10 ideas that every brand can use in Stories

15th July, 2019

No more excuses!

Every CEO, marketing team and social media manager we know understands that Stories are the next big thing in social media marketing. Stories are where it’s at, Stories counteract the engagement slump, Stories keep you relevant. Great! But what do you actually post to Stories?

Never fear, as usual the team here at DHP has got you covered, whatever your industry.

1) Behind the scenes

BTS Stories tie in beautifully with the huge marketing trend that is authenticity. Whether you’re showcasing new stock as it comes in, teasing projects you’re working on or sharing casual Friday in the office, behind the scenes content is a great way to humanise your brand and engage your audience. Obviously BTS is a staple over on our Instagram as a video production company but every business has a behind the scenes so start sharing it!

2) FAQs

There’s two ways to play this one; either add a question sticker and let your audience ask whatever’s on their mind or share answers to questions you commonly get asked. You can even mix it up by using both.

3) Share your work

Blow your own trumpet and get your work out there! If you’re a service based business, shout-out your clients and talk about what you do for them. If you’re selling products, user generated content is where it’s at; share your customer’s photos of your products to your Stories and add some love with stickers, GIFs or good old fashioned words.

4) Industry news

Give your audience a breakdown of what’s going on in your industry. Have there been changes to the tax system? Get that all over your financial services Stories with some extra info about what it means for each tax bracket and maybe even a sly mention of how you can help!

5) Stories takeovers

Let your employees, clients or a relevant influencer take over your Stories for the day. A different viewpoint makes your content fresh again and can get you seen by a whole new audience.

6) Shout-out your competitors

Many people see it as counter-intuitive to share posts from, or talk about, their competitors but it’s actually a great way to build community and respect. That said, we don’t suggest you recommend just anybody, make sure they’re well reviewed and you know they’re reliable and competent, but don’t be afraid to big-up others.

7) Tips and tricks

Everybody wants to know how to make their life easier; what quick, industry relevant tip can you share? If you’re a sports brand, offer up suggestions on how can people hydrate fast and stay hydrated when training in the summer heat. Home & garden businesses could share how to keep your home cool or your grass green during a heatwave.

8) Go Live

Going Live at an event you’re running, for a pre-planned on camera chat or more casual “I had 5 minutes so I thought I’d swing by,” Live video is a powerful tool and people spend 3 times as much time watching a Live video than a pre-recorded one. Lights, camera, action!

9) Facts and figures

Blow your audiences’ minds with cool industry stats. Did you know that a strawberry isn’t an actual berry, but a banana is? You’re welcome local greengrocer, looking forward to seeing that on your Stories!

10) Video

We couldn’t leave this suggestion out; video content is still out-performing other content on all platforms. You can add video to any of our other suggestions to make your Stories more interesting and engaging. Whether you opt for a professional look or choose to keep your Stories videos rough around the edges, make sure there is video content somewhere.

Want a hand with bringing video into your Stories and marketing? Get in touch and let’s make them devilishly handsome together.

The power of authenticity in marketing

2nd July, 2019

You remember Pinocchio, right?!

One of the key takeaways from Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this year was the importance of authenticity in marketing. Appealing to Millennials and Gen Z requires more than a great product but, with several brands being caught out as being all talk in their progressive stance, consumers are looking for proof that brands are taking action and not just woke-washing their campaigns.

Authentic marketing might sound like an expensive and risky idea. Many brands have found themselves in a social media storm that left their PR departments rocking in a corner after trying it. Although it can seem complicated, doing it right can have a huge impact on your bottom line and brand loyalty and, if you stick to a few simple rules, you can make it work. Trust us!

Stay true to your brand values

One hole several brands have fallen down is choosing a cause that is unrelated to their brand or does not align with their brand values. Don’t just pick the latest trending topic; take the time to assess what your brand stands for and which cause fits with that. Get your team together and write down the key words associated with your brand, make a note of your brand purpose and start pulling these things together to create a list of things your brand considers important.

Authenticity isn’t about appearing cool, it’s about being true to your core values. If your brand is conservative, don’t try to force yourself into a socialist box. Own your brand’s values and take a stand that fits them. 

Put your money where your mouth is

We could point you to a thousand articles or angry tweets about brands who used a cause for their advertising but didn’t back it up with action. This year’s Pride saw a large backlash from the LGBTQIA+ community, fed up of rainbows on products, especially from companies who financially supported anti-gay politicians. This makes it more important than ever for you to choose a cause which matches your brand’s goals. Failing to support whichever topic appears in your marketing financially and through your company’s internal policies is a surefire way to see your campaign do huge damage to your brand’s reputation.

Authenticity isn’t just about social causes

Despite taking a stand being a key video marketing trend this year, that’s not the only way to embrace authenticity. Tell the story of your brand, warts and all. Interview your founder, allow employee Stories take-overs, do Lives at your events or behind the scenes (also easily re-purposed later on), humanise your brand voice.

Outside of social media you can choose transparency by ensuring full details of your products are easily available; where you source things, where they’re made, who makes them and in what conditions. Be open and honest about your methods, where you came from and who you are as a brand.

Authenticity isn’t about being hip or liberal, it’s about being honest and showing your customers who you really are. Do it right and it may well become the most important marketing choice you’ve ever made.

To discuss how to bring authenticity into your marketing using video, get in touch and let’s make your brand irresistibly authentic and devilishly handsome.

5 creative ways to use video in B2B marketing

17th June, 2019

Professional is not a synonym for boring!

With LinkedIn video posts generated more than 300 million impressions in just one year after they launched and earning an average of three times the engagement of text posts, using video in B2B marketing is where it’s at.

Too many B2B brands get stuck in a corporate, bland or tame marketing rut, fearing looking unprofessional or believing that their target market won’t respond to flashy or creative advertising. At DHP we believe all brands and industries can, with a bit of out-of-the-box thinking, reap the benefits of video.

Here are 5 suggestions to help B2B businesses to break free of their white collar chains and raise their marketing game while maintaining professionalism.

1) Involve your team

Who better to sell your business than the team behind it? So why not skip the fancy location and create an engaging video in your brand’s home with the people who make it all happen. They can nail your brand voice because they are your brand, they’re invested in making it a success and, B2B or not, people buy from people.

For a crash course in this idea make sure you check out these 10 things to remember when filming corporate videos in your office.

2) Show don’t tell

How many times have you heard this advice? It’s because it’s true. Use your B2B marketing video to, very literally, show your services. For a creative twist, skip the talking and set your services to music. This will also ensure you’re doing it properly and clearly demonstrating what you offer rather than relying on audio to explain.

Did you know: 59% of senior executives say that if both text and video are available, they prefer to watch the video version?

3) Don’t ignore trends

Business owners are not immune to the latest crazes so use what’s popular in marketing more generally to sell your B2B brand. Whether you’re leaping on the influencer band wagon or raising your Pride flag, remember to keep your brand values at the centre of you campaign. Nobody will be investing with the high security business who team up the Paul brothers in their advertising!

Make sure you check out our white paper for a run down on the hottest video marketing trends of 2019.

4) Reputation sells

Just because you’re a B2B business doesn’t mean creating a buzz around your brand with lowly consumers isn’t beneficial. If you have social channels for your business (which we really think you should), share your video campaigns over there too. With an engaged following in the general public, you’re bringing more than just your skills to the table and everyone loves a package deal.

Did you know that LinkedIn native videos are five times more likely than other content to start a conversation among LinkedIn members?

5) Add value

We get it, you want your marketing to sell your business. You want to make those sales. You want to grow your client base. Sure thing, so stop the hard sell. Selling can be subtle; demonstrate your expertise, prove you’re reliable and you will find your ideal clients are banging your door down to work with you.

Over on our own LinkedIn page we’re leading by example and sharing the latest marketing news every week, examples of our work and informative posts just like this one because we don’t just talk the talk.

If you want to start slaying your B2B marketing  by using video, we can help. Get in touch and let’s make your next project devilishly handsome.

How to nail emotional marketing

4th June, 2019

Or “why you should aim to make people feel, not think.”

High up in the list of 2019 video marketing trends is brands taking a stand and a powerful way to do that is with emotional marketing. You can see this in many campaigns already; Gillette have been leading the charge this year launching a variety of emotional and politically charged ads, following on from Nike’s Colin Kaepernick ad which they are continuing with their “Just Do It” campaign.

Of course, making people feel is a risky business so let’s look at how a few different industries could make it work.

Fashion

Whether you’re a gender bending, boundary pushing label or a more traditional, luxury brand why not get people emotionally charged with a campaign that examines how clothes make us, and those around us, feel.

Our clothes are a part of our identities. They express how we see ourselves and how we want the world to see us. Exploring that idea in a video campaign where customers and celebrities discuss their fashion journey and how their clothing empowers them also lends itself to an integrated campaign across social media. Before you know it, your video about the power of fashion will be generating social posts about why people wear what they wear, using your campaign hashtag, and your brand recognition, and sales, will be through the roof. Winner!

Education

Motivating students is a tough job but not impossible. To draw them in to your educational establishment or course emotional marketing is a key piece of the puzzle. Lifestyle campaigns are a great way to entice students looking for a learning experience that isn’t dry and stuffy.

When LS College opened their new campus and wanted a promotional video to launch the college’s new look and feel, we went with a fun, contemporary video campaign which prominently features the courses & education while clearly demonstrating the fun elements of life at the college. The bright colours, music and use of dance in the video alludes to the social and party lifestyle which comes with studying there.

#NotAllStudents

Travel

Summer is here and holidays should be flying off the shelves but for an extra boost to sales why not consider a whistle-stop tour of your locations which highlights the most beautiful and interesting places you offer?

Wanderlust is an emotion. It says so on the internet so it must be true! Tap into your target market’s desire to experience the world, to discover new cultures, to boldly go where no one has gone before. Evoke that longing with subtly lit cathedrals, bright beaches and clear oceans, bustling cities and peaceful mountain tops. How would they feel in those places? For extra punch, end with a harsh dose of reality; cut to a dreary looking house on a dull street, people at work or simply at home watching your ad on the telly.

If you want to nail emotional marketing we can help. Whether you’re in one of these industries or a totally different one, get in touch.

3 ideas to increase social media engagement

27th May, 2019

Because Zuck doesn’t like it unless your audience does.

Just putting out content isn’t enough anymore; every brand and its mother has a social profile, many even have regular content! What they lack is social media engagement. Engagement is what makes your socials stand out and pay off.

We’re talking real engagement, not the kind you pay for. Content that gets real people liking, talking and sharing is the gold standard in social media marketing. But how do you achieve this elusive engagement? We have some ideas.

1) Be a human

To increase social media engagement you need to be engaging. Is your 3 paragraph Facebook post about the new office coffee machine exciting for your audience? Do they care about that staged photo of your suited employees looking hard at work? Maybe they do but we doubt it.

You don’t have to abandon your brand identity to make your content more engaging. Ask your audience questions relevant to what your post talks about. Make use of interactive posts like polls and quizzes. Smile in your photos. However corporate your brand might be, we guarantee you can maintain your professionalism while ensuring people smash that like button!

2) Video. Video. Video.

Did you know that social media posts with video get 48% more views? Or that video content is favoured by the infamous algorithms? Or that 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service through video?

British Study Centres saw the power of video marketing when we worked with them on their football and language program. They wanted to grab the attention of parents and students across the world to generate increased traffic and interest and that’s exactly what they got. The video gained almost 50k views through a Facebook campaign in under a month and resulted in increased in traffic of over 100% to their websites with large increases in their key markets Spain (+665%), Mexico (+2.5k%), UK (+199%), Ireland (+1.5k%) and Brazil (+300%). With stats like that can you really afford not to be using video?

3) Talk to the people!

When people do start engaging, engage right back! Ask them follow up questions, share some extra info with them, send them a little thank you. The person who takes the time to comment on your post and doesn’t get so much as a like in return will not be commenting again. Appreciate your fans, show them how much you value their social media engagement, make them feel special.

Is social media engagement really worth the effort?

That depends if you think increased website hits, increased sales, a happier customer base and an amazing brand reputation are worth investing in.

If you think yes, it’s worth it, and want to leverage the power of engagement in your next social campaign, we’d love to help. Whether you’re in need of a sports commercial or something totally different, drop us a line.

Why your ad budget needs to pivot to social

13th May, 2019

In the immortal words of Ross from Friends, “PIVOT!”

Social ads are currently dramatically cheaper than traditional forms of advertising and yet precious few businesses are taking advantage of that. With impressive targeting capabilities, smaller costs, and the ability to reach more than 3.48 billion people, if your ad budget doesn’t include social media you’re doing it wrong.

The same but different

The temptation may be to simply re-purpose your current advertising material across social media, don’t do that!

Social ads should tie in to your other marketing efforts but they need to be tailored to the platform they’re running on. Nobody is sitting through the two minute long pre-rolls on YouTube or clicking the billboard style poster they scroll past on Facebook.

When a client asks us to create a cohesive video marketing strategy we start by looking at the whole picture; who are they as a brand? Who are their current customers? What excites their social followers? From this distanced view we then begin to slowly zoom in. One idea sparks another, or a twist on it which makes it better suited to a certain platform, and we begin to build the campaign as a whole and as the individual pieces.

Making it work

The Visit Scotland marketing team nailed this concept but as we looked at their campaign in more detail our blog post about community driven advertising we’re focusing on another brand knocking it out of the park when it comes to online and offline marketing. Velux’s latest campaign, #outsidein, combines all the ingredients of great modern advertising and bakes them into a delicious, shareable content cake.

Their artistic and thought-provoking short film is perfect for airing on television and also offers beautiful stills ideal for billboards, while their campaign specific website provides a variety of articles designed for social sharing and even brings in influencer partnerships. Their branded hashtags also make it easy for them to monitor the success of the campaign and engage with the people talking about it. Shout-out to the team behind this beautifully cohesive campaign.

All industries can benefit from this kind of creative, cross platform advertising, even the financial sector. Branded hashtags are a good way to start and a place to build from. What do you want people to be sharing about your brand on social: are you #ForTheFrugal or offering a luxury financial service? Creating a campaign around this enables you to ensure every piece of marketing material offers the same message but in distinct, medium specific ways. You don’t need to include the hashtag on your printed materials for them to tie in beautifully to the online content, use design elements to bring the different areas together in a subtle but clear way.

Social ads are the future

The legend that is Gary Vaynerchuk has said many times that advertising on social will not be this affordable forever. As more brands see ever-increasing ROI from them the price and competition for news feed space will only increase. Now is the time to invest in your social marketing strategy and embrace the power of social media advertising.

Want to discuss how we can bring your A-game to your social ads? Drop us an email.

Why community should be driving your social campaigns

30th April, 2019

Because who doesn’t love sell, sell, sell accounts on social?!

It really doesn’t matter if you’re a personal brand or a global name, social media is not about selling, it’s about community. One could even say that the clue is in the name!

If you’re not sure how or why to stop giving your followers the hard sell, don’t worry, we got you.

Give the people what they want!

The choice to follow a brand on social media generally comes from one of two places; nosiness and community.

Nosy people want to peek behind the scenes, get some hot gossip, or be the first to know about a new launch. Who doesn’t want to be the person with the latest info? Knowledge is power and that is one way brands can use social to impact their bottom line.

The community focused fans want to feel a part of your brand or connect with like-minded people through it. This is where community focused social campaigns really pay off as building a community around your brand also creates brand loyalty and, as we all know, nothing sells better than something that Aunt Sally’s friend’s husband is really passionate about. Word of mouth, or the digital equivalent, is gold.

Let’s look at a couple of examples which get community driven social campaigns right:

Sports

Sport builds communities both on and offline; be that a community around the sport itself, or around individual teams or personalities. We leveraged both types of community when DS Virgin Racing asked us to help announce the return of Formula E and promote #FanBoost.

Initially the video builds hype for the new season as a whole before tapping into the driver and team rivalry to ensure fans were engaged and excited to vote for their favourite. On social this translated to “party political” posts for the drivers which ran alongside highlights of previous races, complete with atmospheric revving and cheers, to remind the audience how it feels to be there, surrounded by your clan.

Travel & tourism

There are myriad of ways to create community around travel related industries. A quick search on Instagram will show you how passionate people are about travel, about their favourite locations, about specific types of travel and even their reasons for travelling!

The team behind Visit Scotland are currently running a great social campaign which we love; #ScotlandIsNow. The video announces their key message, which they have clearly created with sharing and engagement in mind, and even taps into another social trend; taking a stand. They tie in their social media accounts by sharing user generated content to celebrate their community of native Scots and travel lovers alike.

Want to discuss how we can help your social campaigns be more social? Drop us an email.

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: 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”

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”

 

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”

 

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”

 

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.

6 Crucial Viral Video Ingredients For The Tech Industry

25th February, 2019

Hands up who spent their childhood playing Mario Kart?

Of course you did. We all did. Mario Kart is one of the few things in the world that can be both nostalgic and timeless all at once, which is why it was the perfect subject for this viral video…

 

  

In a collaboration between stunt group Base37 and Go Pro, the group don go-karts dressed as Bowser, Peach, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Yoshi and Mario to re-enact the game’s famous ‘Coconut Mall’ race in real life.

 

The video garnered 1.4 million views in two days, making it a viral video sensation, with coverage on the Daily Mail and ITV News.

 

But what specifically was it about this video that paved the way for that ever-elusive viral success? Let’s take a look…

 

Humour

There are plenty of viral videos out there that are deadly serious (and rightly so) to raise awareness of a serious issue. But you’d only go down that route in the right situation and on morally sound grounds. Of course, promoting a camera isn’t going to fit that bill, so here we are. A bunch of millenials in full-size Mario Kart costumes doing something we’d ALL totally do, given the chance. It looks like so much fun, and the attention to detail with the game’s stunts are genius, like the banana throw at 1:15.

 

Simplicity

Complicated narratives do not a viral video make. Simplicity is a key factor in the quest for virality because you’re looking for mass appeal – that carries a requirement to hold people’s short attention spans. Ultimately, you need to make your audience think as little as possible.

To be honest, this should be a leading point in any campaign you’re planning, video-based or otherwise. Overcomplicating a story or calls-to-action usually spell a death sentence for marketing success.

 

Surprise and delight

One of the things that strikes us as we watch the Mario Kart video back is how brave you’ve got to be to film this in the first place. Because this video definitely came with risks. On a basic level there’s simply being seen dressed as a Mario Kart character in public, which would wrack the nerves of many. Add to that the Go-Kart race in public and without the permission of the shopping mall, and you’ve got a never-ending risk assessment on your hands.

 

That said, those factors are what keeps the conversation going in the video comment. Just the idea that the group had the guts to go through with this becomes really topical – even creating speculation that the video was a fake (it wasn’t, by the way). This viral video ticked every box on the surprise and delight checklist, and became part of its overall success.

 

It’s short

There’s a time and a place for long-form video content, but when you’re competing for viral video fame it simply won’t fit the bill.

 

Short and snappy vids make shareable content. And in the infamous words of Bobby Womack: “Always leave them wanting more”.

 

Music

There’s an obvious win in the music stakes where a Mario Kart video is concerned – those Nintendo jingles are burnt into our memories forever (see also: the theme tune to The Flintstones and logging into MSN Messenger).  

 

But as we’ve said before, music changes the pace and style of a video. Or sometimes, it can be a pronounced lack of music that really sets the tone. Either way, use sound cleverly and you’ve got another ingredient that works hard for you to help you on the way to viral success.

 

And finally, the unforgettable ending

Ok, it’s time to talk about that ending!

 

In this case it was the police catching up that makes this video unforgettable, and leaves one last hilarious joke with the viewer in the form of the Game Over screen and accompanying sound effect.

 

We’re not saying you should plan to take up valuable police time with the production of your next video. But we are saying that your next ending needs to stick in the mind of your audience for good reasons – with a clever joke, a big reveal, or an easy instruction that they just can’t ignore. Plan it carefully and viral video success is yours for the taking.

 

Want to chat about how we can help your next video be the one you’re remembered for? Drop us an email.