Tech Company Builds its Brand through Sci-Fi Film Competition

This year’s Sci-Tech Film Challenge runs September 20–22. Registration is open until September 6.

What does a global cloud infrastructure provider have in common with science fiction filmmakers? The uninspired may say, “nothing.” But those with an eye toward creative marketing, unique brand-building and innovative partnerships will understand right away that companies seeking new ways of reaching customers are willing to try different approaches. That’s why tech industry leader OVHcloud has partnered with Atlanta Sci-Fi Film Festival to sponsor its 48-Hour Sci-Tech Film Challenge.

Billed as “the free-style rap battle of filmmaking,” this competition is one of the most unique 48-hour film challenges in the world, according to Amanda Ray, founder and CEO of the Multicultural Sci-fi Organization (MCSFO) and organizer of the festival.

Press materials for the contest explain that participants have 48 hours to create a sci-fi short film from start to finish, incorporating cutting-edge technology into creative storytelling.

Tech company partnerships

The festival plans to partner with different tech companies for each year’s challenge in order to support evolving technologies. For two years in a row, OVHcloud has fulfilled that role. Similar to the way innovative tech has been introduced in shows like “Star Trek” over the years, the 48-Hour Sci-Tech Film Challenge enables festival partners to see how their products or services might be integrated into a narrative. This collaboration gives filmmakers experience working with brands in a legal, responsible and respectful manner while still being creative, according to the news release.

Registration is open through September 6 at filmfreeway.com. The competition begins at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 20 and filmmakers have until 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 22 to write, shoot, edit and upload their completed film. Films will be judged according to categories such as: Adherence and Best Use of Required Element, Artistic Merit and Technical Achievement according to the release.

There will be a live screening of the finalists’ films during the sci-fi festival, held October 4 to October 6 in Peachtree Corners, with winners announced at the awards ceremony.

From Wu-Tang to AOL to OVHcloud

Sherin Baday, senior director of marketing for OVHcloud, has an extensive history of working with a diverse roster of companies.

“I worked in New York in the music industry for 10 years in marketing, management, promotions, all types of duties around the spectrum, working with a couple of record companies. Then from there, I moved to America Online,” she said.

One of her most noteworthy clients was rap/hip-hop pioneers Wu-Tang Clan.

“That was the hardest transition I think anyone can have culturally. And then from there, it was a string of SaaS companies,” she said. “It wasn’t as sexy as the music industry. … My first job after Wu-Tang I worked at a fixed asset software company.”

Even though it didn’t present the same excitement as working with performers such as Ghostface Killah, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Method Man, Baday applied some of the same principles of branding she learned back in the late 90s.

“Regardless of the product, it needs a face. It needs that human element, a recording artist, a musician, a film — that’s all a product,” she said.

Unique brand building

In the same way that artists must connect to fans, a fixed asset company needs a way for potential customers to identify with it.

“How do I bring a personality into this product and let people relate to it or find it endearing, or be able to say, ‘Oh, I remember them because of this video that they did about this little mascot that caught my eye,’” she said. “I was always trying to think of ways to humanize it and that’s what I’ve been doing across all these SaaS companies.”

Baday came to OVHcloud when it opened its U.S. office nearly seven years ago.

“We’re in a field where the hyper scalers are huge,” she said. “We have AWS in our backyard here in Herndon. Google is here, so we’re not trying to really compete with them on paper — we know our space. We’re trying to build a name for ourselves, build some awareness and find our own group of customers.”

But building a brand isn’t an overnight thing, she admitted.

“I think working with people like Amanda [Ray of Atlanta Sci-Fi Film Festival] and programs like this help with the memory recall,” she said. “Because you remember programs like this instead of an ad or a website or an email that you get from a company you don’t know or that you’ve never heard of.”

So Baday is looking for different ways to build awareness.

“Whether it’s supporting a Formula One team or an English soccer club, how can we stick out and really get people to know who OVHcloud is and that we are a human company?” she said.

Measuring success

Baday didn’t seek out the partnership with the film festival. She and Ray met at an OVHcloud event.

“I met Amanda, heard about her program, what she was doing, what her plans were, what her vision was for the next five, 10, 15 years and I thought, ‘This is exciting!’” she said. “This is a group of innovators trying to break into the film industry and create these sci-fi films.”

Baday thought about the OVHcloud motto, “innovation for freedom” and realized that building new technology to help its customers fit perfectly with the vision of new technology that could be presented in science fiction films.

“A lot of these tech companies just try to target other tech companies right now, but everyone needs technology — the music industry, the arts industry, literature — they all need to put their films somewhere. They all need to back up their music,” she said. “So, when I spoke with Amanda, I realized … [the short film competition] could give us a face to show that we’re all about technology and improving people’s lives with it.”

OVHcloud is donating technology for the challenge and at the same time it’s building awareness about who the company is. The filmmakers get a demo of sorts of the technology that will keep their creative works safe.

Last year’s winner went beyond simple product placement to show how a service like OVHcloud fits with future tech. We won’t give away the plot, but those who are curious can check out the three-minute video online.

Beyond the traditional RoI model

At this early stage in the partnership, OVHcloud isn’t looking for a dollar-for-dollar return. It’s much more subtle than that.

“You don’t really realize the impact of a partnership or sponsorship like this until someone from a newspaper reaches out saying, ‘I want to do an interview because I think this is amazing,’” she said.

Of course, her bosses are looking to add to the bottom line.

“They’re like, ‘Well, what do we get from this? Did we get any sales? How many people came up and said they’re going to buy a server from us?’” she said. “To me, it’s not about that. It’s about building the awareness and partnering with this film community and growing our name as a supporter of the arts. And that’s a whole different level of return I can’t show, but I think it’s important when we do get interview requests or as the media grows around it.”

Right now, she’s asking her superiors to be patient. “I would say it’s going to all be worth it in the end.”

The Atlanta Sci-Fi Film Festival takes place October 4-6 and is FREE with advance registration. Visit atlantascififilmfestival.com for more information.