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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
