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brexit video marketing flags

Brexit Video Marketing: How To Reassure Uncertain Customers

26th March, 2019

Hard Brexit. Soft Brexit. No Deal. Some Deal. Happy Meal. Who even knows what we’re in for any more?

 

Brexit has been shaping the lives of UK businesses for a while now. No particular shape, obviously, and it’s shifting all the time, but it has led to conversations about the possible outcomes of a no-deal Brexit… not least in the travel sector, where EU law and benefits play a huge role in the success of a company.

 

The uncertain outcome of Brexit has UK holidaymakers and inbound tourists worried. Nothing is more telling than the search terms listed on Google Trends, and no time is more crucial than now for travel brands to reassure customers that they’re ready to weather this turbulent time.

brexit video marketing placard

 

Brexit video marketing: Why do it?

If you’re a travel sector marketer and wondering why you should dedicate time to something that’s probably taken up far too much space in your life, here’s how we see things:

 

  1. Whichever way you voted on Brexit – and whether you personally prefer we leave with a deal or without one – bears no impact as to the best next steps for your business. You need to pay attention to your customer’s needs. So focusing on this for a moment should be top of your priority list whatever your political beliefs.

  2. This is an opportunity for you to build customer trust. Your customers have questions – don’t leave them unanswered. It affects purchasing decisions.

  3. Video marketing done well creates a specific and special kind of connection with the viewer. Consumers are viewing Brexit as a risk when it comes to putting their money down for a holiday or tourism experience, not to mention a confusing one. Distil everything they need to know into a short, watchable video to forge a faster bond with them. Gain their trust, and help them make the right decision with the facts. You can’t fail to win them over with that kind of timely, topical video marketing in tow.

 

Brexit video marketing guided by search queries

To inform your Brexit video marketing content, we’ve gone right to the source of your customer’s worries and clinched a list of Brexit/travel search terms trending on Google right now.

 

Depending on what type of travel brand you’re working on and how much time you feel like you want to dedicate to this, we have pointers as to who is most likely to be Googling that term and what you may want to include in your video to address their specific fears.

 

We’ll provide a list of related search terms for each too, so you can build further search queries into your storyboard.

 

Search term: “Brexit and holidays”

brexit video marketing plane

Related searches:

holiday prices after brexit

brexit holidays 2019

booking holidays after brexit

will my 2019 holiday be affected by brexit

how will brexit affect package holidays

should i book a holiday for after brexit

will brexit affect my holiday in 2019

 

Audience: British people who like holidaying in Europe.

 

Brexit marketing videos around this search term will want to speak to British families who are worried that their European holiday will cost more, or be cancelled if they book one now.

 

To guide your video, the line ABTA are using is:

 

“There is nothing to suggest that you will not be able to continue with your holiday plans after 29 March. Even in a no-deal scenario, the European Commission has said flights to and from the UK will still be able to operate.”

 

Reassurance is key here, and citing this professional opinion early in your video to achieve that will go a long way.

 

When it comes to talking about your own brand, it’d be a good idea to touch on the procedure for any of the following items that apply to you:

 

  • Customer protection if anything goes wrong (insurance, guarantees, refund periods, etc).
  • Flight operation.
  • From 2021, British people travelling to Europe will need to apply for and purchase an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System). These are valid for three years once obtained, and cost £6.30. Read up on them here.
  • The possibility of requiring a new passport in the event of a no-deal.
  • The likelihood that Ehics (European Health Insurance Cards) are likely to cease to exist post-Brexit. If a deal is reached, these will be valid during the transition period, which lasts into 2020.
  • Your customers should check if a change in legislation changes anything in the T&Cs of their travel insurance.
  • Mobile phone rates may be subject to change when travelling abroad after we leave the EU.
  • Airline delay compensation procedures, ferry and Eurostar operation will not be affected by Brexit.
  • Driving licenses may not be valid as a standalone document after Brexit. British travellers in Europe may need to apply for an International Driving Permit, but this is not yet confirmed.

 

Search term: “travelling to uk after brexit”

 

Related searches:

Will my EU passport still be valid after Brexit?

Can I travel to UK with EU ID card?

How long can I stay in Europe after Brexit?

Can I stay in the UK after Brexit?

Can I work in the UK with a British passport?

Will my current UK passport be valid after Brexit?

Will you need a visa after Brexit?

 

Audience: European and overseas travellers wishing to visit the UK.

 

Our investigations into non-British queries about travelling to the UK reveals that, in contrast to the above, concern lies less in the price of visiting the UK and more about the continuation of free movement.

 

This is a big and tricky subject for travel brands. But the baseline you can work from is that EU citizens are unlikely to need visas to enter the UK. Long-term stays and rights to work, however, may change quite dramatically as it appears that new migration systems will be put in place.

 

The direction you take your Brexit marketing video on this subject very much depends on which side of things your business is affected by. If you’re a tourist site welcoming day visitors, then you’ll have an easier time explaining that there don’t appear to be many major changes happening for EU citizens taking short holidays in Britain.

 

If, however, your business focuses on long-term travellers or concerns helping international travellers to find jobs, you’ll need to guide your viewers carefully around possible outcomes. Checking out this Channel 4 News article would be a good starting point for further research.

 

Search term: “travel to europe after brexit”

brexit video marketing globe

 

Related searches:

eu citizens travelling to uk after brexit

will i need a visa to travel to the eu after brexit

visa to travel to europe after brexit

driving in europe after brexit

will eu passports be valid after brexit

where can i live with a british passport after brexit

travel insurance

brexit news

 

 

Audience: European and overseas travellers wishing to visit the UK.

 

The audience searching this term are coming at it from a slightly different angle to those looking specifically about information regarding the UK.

 

The trick here is to address that the rest of Europe will remain unchanged as they are not leaving the EU. But when it comes to talking about how travel procedures around Britain may be affected, the key thing to do is be accurate without asserting any feelings of unease. Explain to your customers that you are doing everything possible to safeguard against / future proof possible scenarios, and simplify the changes taking place in the tourism sector. Use video to set their minds at rest with clear message.

 

Search term: “brexit flights”

brexit video marketing flights

 

Related searches:

Can planes fly after Brexit

Will planes stop flying after Brexit?

Will flights be grounded after Brexit?

Will UK citizens need a visa to visit Europe after Brexit?

Will UK citizens need visas for Europe?

Will my EU passport still be valid after Brexit?

 

Audience: UK citizens planning to fly to European countries.

 

This search term is going to be very much focused on two key areas:

 

  • Reassuring customers that British flights will not be grounded indefinitely after leaving the EU.
  • How flight prices and boarding procedures may change if we leave the EU with no deal.

 

According to gov.uk, if the UK Brexits without an EU deal in place, airlines will automatically lose rights to fly in EU airspace without seeking advance permissions. It’s up to individual airlines to seek and secure that permission.

 

Any operating airline worth their salt will be ready for this, and as Brexit gets closer, airlines will be accelerating their pursuit for permission.

 

When it comes to your customers, the most useful thing your video can specify is the importance of good, comprehensive insurance in case of disruption. The UK Government have published this web page detailing every potential risk and solution in the case of a no deal Brexit, but the key takeaway is that they must have decent insurance to make sure they are covered in any eventuality.

 

Search term: “pound prediction after brexit”

brexit video marketing GBP

 

Related searches:

what will happen to the pound after brexit

british pound forecast

what happened to the pound after brexit

pound to euro before and after brexit

why is the pound falling today

hard brexit effect on pound

value of the pound since brexit graph

pound forecast 2019

 

Audience: Everyone.

 

Of course, tourists want to know how far their GBP is going to go in the face and wake of Brexit.

 

The real answer, of course, is that it’s near impossible to predict. At the time of writing, the only certain thing about the value of the pound is that it has yo-yo’d constantly over the last year, and though many predict that the pound will weaken in the face of a no deal, there is no solid evidence that says this will definitely be the case.

 

With this in mind, all you can do for your customer is be honest. The thing not to do is muddy their trust in you (and indeed the message of your Brexit marketing video) by being unclear and confusing matters further.

 

Instead, advise them on details you already know, such as the best currency exchange rates, whether you accept their trading currency, and be crystal clear about your own prices so they can prepare budgets instead.

 

Not sure where to start with your Brexit video marketing? Don’t panic – we can help. Drop us an email today for a consultation.

How The Finance Sector Can Bring Marketing Videos To Life Using Drama

11th March, 2019

Finance is only sexy when you’re counting your millions, amirite?

 

But even the most hard-going, intricate and – dare we say it – dull subjects have the potential to be jazzed up using marketing videos. The key is in the “how?”. And the “how?” can often be answered with a big injection of drama.

Failing to see how you can turn your finance product or service into a dramatic cliff-hanger? Allow us to guide you…

 

Create and film a worst case scenario

 

 

When you think gripping, sexy drama, you don’t tend to think ‘business insurance’. Not as a face value product anyway. But what about the truly horrific consequences of needing business insurance? Now THAT is something that grabs attention.

 

Hiscox have done a truly incredible job of creating and filming something that their ideal customer never wants to have happen to them. Bringing that disaster to life before the customer’s very eyes is a surefire way to get their attention, allowing them to feel the full gravitas of a cyber attack without it having happen to them.

 

A few things we love about this video that makes it so very impactful include:

 

  • The levelled-up messaging. It’s not about “buy our insurance because something bad could happen”. It’s about “this is what can happen when you don’t buy insurance, and this is how it feels”. They’ve turned their sales pitch into a no-brainer ultimatum by bringing a cyber attack to life.
  • Letting the viewer connect with the video characters. Of course, there’s no time for a full background story and inner monologue cut to a montage. But we get little glimpses of the Brompton employees personalities that makes us like them – including being very caring and passionate about their job – and panic all the more when the hack begins.
  • They used a British business we all know and love, rather than making up a brand. Quite the shortcut to our emotions.
  • That MUSIC!

 

Flashmob mentality

When you think of the flash mob videos you’ve watched online, they tend to have two key ingredients that make them work:

 

  1. The spectacle – great dancing, exciting costumes, etc.
  2. The reactions of the unsuspecting bystanders.

 

Belgian TV channel TNT have taken the flash mob mentality and combined it with the Hiscox approach above, allowing the viewer to witness both the action and other people’s reaction to the action.

 

 

Whilst TNT might be playing in the fields of the entertainment industry, financial service businesses can take many tips from their approach:

 

  • The joy of surprise – no one in that quiet, quaint little square was ready for what was about to happen.
  • Immaculate execution – the actors and stunts involved were unbelievable, and keep the viewer (and indeed the real life audience) gripped for the whole length of the video.
  • Humour – the stunts are awesome, but they’ve ticked the comedy checkbox by letting us laugh at the stunned crowd at frequent intervals.
  • Timing – Hiscox had done very well by keeping their real world hack video to under three minutes. But this one delivers in 1 minute 46 seconds. Their video editor is worth their weight in gold…

 

Combine values

 

 

We worked with DS Virgin Racing a while back on a dramatic marketing video for the FIA Formula E London Races with two key objectives:

 

  1. Boost the #FanBoost potential of racing driver Sam Bird. If enough fans voted for Sam, he’d earn an extra speed boost on his car that he could use at any point in an upcoming race.
  2. Showcase the new UK themed bodywork on his Virgin car.

 

Because timeframe and turnaround was very short on this project, a large amount of the magic had to happen in post-production. Here, we not only took Sam’s car to electrifying new levels (literally) by “building” the car out of lightning bolts.

 

But the real trick we had up our sleeve was in the suspense of the video.

 

You can hear radio broadcasts throughout the video (a trick used by many action and horror films to set a scene without filming a significant part of the story) depicting, in worrying tones, a world population fit to bust, serious effects of global warming and strains on the environment. As the magical electric volts start to build, the broadcasts give way to news on electric cars… the saviour of the world.

 

At the height of the video, these give way again to news of Sam’s race victory, associating his electric car not just with winning the race and the positive feelings that provokes in his fans, but with a positive effect on a world we all worry about.

 

It’s triumphant. It’s emotive. It creates topical, positive associations with real-world news. And it was all done entirely in post-production.

 

Can this method be applied to a financial services video? You bet it can.

 

Celebrity endorsement

If your little black book is more prevalent than your creative prowess, this can absolutely work in your favour.

 

Celebrities and influencers can bring a super simple format to life in a marketing video, and there are few simpler or more popular formats than the “XYZ reads tweets” or “XYZ answers…”.

 

Wired, for example, had Jude Law and Natalie Portman answering the internet’s most commonly searched questions.

 

 

I mean, that’s practically an advert for SEO search, right? Dull. Except not, because of the personalities behind the answers and the comedy setup.

 

Aside from knowing that the searches are particularly interesting/bizarre, what truly makes this simple video work is the personality or personalities presenting it, which you have to select carefully. Establishing that chemistry is where the work really is on this one, but if you can make it work the results can be sensational.

 

Set a challenge

We’re back to hackers again!

 

 

A simple but very nice format for the less sexy subjects is to challenge someone to do what your service tries to prevent.

 

The video above is actually more of a documentary than a marketing video, but the concept is still great, and comes back to re-focusing on the worst-case scenario if your potential customers don’t purchase your product. The added layer to this particular format, of course, is highlighting exactly how easily a hack can take place. It’s truly fascinating and really puts the fear of God into a person who’s already worried about this kind of thing taking place.

Love one of these formats, but need some help bringing them to life for your own business? You know where to find us.