Synthesia: Conquering the AI training video market with Zoom

Synthesia is known to businesses the world over as the number 1 AI video generation platform. Using machine learning technology, the platform creates a huge range of different types of videos with minimal human input on the topic. The big bet on AI paid off – in June 2023, Synthesia achieved the coveted unicorn status by gaining a valuation of over 1 billion USD.

Generating AI avatars that narrate training, internal communications, and product explainer videos, users get a full, polished, comprehensive, and engaging experience on any subject in minutes. In the words of Synthesia Rev Ops Manager, Rudy Wilson: “We’re making video easy and accessible for everyone. There’s no need for studios and fewer barriers to making effective, professional videos quickly.”

 Zoom: The platform to grow

Synthesia has been using Zoom Conference Rooms, Virtual Meetings, Whiteboards, Webinars, and Workspaces since 2020. Initially, the platform was mainly used by customer-facing teams to carry out customer meetings and product demonstrations using Zoom Meetings.

Clearly, something was working and soon Synthesia found itself expanding at an unprecedented rate. When it came to opening new offices worldwide, IT Operations Manager, Sam Williams, wanted a unified experience of the utmost quality. “We wanted to only use the best products out there to continue growing the business to where it wanted to go. We needed to unify employee experience globally.”

So they needed something foolproof that was familiar, scalable, and easy to use. It’s no wonder why Sam pushed to expand their Zoom ecosystem across all teams. “We had finance questioning our choice, saying that one of our well-known competitor’s solutions was free, why should we pay for Zoom? We showed them the amazing work Sales and R&D do with their own Zoom licenses and people were like, ‘This is a serious product.’”

A (Zoom) Room with a view

After Synthesia installed their first Zoom Spaces in their London head office, the reviews from across the company were sparkling. It wasn’t just the sales teams waxing lyrical about their great experiences with Zoom, the R&D teams lauded the simplicity of sharing designs and information seamlessly with whiteboard hardware. As they began to expand globally, the questions asked seemed to answer themselves. According to Sam, the excitement around the tech was already spreading. “We opened our New York office and the first questions we were getting were, ‘Is it getting the same Zoom Space as London?’”

Creating a culture that keeps workers comfortable and engaged around the world is integral to Synthesia, whether someone is attending meetings in their home office or in the middle of a major city. “If I’m going to New York or Amsterdam, I can immediately work as I would in London,” Sam tells us.

 That globally unified employee experience is based on accessibility, adaptability, and simplicity. No longer having to waste hours fumbling with cables, struggling to connect, or even finding a place to meet, Synthesia has grown its market share and company culture off the back of seamless collaboration. Sam recounts how they’ve become victims of their own success and how Zoom helps them adapt.

“Sometimes the office is so full we have to improvise quickly to get people together. We hire additional meeting rooms in the building and, thankfully, they also use Zoom. This way we are able to just log on and go as easily as we would in our own office! The global reach of Zoom allows us this agility.”

The integration of in-person and remote workers has been a blessing for onboarding new hires too. Sam highlights just how quickly a new employee is immersed in their culture, regardless of where they’re based. “New hires have that friendly feel from the minute they log in, which is a huge thing – first impressions are always important! It’s not just from a sales perspective, but an employee one too.”

Webinars show the business case for a unified Zoom ecosystem

With everyone around the business using Zoom, it wasn’t just the sales team using it to drive conversion. Due to the nature of the business, webinars and online demonstrations are integral to interacting with existing and potential customers. Rudy recounts how Zoom Webinar is already paying dividends: “Since hosting webinar sessions with Zoom, attendance has increased by more than 500% as a result.”

 The success of Zoom Webinar means they’re now looking to expand the practice throughout the business with internal and external communications.

Remote, hybrid, and everything in between

You don’t become a market leader by limiting your talent pool; you do it by hiring the very best regardless of where they live in the world. The nature of working in tech lends itself to remote working which was a fantastic launching pad for Synthesia’s expansion. However, their move to a hybrid model really cemented their new culture. “We still hire people around the world but wanted to give them a choice. Those in the office connect using Zoom the same way remote workers do. There wasn’t an official announcement, it just happened naturally,” Sam confirms.

When you build a working culture as seamless and accommodating as Synthesia has with Zoom, sometimes the pieces just fall into place.“Zoom enables us to do that because you get that in-person effect without being in person. Using Zoom Spaces gives us that feeling while not excluding those working remotely. We’re seeing the office used more and more because of these amazing systems we’ve got,” Sam says.

Sam attributes the successful transition from fully remote to hybrid working to the welcoming technological spaces they can create with Zoom. “Having those kinds of spaces which are very homely, friendly, but also technologically advanced really helps. The greatest thing is we have the freedom to work from whatever office but if someone isn’t able to, they can have the same experience from home. Having these key offices without compromising how we employ outwards due to connectivity has been integral to our expansion.”

The team at Synthesia is extremely satisfied with the culture they’ve created within and between teams. The quick and easy connectivity that a unified system has brought with it means that everyone, from new hires to seasoned veterans, feels like part of the team.

As Rudy excellently puts it: “You need that touchpoint with other humans. It brings you together socially and to know each other as a team in a way that you wouldn’t usually get  on your own in Barcelona, while the nearest team member happens to be in Paris. It’s especially important early in your career – we need to collaborate as much as possible.”

So what’s next?

Synthesia has gone from strength to strength over the last few years and sits proudly as the market leader in AI video generation. The team recognizes just how valuable Zoom has been in their growth, along with developing their stellar working culture.

As they seek to continue to bring the most value to their customers by providing the best product they can, they do so safely in the knowledge that they can keep collaborating seamlessly. Rudy knows the value of reliable connectivity in driving excellent relationships with employees and customers alike. “We never have to sit there wondering if something goes wrong, we won’t be able to manage it remotely, we can be proactive and create a great experience for those working together across the world. The feedback from employees and customers is always positive; it just works.”