With a whopping eight Stolichnaya integrations in the summer action flick “Atomic Blonde,” the vodka brand and Universal Pictures
aren’t stinting on the supporting campaign.
The companies teased the tie-in with a 15-second video (viewable on YouTube) launched earlier this month, and Stoli was the official sponsor of the movie’s red-carpet premiere in Los Angeles in
late July. Now, with the movie having debuted in the U.S. this past weekend, the rest of the co-branded multimedia campaign is switching into full gear.
The female MI6
agent played by Charlize Theron prefers Stoli on Ice to James Bond’s “shaken, not stirred” martinis — one of several references used to underline that she’s not hewing to
stereotypes of the male variety.
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The number of in-movie placements and scale of the tie-in deal reflects what Stoli, after reading the script, saw as a natural fit between the
lead character and the brand’s “unapologetically bold character,” said Stoli Group USA VP Russell Pareti. “It also reinforces our quality and authentic heritage — as
[Stoli] was a specific choice made to fit her character.”
The integrations include the character pouring a glass of Stoli in the film’s opening sequence as she slips
her bruised body into an ice bath, and ordering the spirit at an East Berlin bar teeming with KGB agents.
The campaign, running through August, targets consumers 25 to 49
and includes television, out-of-home (shown) in New York City, L.A., Boston, Miami, Chicago and Dallas, print, digital and social media, and a dedicated Pandora digital station featuring music from
the movie’s soundtrack and playlists from the ’80s.
“All media were selected to align with elements of the movie and its 1989 setting/music,” Pareti
tells Marketing Daily.
That includes running the TV ads (in Miami, New York, Boston and L.A.) in “high-energy” and pop culture
programming such as “Entertainment Weekly,” “Shark Week” and late-night shows; and in sports programming like “American Ninja Warrior” and WWE and UFC shows, as
well as more traditional choices like the “MLB All-Star Game.” Primetime premieres and finales are in the mix to boost visibility and reach.
Print ads carrying themes
from the movie are being run in Playboy, Us Weekly, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Automobile and Cigar Aficionado.
Stoli is using its social media channels to post custom photo and video
content using scenes from the film, as well as giving fans behind-the-scenes access to the film, such as livestreaming the red carpet at the U.S. premiere.
The
digitaldistribution plan uses banner ads and integrated 15-second video content through partners including Playboy.com, ESPN.com, Sightly and Pandora. The Playboy digital
content is ’80’s-themed, and the content on YouTube/Sightly is targeted to segments including fans of thriller movies and fans of Theron.
Stoli and Universal are also
offering Stoli-based, “Atomic Blonde”-themed cocktails, in limited-edition cups, at theater chains that serve alcoholic beverages, including Cineapolis and Movie Tavern.
In addition, Stoli is running a sweepstakes on a dedicated site, and bars across the country are featuring co-branded displays and
promotional parties.
Video is undoubtedly one of the most important tools in a marketer’s arsenal, boasting a proven ability to engage and excite consumers.
From a 15-minute series to six-second Snapchat clips, the sheer volume of formats and channels available mean marketers need to carefully consider how video works for their specific brand.
Here Marketing Week explores the different types of video brands need to know.
Long form
As the home of long-form video content, YouTube is a favourite with brands looking to break the conventions of TV schedules and go direct to consumers.
Attracting seven billion global views each month, it is no wonder Buzzfeed believes digital shows can break through at scale. One in six people in the UK currently subscribes to one of BuzzFeed’s Tasty food channels on YouTube, while an episode of ‘Worth It’ – a series that pits high-end items against budget alternatives – routinely racks up more than 12 million views a month.
“When we look at serialised shows, there are very few examples of digital-only shows breaking through at scale,” said Ze Frank, president of the BuzzFeed Entertainment Group, speaking to Marketing Week in February.
“Then I look at a show like ‘Worth It’, which regularly gets over 10 million views, with a 75% retention rate. In terms of minutes watched, you’re starting to get to numbers that are bigger than cable.”
The immediacy of digital products means BuzzFeed can react quickly to direct feedback from its online audience, allowing its partner brands to adapt their advertising strategy in real time.
Beauty brand Benefit opts for YouTube when it wants to generate the mass awareness needed to promote a new product or launch a high-end, glossy video with the impact to capture consumers’ attention for longer.
However rather than aiming to upload a video to YouTube every week, head of digital marketing for Benefit UK and Ireland, Michelle Stoodley, believes less is definitely more.
“It’s really easy to think you need to do loads of video. Last year we attempted to do one a week on YouTube and I don’t think we appreciated the work involved, the time needed and the budgets.
“If you’re going to do video it helps to have the budgets to support it from an advertising point of view. So we’re trying to take the approach of doing less and when we do [create video] spending more to boost it across the relevant channels to get value out of every piece of content.”
As YouTube users have become accustomed to skipping adverts after five seconds it’s crucial marketers land their message in that limited timeframe, argues Mondelez digital and social media manager, Pollyanna Ward.
To ensure the message conveyed by its recent Belvita biscuit campaign reached maximum impact, Mondelez used Google Vogon technology to overlay dynamic text or images on top of the creative.
“It allowed us to change the messaging in the first five seconds of our advert to match the video that the user was watching. For example, those watching a music video would get a music-themed intro before getting into our creative,” Ward explains.
“This was incredibly successful for us in driving relevancy with our consumers and getting people to watch beyond the five seconds by having a creative and relevant hook.”
Short form
Whether it’s a six-second Snapchat clip or a polished, high-end Instagram Stories campaign, marketers are increasingly adding short-form video to their media mix. This means marketers are experimenting with how to use the screen space to make a real impact, says Mondelez’s Pollyanna Ward.
“On Instagram the square format presents a challenge when it comes to figuring out assets developed for a campaign, and this is the same with the vertical on Snapchat,” she explains.
“Despite these challenges in viewability and impact, what it really taught us is that when it comes to creative, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.”
Beauty brand Benefit uses the informal nature of bitesize content on Instagram Stories and Snapchat to bring consumers closer to the brand, from sharing footage of the trend team at a fashion show to inviting fans behind the scenes at exclusive Benefit events.
On Instagram Stories Ted Baker has led the way with its episodic, soap opera style ‘Keeping up with the Bakers’ campaign. Unveiled in March, the campaign focuses on a fictional family who moves into a suburb where everyone is hiding dark secrets.
A scene from Ted Baker’s ‘Keeping up with the Bakers’ Instagram Stories campaign
Viewers have the ability to click through a selection of five different ‘TV channels’ in Stories, while the main short film is fully shoppable. The fashion retailer is also using Instagram Stories as a gossip channel, posting daily content about the Baker family.
Speaking to Marketing Week in March, Ted Baker global brand communication director Craig Smith argued that Instagram Stories is perfect for building a narrative and adding more depth to a thread.
The immediacy and ‘realness’ of live video is proving an attractive outlet for brands seeking to break down the wall between them and their customers.
Benefit started experimenting with Facebook Live a year ago and since then has launched a fortnightly series called Bene University, offering a playful take on the latest beauty trends. The quicker marketers can jump on a trend in the social space, the more relevant their content is to consumers, says Stoodley.
“Our community responds really well to both longer-form glossier pieces and short, fun content, because as a brand we stand for being real and honest. Our aim is to be a lot more relatable than the glossier premium beauty brands, which can be a little bit intimidating or too aspirational. So the live channels help us to do that,” she explains.
Benefit is not the only brand getting in on the live video action. As part of its partnership with beer brand Carling, Sky screens a Facebook Live show ahead of its Carling sponsored football coverage on Sky Sports.
“People are watching on Sky’s Facebook channel and getting involved with it. Then when you combine this with interesting long-form content – say a half hour show – you’ve got little elements that you make can make into shorter-form segments and then redistribute in the social space,” explains Sky Media head of creative solutions,Jason Hughes.
“You get a lot of earned good will from it because people might find that clip and then discover the longer show behind it.”
User-generated content
Content created by brand fans, influencers and staff has been a big success for Benefit. To coincide with the roll out of its mascara Roller Lash in 2015, Benefit created a montage video featuring user-generated content (UGC) posted by consumers, which Stoodley believes worked so well because it felt real.
The company also works with digital platform Seen It on an initiative called Benefit Capture. Benefit puts out briefs to its staff and blogger community via the platform with clear instructions about the kind of video they want the community to create.
“It works really well with our staff in particular as they make tutorials for us and it’s great because it’s a real girl from one of our real stores, creating a real look,” Stoodley explains.
“It’s not in a studio, it’s the kind of stuff that feels like watching influencer content, but more relatable than a head make-up artist doing something. Day to day it’s that type of content that’s working really well.”
Whereas a couple of years ago 4K video was only available to videographers with expensive equipment, significant improvements in smartphone technology have dramatically reduced the barriers to entry.
This has been reflected in the amount of 4K video being shot and uploaded to Shutterstock, which received 130,000 4K video submissions in January 2017, compared to 20,000 in January 2015.
“If you’re advertising today without a video component to the campaign, you have to wonder if you’re leaving something out,” says Shutterstock general manager of ecommerce motion, Alex Renaud.
“Engagement from video advertising and content ranks higher than traditional forms. However, people can so effortlessly turn off your message and move onto the next video. Therefore quality across video is of the utmost importance, as Netflix and others have ushered in an era where TV-quality is expected on digital media.”
Renaud argues that almost all video works best in 4K, especially content with lots of detail that benefits from crisp, ultra high-definition.
“By shooting in 4K you are future-proofing your work so that it can be consumed on future screens. As marketers have begun to take on a more platform-agnostic approach this is an essential component to consider. Commercials on YouTube should have a similar perceived quality than the ones that air on TV,” Renaud adds.
Multi-platform
Brand partnerships are central to the multi-platform strategy offered by Sky, which seeks to combine TV advertising and video-on-demand with social media, branded content and targeted programmatic.
One such example is the tie-up between Sky Atlantic and car brand Volvo on Human Made Stories. Centred on creative people who challenge convention, the campaign mixes premium cinematic style adverts on Sky Atlantic with 30-second trailers, idents and a social campaign using Twitter Amplify to drive awareness.
Sky Media head of creative solutions, Jason Hughes, believes brands should consider how they can support video with targeted VOD advertising and a holistic digital strategy in order to reach maximum impact.
“It’s good to explore how we transcend the walls of social and TV to share those learnings about how you build audiences to make great branded content,” says Hughes.
“If you think of the amount of content out there, the ads and branded content, there’s got to be a reason for the cut through and the more you can make the content credible and shareable, it makes far more sense.”
Hughes believes the best way for brands to achieve cut through is to combine traditional commercial airtime and targeted advertising in order to “turbo charge” their branded content.
Marketing Week will be publishing a series of features on video throughout the week.
WSN’s Brady Bussler accepted the award on July 13th at SMPS’ 40th annual « Build Business » conference in Indianapolis. Widseth Smith Nolting is a multi-disciplined firm of more than 200 employees providing engineering, architecture, land surveying and environmental services, with offices in Bemidji, Alexandria, Brainerd, Crookston, East Grand Forks, Forest Lake and Rochester in Minnesota and in Grand Forks, N.D.
Summit Media Publisher Edna Belleza drives content production in all its platforms, from print to digital, managing teams of creative talented professionals including writers, editors, artists, and marketers. In this Q and A, she discusses two vital elements that enable one to stay ahead of the curve: the knack to discern what evolving audiences want, and the agility to craft the right message through the right medium.
Q: At a time when a lot of analysts are saying that print media will go by the wayside because of the development of digital, how has Summit Media not just managed to survive, but continue to lead the industry? How do you stay on top not just of news, but of trends? What is the current ratio between your print vs. your digital components?
EB: Ultimately, it’s all about the audience. Print is just one medium to reach the audience. And we’re primarily a content company. We deliver the content in whatever way is effective. With consumers’ changing media habits, we need to be as pervasive in digital as we have been in print.
Today, we have 15 brands in digital and six in print. All the remaining six magazines also have strong websites and sizable social media following. Some of our digital-only brands evolved from print, like Smart Parenting and Entrepreneur. The others, like Spot and SPIN, started out as purely digital.
With print, the monthly readership across our portfolio is about four million. With digital, we reach 26 million unique visitors and our social media footprint is at 33 million. So digital has actually been a big opportunity for us as a media company.
Q: How do you continue to make great content? Are editors given free rein to feel the pulse of the market and thus conceptualize the stories? Or do marketing, research, and analytics now play a role and how so?
EB: We’re a very data-driven company but we also allow our editors to experiment with concepts they want to explore.
One of the good things about digital is that you get instant feedback on every piece of content as soon as you put it out there. This allows you to tweak it so it resonates with the audience more. And it helps you plan for succeeding articles or videos you want to produce. We also use social listening to stay on top of trends and anticipate what audiences want.
The common misconception about being data-driven is that you can’t write about a serious topic because it might not become viral. Our view at Summit is that we should write about the things that matter and use data to make sure we reach as many of the intended audience as possible. Because, in the end, if you have a great story to tell, what good will it do if nobody gets to read it?
We’re always having conversations with our editors about having a sense of purpose and being clear about what each of their brands stands for. There are topics that may not necessarily become viral, like reproductive health and women’s rights, but we continue to write about them lest people forget that those are important to us.
Q: What kind of content has proven successful with the Filipino consumer audience? Which do not gain ground and why?
With the proliferation of fake news, advertisers are now looking for the brand-safe environment that an established media organization like ours can provide. This is a global trend.
EB: Some things are universal. There are emotional triggers that make people like or share an article or a video. For instance, we know humor works. And, yes, we Filipinos love our “hugot [something inner or soulish that is compelling].”
In terms of subject matter, celebrity still brings the numbers and we seem to love our local celebrities a lot more than we do our Hollywood favorites. Our coverage of the Ms. Universe competition in January, for instance, generated close to eight million page views.
What works, of course, can also differ depending on the audience segment. The beauty of digital is that you’re able to quickly gather data and glean actionable insights about them.
Q: Aside from the usual numbers when it comes to circulation and website hits or clicks, what are the things that advertisers look for before placing ads or sponsoring packages in media? Would you say that advertisers now favor digital (website and social media) over print? What would be the ratio?
Engagement and conversion appear to trump simple reach.
EB: With the proliferation of fake news, advertisers are now looking for the brand-safe environment that an established media organization like ours can provide. This is a global trend.
Also, there seems to be a lot more effort going into making sure advertisers are able to target the right audiences over reaching the biggest ones. Engagement and conversion appear to trump simple reach.
Advertisers go where consumers go. Clearly, digital is no longer playing second fiddle to print. But each platform serves a purpose and a consumer uses each medium differently.
Q: Summit has been known for its agility in adapting to the fast changes that constantly develop in the various media industries. How do you manage your editors, writers, artists, and other members of your team to do this? Is this agility a matter of giving them the right training, picking the right people, or providing them the right motivation? What kind of structure lays the groundwork for this agility and makes it possible?
EB: It’s a mix of hiring the right people and training existing ones so they can evolve. In digital, things are always in flux. One day, you’re poring over analytics to figure out what articles do well; the next day, you’re learning how to make videos that perform better in mobile and social media. Regular huddles provide a venue for sharing best practices and learning new methods.
And, for many years now, we’ve recognized the best performers through internal awards.
Q: Your experience cuts across all media platforms. After a solid start in print journalism, you pioneered what were then called portals, and many of them remain top of mind among the readers and users of today – first in news and current affairs, and then in show business and entertainment. You’ve seen the evolution of both consumer and audience as they have been influenced by the rise of the internet and the development of content. What are the major changes that these users have undergone, and how can media – print and digital – reach out to them?
And, instead of spending a fixed time in front of their computers to browse content on the Internet, consumers are now pulling content in pockets of time throughout the day on their mobile phones.
EB: When I started in digital almost 20 years ago, the game was to build a website people would bookmark and visit regularly. Obviously, things are very different today, thanks to social media and mobile. Instead of going directly to their favorite websites, most people are led to content shared by their friends on social media. And, instead of spending a fixed time in front of their computers to browse content on the Internet, consumers are now pulling content in pockets of time throughout the day on their mobile phones.
Q: You’ve worn a lot of hats, from strategic planning, business development, sales and marketing, to overall general management. Which of these roles fulfill you the most, and why?
EB: Strategic planning is the most challenging and exciting for me because it involves some amount of prognostication. But, general management is most fulfilling because you get a holistic view of the business and, at the same time, have the opportunity to dive into the different functional areas when the need arises.
Q: What is the most important campaign that you launched that you feel most proud of? Or the one story that you built, explored, and published? And on both occasions, what made you feel that they are the greatest kind of content that you produced – and why?
EB: It’s cliché but it’s really difficult to choose when you have so many brands. And it’s really a team effort led by our president, Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng. She’s very hands-on in every aspect of the business.
But some noteworthy efforts quickly come to mind. For editorial, we did a lengthy piece on the Metro Manila Film Festival controversy in PEP a while back that touched on issues that have an impact on the future of the local showbiz industry. A more recent editorial effort is that of Esquire’s expose of the world of “hokage” or “pastor” groups in Facebook that exploit women.
And it’s not just the controversial long reads that make us proud. Every day, I always find something to be proud of in the hundreds of content the team produces. Take Entrepreneur, I find the articles on local business and how to invest your money quite intelligent and helpful. And I’m not saying that as a publisher but as a consumer myself.
In terms of advertising efforts, we’re proud of the fact that we’ve done many firsts in the industry, like the content marketing project with Unilever and Mindshare. We’ve also helped many clients win awards, like our 360 campaign for PG and our custom publishing project for Meralco.
Q: Which direction do you see media going into the near future? Will video replace heavy text-based content? Will all stories have shorter word counts or video time because of the audience’s short attention span? Will AI and analytics influence the way we do content? How will Summit respond to these challenges?
EB: Global trends point to video becoming the preferred format for the future, but I personally don’t think text-based content will die totally. Nor will all content be shorter. While it’s true that the small pockets of time we have to consume content require concise storytelling, there will still be room for long reads or videos.
Our data suggests that long form is starting to get more engagement than short pieces. In the end, it’s all about having a compelling story to tell.
As more and more people are getting used to watching streaming video via Netflix and the like, they’re also getting used to spending more time on their phones. In fact, our data suggest that long form is starting to get more engagement than short pieces. In the end, it’s all about having a compelling story to tell. And being able to use data to tell it well.
At Summit, we’re investing a lot in video production. We have 25 people focused on the production side. They collaborate with over a hundred more people in editorial and creative solutions. We also have new studios. I think that’s pretty substantial for what was once purely a print business.
Q: Given the ton of content that is published every single day, what piece of advice would you give writers, editors, marketers, and content producers to become continually relevant and their stories visible to today’s attention-shifting audience?
EB: Always keep the audience in mind. What moves them? What are their pain points? Use data to guide you. Formats and platforms will continue to change. There will also be generational shifts in behavior.
With More Than 100,000 Users In Over 100 Countries, Viewedit By Vidyard Is Transforming The Way Business Professionals Communicate With Personal Video Messages
Vidyard, the leading provider of video solutions for business, announced that it has surpassed 100,000 users of its ViewedIt video messaging app across more than 100 countries. Enabling business professionals to easily record, share and track personal video messages, ViewedIt by Vidyard is now powering a wide range of video-based communications for marketing, sales, support, product, business operations, education and RD professionals as well as business owners and executives. The growing adoption of personal video messaging in business comes as the global trends in the creation and consumption of video content reaches an all-time high.
Michael Litt, CEO and co-founder of Vidyard
“Video now represents 73% of all internet traffic and has emerged as the most impactful way to communicate in both our personal and business lives,” says Michael Litt, CEO and co-founder of Vidyard. “Video is much more engaging than text-based communications, and it inspires immediate action. We built ViewedIt to put the power of video into the hands of everyone across the business, and I couldn’t be more excited to see how the community is embracing personal video messaging as a better way to communicate and share their ideas.”
ViewedIt by Vidyard offers a seamless experience for recording custom videos from within the Google Chrome browser and instantly sharing via Gmail, Outlook, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other online channels. Users can track who’s watched their videos and how long they tuned in, giving them unique insight into how their content is being consumed. Originally built to help sales professionals stand out and connect with customers in a more personal way, the expanding community has found countless new ways to use video messages to communicate, educate and share ideas.
Emails with personal video messages generate higher engagement and response rates than those with long-form text, with the most dramatic impact surfacing with sales professionals. Multiple businesses have reported a 300%-500% increase in response rates to outbound sales messages when using personal videos.
Tonni Bennett, VP of Sales at Terminus
“Personal video messages have had a huge impact on our ability to connect with potential clients and generate new sales opportunities,” said Tonni Bennett, VP of Sales at Terminus, a leading provider of Account-Based Marketing solutions. “Our sales team is now using ViewedIt to cut through the noise, connect with prospects on a personal level and revive big deals that have gone quiet. Video works because it gives you the opportunity to tell a more impactful story, and to develop trust and empathy with your audience.”
Innovative B2B companies such as CentiMark, Hootsuite, HubSpot, League, Shopify, PostBeyond, Terminus, and Vision Critical are embracing personal video as a way to stand out and boost the performance of their sales and go-to-market teams. Taylor Mihail of Vision Critical, the 100,000th user of ViewedIt by Vidyard, noted, “Video has dramatically accelerated my ability to connect with new sales prospects because unlike emails and phone calls, it stands out and truly humanizes my conversation.”
A local video production house has garnered some international accolades as it reeled in a pair of awards earlier this month.
Vantage Point Media House (VPMH) were presented with two Awards of Excellence at the 21st annual Videography Awards held in Dallas, Texas. Entries were reviewed by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) and Awards of Excellence were given to those projects the judges deem are written, produced and edited in an exceptional manner.
The first of the two pieces of work recognized was in the category of Television Production, Product Commercial for VPMH’s work with Marolina Outdoors for Huk performance fishing apparel. The second award was in the category of Video Production, Short Documentary with Aerovelo, whose Eta speed bike broke the world human-powered speed record.
The two awards aren’t the first to sit on the local company’s trophy rack. Earlier this year, another VPMH production, Dave Mercer’s Facts of Fishing was awarded best videography by the Outdoor Sportsmen Group. It was selected from all outdoor programming shows in the US. This was the first time in the 17-year history of the awards that a fishing television show has received that award.
“We are incredibly proud of the international recognition that our team has received this year,” stated Nick Pujic, VPMH executive producer. “We are a group of passionate producers who continue to push the boundaries of what is possible for outdoor television and video content.
“We are also very fortunate to work with forward-thinking clients who share the same vision.”
Pujic added that, with a busy few months of filming for the VPMH team, there will be more exciting work and recognition to come for the team at VPMH.
Visit vpmediahouse.com to see the award-winning productions and learn more about the VPMH team and studio.
Conversational videos drive traffic, boost engagement, and are taking over the internet: 74 percent of all Internet traffic in 2017 will be video. Learn how to stand out with conversational video marketing when you join our latest interactive VB Live event.
Video content, done well, is imminently shareable – even potentially viral, ready to take over the internet.
“Video gets freakish results,” says Todd Hartley, CEO of digital marketing agency Wirebuzz. He means that in a good way.
“I want to be able to present products and services in a way that get the best results,” he explains. “So that means I’ve got to be good at video in order to help my clients get the results that they’re looking for at faster and faster rates.”
In the B2B world, the word ‘viral’ is thrown around way too easily — but you aren’t actually looking to create the next billion-download internet sensation (though obviously you wouldn’t be mad if that happened). You need to focus.
“You have to recognize that in B2B, you’re not trying to go viral to everybody and my mother,” Hartley explains. “Instead you’re trying to go viral to a very specific target buyer, and that takes pre-planning and precision.”
Too many video marketers wing it, he says, and when they launch their finished product, it’s a dud. It takes a tremendous amount of smart planning and savvy strategy to create a video that really resonates.
“For me and my team, that means we don’t start with the video first,” he says. “We have to start with digital strategy. The strategy fleshes out the goals, and every video needs to have a strategy laid out beforehand: What are you trying to accomplish with this piece of content?”
There are five steps in video marketing planning at Wirebuzz, all designed with an overarching goal in mind: making the video compelling enough, with the right message and visuals, to make your target jump on that call-to-action you’ve carefully designed.
1. Strategy session
Strategy sessions take about an hour, Hartley says, but they’re going through a tremendous amount of information in that short time. Their objective is to uncover the end goal of the video. It’s a discovery session that covers everything from A to ROI.
The first step: So what exactly is that end goal? A purchase, a a share, a like? Capturing contact information? Identifying this allows you to pull out the key messaging that will guide video content and marketing all the way through the remaining steps of video creation.
Tactics should be determined right out of the gate as well. Is this going to be inbound? Is this going to be account-based marketing? Are we launching a business, are we going to be using a product launch formula, are we using this video for search optimization or email marketing to speed up sales? Is it going to be used in marketing automation?
2. Web development
Next step, Hartley says, is asking yourself if your website supports that strategy you’ve created — and if not, what elements need to be built in order for that video to be successful.
It takes about six weeks for the video to be created, he explains, which means you need to have the website, or at least a landing page, built at the same time.
It’s also why you need to be clear from the start what the call-to-action will be, as well as where that CTA will link.
3. Content creation
The call-to-action, where that links to, and what you’re supposed to find at the end of the rainbow is essential for the third stage, content creation. In the script and in the storyboard, that CTA needs to be thoroughly fleshed out and then baked into each and every frame.
4. Going live
Your video is done, it’s gloriously on-message, with every frame urging the viewer closer and closer to taking that final, committed step and becoming yours. Now the video goes live. At Wirebuzz, they have a Go-Live team, which posts and engages a target customer on a website or on social, or both. And every one of those marketing engagement interactions needs to be a reflection of the road map you started out with.
5. Ensuring ROI
The last stage, Hartley says, is handing over the action to the ROI team, which focuses on taking that live content and the road map that strategy designed, way back in the distant past, to create ads and generate leads that help drive traffic to your content, helping spark and then stimulate the conversation you’re trying to inspire.
Throughout the entire process, from concept to launch to conversion, personalization is also key, Hartley says. Video personalization is becoming more and more sophisticated as video content grows in marketing importance.
“Before the sale, personalization is an attention hack, and grabs awareness, because it’s rare that someone will see a video with their first name on it that is personalized to them, and it increases open rates and grabs higher attention,” he explains. “And also, it’s more likely to be shared.”
But personalization can also happen on the back end, Hartley says.
“We call this a talk trigger,” Hartley explains. “This is how we get clients not only to rave about our work but about our customer service.”
They create a personalized video for clients shortly before project deadlines to let them know that they’re going to see the final project very soon, it’s going beautifully, and everything is on track to get it to them by deadline or even sooner. It’s a don’t worry, be happy kind of video for clients designed to give them the warm fuzzies, and it gets results.
“When I send that personalized video, I get an immediate response, all caps, ‘THANK YOU, YOU GUYS ROCK,’” Hartley says. “And the reason is I’m breaking that fourth barrier in the relationship. I’m using video to reach out and deepen the relationship and alleviate stress. So pre sale, post sale, beautiful usage of personalized video goes a whole long way toward developing a relationship.”
To learn more about creating calls-to-action that sell, how to get your message out and to whom, and personalization strategies that convert in droves, don’t miss this VB Live event!
Live streaming has become the hottest new marketing trend among advertisers, used as a strategy to encourage real-time engagement with consumers. In the latest infographic from direct response agency Koeppel Direct, the statistics reveal how people are now viewing content and why there’s been such a significant shift to live streaming among industries.
The infographic, Rise of Live Streaming: Redefining Real-Time Engagement, reveals 59% of people prefer live videos online instead of live TV; 80% would rather watch live video from a brand versus reading a blog; and 78% of people are already watching live videos on Facebook Live. In today’s growing mobile-first world, live streaming fits in with the audience who already relies on their mobile devices for their consumption of content online.
The data also uncovers a competition not only among brands but also between platforms as well. Snapchat growth slowed 82% after the launch of Instagram Stories, which now boasts 200 million daily users, although YouTube still maintains a command on users topping off at one billion. Live streaming has rapidly gained in popularity and as the novelty wears off, it leaves the challenge to marketers to constantly put out better content.
The spike in live streaming views is due in part to people’s response to live footage of QA sessions, interviews, events, behind-the-scenes insights, and product announcements shown in real time. It continues feeding content to a loyal fanbase, while simultaneously attracting new influencers.
The infographic, 
