Video Marketing

By Lisa Horan

Considering the challenging economic times just about every business seems to be facing this year, effective marketing is going to play a crucial role in success.  If you’re hired to produce a marketing piece for a client, how can you make sure it accomplishes its goals?  We spoke with two production professionals who are regularly involved with creating video marketing projects to get their take. 

Go for Authenticity

Audiences are demanding, and let’s face it, they’re also skeptical.  That said, you can’t get much over on them, so don’t try to.  If you want them to believe in the product or service that’s being advertised, you have to present the information in the most authentic way possible.  In many cases, this comes down to the setting.  Consider a branded spot produced by creative service firm Renegade Productions (www.renegadeproductions.com) for Cox Cable, Motorola, and the NFL.  The spot featured two settings: a packed football stadium and a living room, where a retired referee sat with his grandson reminiscing about his days on the grid iron.  “We needed to be able to realistically recreate the excitement of an NFL game as well as a home setting,” explains Chris Beutler, the Executive Creative Director/VP of Production.   And to do that most effectively, Beutler and his team relied on the incorporation of sound elements.  From an authentic sounding crowd, to a voice talent that sounded like a real football announcer, the timing and selection of these sound elements played a crucial role in the piece, which generated a 40 percent result in sales.

Don’t Skimp on the VO

In marketing pieces, the voice is critical to success.  “How many spots do you see that are carried by the voices?” reminds Beutler.  For the NFL piece, that was definitely the case.  Renegade had to identify a voice talent who could execute a thunderous, authoritative voice that audiences would automatically accept as an NFL announcer.  Without it, the piece would have suffered.  “You could spend $50,000 on a piece, then cheap out on the voice over, and that does it for your project,” says Scott Stewart, President/Creative Director of Resolution Post (www.resolutionpost.com).  “If you’re paying for the editorial and graphics, don’t hire your buddy to do the voice over just to save money.”

Make Less More

When you only have 60 seconds to make an impact and draw an audience in, you have to learn how to do more with less.  Convincing clients that less is more, however, is not an easy sell, according to Beutler.  “Oftentimes, clients want to throw in the kitchen sink, but we try to help them understand that by putting everything into a piece, there’s a better chance that the consumer will take nothing away from it.”  The bottom line: a simple, de- cluttered message is almost always the best way to make the biggest impact. 

Choose Music First

“We don’t like to do anything without having the music first,” says Stewart, who reports the bulk of Resolution Post’s work involves 3-D animation.  “Music drives how we key frame things, so it’s really important to have the music selection when we begin the process so that it will flow and open up to camera moves most effectively.”  In addition, Stewart, who is also a drummer, tends to edit to the beats of the music.  The features in the programs he uses enable him to tap a key on the keyboard with the beat of the music to designate moves and cuts to make the piece flow. “This type of editing is one of the secrets to cutting a good piece,” he says.    

 

Don’t Underestimate the Power of YouTube

According to the latest statistics, the second most used search engine behind Google is YouTube.  Consequently, this tool can be an extremely effective – not to mention cost-effective – way for companies to get the word out about their products or services.  “It’s no surprise that the younger market of consumers, between the ages of 18 and 34, want their information in video, and YouTube is a resource they turn to,” says Beutler.  “If you don’t utilize this medium, you’re missing a huge audience.”