefit from the program. This is just another example of the high-impact content that falls in line with larger organizational goals that the RSC is now able to create.

Featuring senior leadership in more content

While the ability to create high-impact video drives tons of engagement around its programs, the RSC also uses Socialive to create quick, snackable content in a moment from the leadership team — the types of video that wouldn’t have been feasible before Socialive.

From highlights of its inclusive programs to connecting thought leaders across the globe to recording a quick message to send to its members, Socialive powers the RSC’s ability to create both long-form and short-form videos in ways that weren’t possible before. All in a platform originally thought to be just for LinkedIn Live.

Ready to learn how to record, edit, publish, and livestream professional video from anywhere? Request a demo to learn more about Socialive’s end-to-end video platform.