Read our blogArchive for December, 2011
Nicki Craddock, Head of Public Relations, IKEA
“I have to say having seen the film I was pretty damn chuffed… proud of the team that made it happen and proud of the company I work for. Despite the fact that I know the content well, the film comes across in such a great way. There really does not have to be a compromise between taking responsibility and doing good business.”
Victoria Pilkington, Managing Director, Brora
“TRACC Films were professional, did what they said they would do, seemed as passionate about the filming process as I am about the product and really understood what Brora is about.”
Gill Bowler, Internal Communications Manager, Waitrose
“I was impressed with the level of preparation from the TRACC team, and they quickly grasped a clear understanding of our business model. They have produced a finished piece that successfully tells the story of Waitrose, our history and the factors that contribute to our continued success. The team was a pleasure to work with and the production process ran to schedule.”
Niel McInnes, Corporate Communications Manager, Scottish Enterprise
“Formats and delivery channels change all the time, but we need to keep reaching out to new and current customers. The platform this gives us takes our message to an untapped stream of people that may have missed a traditional advert or editorial.”
Professor Bill McKelvey, Principal & Chief Executive, Scottish Agricultural College
“Issues such as biodiversity, animal welfare, climate change and thriving rural communities are important to Scotland, Europe and beyond. This video helps explain our mission to a wider audience.”
Martin Fleet, General Manager, Sheila Fleet Jewellery
“TRACC Films were exceptionally professional and it was so easy to deal with them. We would not hesitate to recommend TRACC Films to other companies and will use them again in the future.”
Georgina Smith, Sales & Marketing Director, Stonehaven
“The production process was fairly painless and quick. This was mainly down to Tracc Films quickly understanding our business and the key reasons behind our success…”
John Moret, Director of Sales & Marketing, Suffolk Life
“We not only use the film on our website but also have it pressed to DVD for financial planners and advisers to give to their clients as a modern way to demonstrate the credentials of the company they are recommending…”
Andrew Leggett, Marketing & Technical Manager, Suffolk Life
“I think new media like this is actually a great way of using new technology to deliver something that’s in a way quite old-fashioned and very human – i.e. you actually get to see and hear the people you might wish to engage, see their company in action, in its own environment, rather than just reading some marketing text on a web page or in a brochure – and it’s probably quicker for the viewer, too!”
Brigitte Schuessler, Head of Supply & Real Estate Management, Telekom Austria
“The film gives other enterprises and partners a good overview about the measures Telekom Austria has put in place and shows that for us environmental protection is not just an empty phrase but the opportunity to increase our competitiveness.”
Peter Butcher, Chairman & Managing Director, TMD Technologies
“We have been impressed by the professionalism of TRACC, who have demonstrated to us their ability to grasp the key facts, and present our story well, culminating in a high quality video. TMD will be utilising this extensively, aimed both at our customers, and in PR promotion.”
Gill Bowler, Internal Communications Manager, Waitrose
“I was impressed with the level of preparation from the TRACC team, and they quickly grasped a clear understanding of our business model…”
James McDougall, Promotion & Events Manager, Forestry Commission Scotland
“TRACC Films is without a doubt a good and professional firm to work with.”
Simon J Pearce, Chief Operating Officer, Brightside Group Plc
“We certainly feel that TRACC Films provide great value for money. We are delighted with the film and would extol this virtue to any company wishing to promote their company…”
Heather McRae, Marketing Manager, GMS Music
“TRACC understood perfectly who we are and what we were looking to portray in our film. They came up with a concept that would make the most of our family roots and passion whilst also getting across the message that we are both professional and good at what we do”…
John Carroll, Head of Marketing, Catlin Group
“The film production crew was responsive, quick and relatively unobtrusive during the filming process…”
Sofie Boddy, PR Manager, Footdown
“The communication between Tracc’s production team and our team at Footdown was great, they were flexible to our needs and the whole process was very well organised.”
Peter Ellis, CEO, Foreign Currency Direct
“When I saw the film I was absolutely over the moon. In my view, well put together and totally professional. What more can I say?”
Simon Davies, Head of Marketing, Fine & Rare Wines
“TRACC understood our business and the key messages for the film surprisingly quickly and thoroughly. The whole production was extremely easy and the crew very professional and reassuring. The whole process was top quality!”
Stuart Green, Managing Director, UK Steel Enterprise
“I was very impressed with the Director’s rapid understanding of what is an unusual, if not unique, business in the UK. The crew were polite and friendly, and clearly knew what they were doing and how best to represent us on film. The result was a well produced high quality film – very crisp, clear key messages and interesting to watch.”
The C-Word (it’s compelling)
“We want to create a viral, you know something which makes us a bit more interesting, engaging, maybe even funny…”
The comment trailed off into the distance as the reality of her statement struck home. Her company provides outsourced hosting and cloud computing services. A video featuring Brian from Customer Services playing the piano with his feet may not constitute the right compelling content. Their brand values revolve around trust, reliability, and professionalism.
With the rise and rise of business and brand films, is there a danger in creating ‘a corporate celebrity’ culture?
The CEO who has to be the face of the business, despite customers who never have any contact with them. The Marketing Director, who sees themselves as the Thought Leader of the age, the Chief Technical Officer who fancies themselves as the heir to Steve Jobs. It seems like the evidence of corporate video production is everywhere but is it any good?
Back in the Tracc production lab I sat questioning, what business and consumer audiences wanted to watch? Is the viral simply an expensive luxury in today’s climate of austerity, where everything has to be measured and counted in terms of ROI.
That evening in the name of research I sat in front of the TV. I decided there was nothing on and I submitted to the voyeuristic lure of Britain’s Got Talent, I know, it was a moment of madness. I sat watching an overweight middle age man projecting his eyes on stalks to the beat of Mr Boombastic, a hand bell ringing duo, and a bloke in a pig mask wearing a sailor’s outfit. In a mix of bewilderment and fear I applied firm pressure to the stand-by button. My conclusion, just because people can do stuff doesn’t mean they’re talented or interesting. Creating compelling content which can move audiences into action needs a high degree of honesty and a strong connection with your intended viewers. Don’t guess at what your audience wants…find out what they want.
So what makes content compelling? Well here’s a list to start with:
• Find out what others are saying about your subject, work out what you bring to the party, be creative, be different and most of all…have something to say.
• If the content is really important to your brand, ascribe decent values to the production process. Being able to search on Google doesn’t make you an SEO guru, equally owning a flip camera, doesn’t qualify you as a film maker.
• Avoid the slick PR approach to messaging and perfection (we’re all too clued up for that). Instead opt for transparency, truthfulness and be contrary, look at what it did for a little known trader Alessio Rastani .
• Be objective think about those you want to engage with your content and sit on the other side of the screen…would you honestly give up your time to watch your content and then respond.
• Get an idea of how you want the videos to feel and look, search for some visual references.
• Road test your content before you create it. Be vulnerable, talk to clients, talk to your team, find out what they truthfully think without prejudice. You might just strike gold!
In short, successful films for businesses and brands should be made for audiences not for your gratification.
Remember, you may think you have a sexy brand that everyone should know about, but your audience networks may be looking elsewhere and finding what they’re after. Over 35million people are going to watch an average of 17hours of online video each this month*. Reverse the conversation and start with your audiences (plural intended). Know what they want, what they’re interested in, want to learn or be informed about then be objective about your subject and find a way to say it.
Every business has a story just make sure yours is worth listening to.
Ivor Peters, Creative & Development Director
Space Junk, A Brand Dilemma
“To infinity and beyond!” It’s the familiar clarion call issued by Buzz Lightyear and plagiarised by an army of five year olds around the globe. However, that aspiration may be a little thwarted, given the millions of tons of space junk currently orbiting our still greenish planet. If Buzz can cut through the space debris consisting of rocket boosters, fragments from satellites, surface paint and the odd Tesco trolley he might stand a chance.
Our fascination with filling space isn’t confined to the temporal and physical, we’ve taken to populating cyberspace with as much as we can possibly dish out and it’s looking crowded. Marketing Execs will soon be treated for thumb borne RSI after dispatching tweet after tweet, Brand Managers are grappling with the social mediasphere and wondering how to convert fans into actual customers and CEOs are questioning the PPC budget and trying to work out why they have to pay to get people to look at their online stuff.
At a recent Tracc prospect meeting discussing corporate video production, a moment of frustration was vented when the C-word was uttered, silence dusted the cappuccinos and mouths were left agog. “There’s so much clutter out there and we’re just adding to it. How do we get ourselves in front of the right people and get them to listen?”
We no longer live our lives on or offline, we’re simply connected most of the time. Adding to this level of connectivity is the inexhaustible rise of watching video and filmed content, whether that’s on a hand held device, a tablet, laptop, in a shopping centre, in the back of a taxi, on the underground or waiting for a bus. We’re watching and we enjoy it, because videos and films tell stories and it touches more senses than any other form of media.
We’re so in love with video that Google owned YouTube gets over 2 BILLION views a day, and in the UK we’re experiencing a 35% surge in online video viewing. So, naturally marketers are led to the glistening seduction of lights, camera, action, but just how valuable is digital film content to a brand? Well let’s take a look at the trends:
• Websites with videos can increase click-through rates increase by over 96%
• You’re 50 times more likely to get a front page Google result with an optimised video
• Websites with video can increase conversion rates by 30%
• Visitors who view product videos online are 85% more likely to buy
• Visitors who view video on a website stay 2 minutes longer on average
• Prospects are 3 to 4 times more likely to respond to a video rather than written words
Online film content can seriously influence a brand’s audience networks. We communicate through telling each other stories, but it’s the best stories which capture our attention and keep us going back for more. In other words, film content which is compelling or remarkable gets our vote. Before you think about creating your video sit in the critics chair and think about your audience. Just because you think you’ve got something interesting to say doesn’t mean that your audience is interested.
The question still remained “how do we get ourselves in front of the right people and get them to listen?” In simple terms, it’s the watering hole principle, find out what your audience is interested in and where they gather (online). Then give them what they’re looking for and make sure it can be found where they’re looking, using keyword research and prolific search marketing expertise.
Finally, avoid the queue of those eager to fill space with junk, be remarkable, be creative and be found.
Ivor Peters
Creative & Development Director
