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Viral video — are you looking for lots of eyes?

January 17, 2008

A couple days ago, I opened the topic of vlogging, viral videos, YouTube, etc. My question was….do you viral video? The statistics in the Pew study that I referenced in that post suggest that the number of people who are viewing viral videos (on sites like YouTube) is growing at a frantic pace.

But does that mean you should be doing it? And if so….how? Why?

I wrote a post about the presidential candidates marketing tactics and a couple people suggested that I should make a video because it would get some great exposure. My question back to them was — "I will gladly do it but I don’t want to just be a talking head. Other ideas?"

So far, we haven’t come up with anything, hence no Drew on YouTube. (And no, I am not donning an Uncle Sam beard and hat.)

One of the reasons why I think more people aren’t doing video is linked to my question.

It’s not that I don’t want to do it. But I want to do it well. And for a purpose. I thought it might be interesting to look at some different videos and talk about their purpose. Naturally, I am hoping that will trigger you thinking about how video might serve your business (or not) and jump into the conversation. (If you subscribe via e-mail, please check on the headline above to be taken to the blog – so you can view these videos.)

Let’s look at some videos that clearly are intended to get a lot of eyes. This trio of videos from HP were done to introduce the small business community to their Total care program. Much like the 5 top viral videos of ’07, these are high end, funny and short. Tailor made for being shared among a wide audience.

Life without HP: Car Wash

Life without HP: Experts

Life without HP: Bubble Wrap

Funny? I thought so. Did they clearly demonstrate some of the values of HP’s Total Care? I would say yes. Are they well done enough to get passed around? I’d guess so. They’ve been on YouTube for a little over a month and Car Wash (apparently the most popular) has had over 8,000 views.

Do I think these videos accomplished HP’s goals? It’s probably too early to know. But, I am guessing if they get a few hundred thousand views, the answer will be yes.

Would doing videos like these serve your business? If so…how? If not, what is missing?

Other posts in this series:
Do you viral video?
Viral video – are you looking for a lot of eyes?
Viral video — are you trying to educate?
Viral video – are you trying to be heard over the noise?
Viral video — are you establishing yourself as an expert?

Do you do viral video?

January 14, 2008

YouTube has changed our connotation of the word video. Depending on your age…it might have meant something you rented at the "video store." Or, you might have even taped TV shows on one.

For those of us in the communications world, video used to only mean high end production pieces that would tell your company’s story in 4-7 minutes. (Still a very viable communications tools — just not an exclusive meaning anymore) or you might send away for one if you were considering buying a BowFlex.

But today, when you said video, it’s just as likely that someone will reference a Paul Potts video that was viewed by over 20 MILLION people or the Diet Coke + Mentos video was was watched nearly 5 MILLION times.

So as marketers — I think we need to be paying attention and asking ourselves if we too should be producing video content for our business or our clients’ business.

Over the next few days, I’d like to explore this topic with you. We’ll look at high end, slick videos that have gone viral, sentimental tear jerkers that have touched people’s collective hearts and some down and dirty videos that have an effectiveness all their own.

Here’s some statistics to start off our discussion. Think that viral video is just the territory of bloggers and other early adopters? Think again.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project have just completed some research and the numbers are noteworthy. Is this marketing tool mainstream yet? No….but if you look at the increase in percentages, you can see that it’s not too far off.

This first chart shows stats on people who have ever visited a video sharing site like YouTube. Look at how the numbers are trending.

This next chart is looking at activity on an average day. Again, look at the huge percentile growth.

So what’s been your experience so far? Have you experienced a surge of video exposure in your professional life? Are your competitors doing it? Have you considered it?

Interestingly, when you look at the list of the Top 5 viral videos of 2007, you’ll see they’re hardly of the home grown variety. What do you think that means for the less expensive and less agency produced variety?

Source of charts: MarketingCharts.com

Apparently the presidential candidates missed the memo

January 4, 2008

The Iowa caucus of 2008 is history. We all know who is viable, which messages resonated and which candidates need to re-tool.

But here’s what I know. Not one of the candidates got the memo.

What? You haven’t seen it either? Hmm. Maybe it got bogged down with all the holiday cards and political post cards. Okay…let me share it again.

TO: Presidential Candidates of 2008

FROM: The American people

SUBJ: How we’d like to hear your message

DATE: From now on

Thanks for caring about our votes. Really.

We appreciate that you want to share your ideas and vision for a different and better America. But things have changed since the last election and we thought it was only fair to clue you in on how we’d like you to conduct your campaign. Here are some key truths we’d like you to know.

We don’t want to be hunted down like rabid dogs: The good old days of you being everywhere we look are over. We want to decide when to listen. Where to listen. And who to listen to. Stop sending your volunteers to knock on our doors. Stop invading our homes with your stupid recorded messages. Don’t force us to hide from you.

Frequency is one thing. Overkill is another: We all know the marketing maxim — tell them and then tell them again. But know when enough is enough. We don’t need a new postcard every day. We don’t need to see the same commercial so often that we can recite it with you. Show some fiscal responsibility and stop wasting your supporters’ money.

We do care about your plans. But you can’t explain them in :30 TV spots: TV spots are a great medium for generating an emotional response. But we don’t want to just like you. You’re not selling beer. You are selling our future and our kids’ future. We want to know what you’re going to do. Tell us in detail. Give us facts. Not spun facts — real facts. Be relevant or go home.

And you can’t use weasel words either: As soon as we hear the standard political rhetoric, we start calling bull%$#*. You see, we’ve been advertising consumers for too long. We know all the tricks and we’ve stopped believing them. A long time ago. Talk straight.

Sometimes we don’t need you to talk at all: Give us places (websites, blogs, etc) where we can explore for ourselves. Put real content there — not campaign highlights. No fluff. Just honest details about what you have done and what you want to accomplish.

A monologue is no longer acceptable: We are tired of being talked to. We want to talk back. We actually want to initiate some conversations. No matter who wins this election — you’ll be just fine. But for many families and businesses — this is a make it or break it election. We want to participate and we do not want to be ignored until you decide to talk at us again.

Leave the other guys alone: You really should have gotten this one by now. When you take a swing at an opponent, it makes you look scared and desperate. Or like a bully. either way — not so good for you. If you don’t have anything important to say about yourself – then you probably need to just go home.

Be a good guest: There are two kinds of guests. Those you’re sad to see leave and those you can’t wait to wave goodbye to. How did you leave your Iowa campaign headquarters today? How will you leave the meeting halls in New Hampshire. What would happen if you sent your volunteers to do some good once a week or month. Read to some kids. Feed the homeless. Visit the elderly. Not because there are cameras running but because you want to set a good example.

Just try to be a real human being: We are really looking for a candidate we can trust to speak for us. We want to like you. More important, we want to believe in you. Stop thinking of every appearance as a "show" and every human being as a vote. Tune out your advisors, stop worrying about the perfect sound bite, don’t give us the thumbs up and goofy smile. Just be real.

That’s it. Easy stuff. We’d really appreciate it if you’d give these ideas a spin. Thanks for listening. We really hope you’ll try it again soon.

P.S. The same rules apply to your business and mine. How many of these old school marketing sins are you guilty of?

Does nasty sell?

January 2, 2008

A couple notes before I climb onto my soapbox.

This is not a political blog nor really is this a political post. I promise.
I am not endorsing any of the candidates…they’re just my putty to mold into the point I’m trying to make.
Stay with me through the political example to find the marketing truth.

A few weeks ago, I had some of the hottest tickets in town. The Des Moines Register holds two final debates right before making their endorsement and because of the venue and security — it’s invite only for a 150 or so people. I missed the Republican debate because of a client commitment but was able to attend (and take my daughter) to the Democratic debate.

In the 90 minutes of usual rhetoric and weasel-wording that we’ve forced the politicians to use so we won’t crucify them later, there were two moments of sincerity. The first one got huge play on national media.

I guarantee that you saw it. It was Obama taking a little dig at Hillary about how she’s going to end up advising him. It added nothing of substance to the debate but it was probably the most played segment of the entire 90 minutes.

On the flip side, this second snippet created hardly a ripple. Very few viewings on YouTube and I never saw it on any national or even local coverage. And yet, it spoke to the character of the candidates in a very profound way.

The question was directed at Joe Biden and suggested he might be a racist. What you can’t see on the video is while Biden is responding, all of his opponents are nodding in support of what he’s saying. At the end, Obama speaks out to defend Biden and ALL the candidates applaud him (Biden).

That should have been big news. But it wasn’t.

So what does this have to do with marketing? Only everything.

One of the truths about marketing is that you have to work twice as hard to earn someone’s delight to the point that they’ll talk about it. Give them shoddy service or mess up an order and BAM! they’re telling everyone they know. But do it well — nothing.

You know what the big complaint was about these debates? They were boring. No fireworks. The media wanted blood and when they didn’t really get any — they settled for Obama’s one-liner.

I didn’t read one commentary that said how nice it was that there weren’t fireworks. Or how the candidates actually said nice things about each other.

You simply can not go out there and be good. It will be the death of your business. It seems as though our world can’t get enough of conflict (check out reality TV) or competition. But we’ve been so spoiled and catered to as businesses scramble to win our money — that the bar is not at good. It’s at remarkable. It’s at "I can’t believe it." It’s at "I would have never guessed you could…"

That is what we’re up against. We have to shout so loudly against the nasty, biting wind that we can be heard.

What do you have in your marketing plan for ’08 that is so remarkable that it will win the attention of your most cynical customers or prospects? My guess is that you’ve got nothing. Most businesses don’t go this deep. So I am challenging you…how are you going to be different? What stories will people tell about your business in ’08?

Rewards for logo consistency

December 23, 2007

When you are absolute in the treatment of your logo so that it becomes embedded in the minds of your consumers — then you earn the freedom to have some fun.

The best part — modifying your logo like this actually reinforces your brand.

So….how consistent are you with your logo? Have you earned this reward?

Looking for the Bank Islam logo?

December 18, 2007

If you’re using corporate logos for presentations, blog posts, internal meeting examples or just because you enjoy studying logo design — you are in luck.

Even if you want something as obscure as the Bank Islam logo.

Check out www.allfreelogo.com. They call themselves a vector logo database. I call them a treasure trove of visuals for a host of uses.

You can download logo files that range from the Chicago Cubs, Tommy Hilfiger to Air France.
You can also upload your logo to the database. While you’re there, check out their archive of articles about logo design.

They do require a free registration to access the database. (FYI: Most of the logos are EPS files, but some of them are ai files)

Are you boring your customers?

December 17, 2007

When was the last time you told a friend about an experience you had that was absolutely ordinary? A meal that was good. Customer service that was adequate. Nothing wrong…but nothing special either.

We sure notice when a product or service falls below our expectations but give us just what we expect and we’re pretty underwhelmed.

Actually, we’re jaded. We don’t notice, let alone talk about the ordinary. The expected. The good enough. We don’t get excited unless something extraordinary happens. That’s how we live our lives as consumers.

But when we put on our marketing hat, we’re astonished that the marketplace doesn’t applaud our efforts every day. Truth be told…many organizations are satisfied with just delivering satisfactory.

You don’t have to create a circus in your consultation room or have minstrels wandering through your store. You don’t have to serve gourmet snacks outside the dressing room. But you do have to find a way to infuse something remarkable into your product or service.

Now here’s the tricky part – it also has to be genuine. Consumers are not only jaded but they’re smart. Rightfully so – they hate being manipulated and they can spot insincerity a mile away. So a manufactured moment feels forced and insulting. The trick to creating the extraordinary is that it needs to come from the heart. The heart of the organization. Your brand.

It’s not as hard as you might think to take the leap to extraordinary. Take stock. Scrutinize every time you interact with a client and let your imagination off its leash. How could you change that moment and go beyond good to reach for spectacular? What would feel special and genuine from both your customers and your employees’ point of view?

What could you do that’s worth talking about?

A holiday TV spot that stays true to the brand

December 15, 2007

This time of year, it seems like many companies choose between business as usual TV spots or dropping their key messages and instead — spreading some holiday cheer.

Leave it to Apple to find a way to do both.

P.S. Santa is bringing all the good boys and girls an Apple product this holiday season. Were you on the nice or naughty list?

(A hat tip to Paul Herring @ ChaosScenario for sharing the spot first.)

Can you brand your clients’ holiday gift?

December 13, 2007

Have the holiday gifts begun to accumulate at your place of employ? Have you decided on/delivered your season’s greetings?

Over at Marketing Profs Daily Fix, I raise the issue of branding your holiday gifts. I’m not talking about giving someone a pen or t-shirt with your logo on it. (You’re not doing that, are you?) I’m talking about selecting a gift that will stand out from the others because it could have only come from you.

Come on over and share stories — either from the giving or the receiving end!

Here are some other takes on the topic:
8 client gifts to show your appreciation
Fewer small business owners will give clients gifts this season
Client gifts as a marketing tool
Top client gifts
All I want for Christmas is…

Starbucks waters down their blend…er, brand

December 11, 2007

In response to reduced foot traffic, Starbucks has launched their first foray into TV advertising.

According to an article in BrandWeek, Starbucks CEO Jim Donald is quoted as saying "we’re trying to reach out to this broader audience that maybe has not had a chance to experience Starbacks." Sorry Jim…but exactly where are you running these spots? Outer Mongolia? Who on this planet has not had the chance to experience Starbucks? But I digress.

The trio of spots carries the "Pass the Cheer" theme. YouTube has a foreign version, but you can see the US trio here.

I think these 3 spots are the perfect case study for what’s wrong with much of TV advertising today.

They’re fine.

Which is exactly the problem. The animation is fine. The music is fine. The message of warmth and goodwill is fine.

But none of it says Starbucks.

Most of it doesn’t even say coffee, let alone point to a specific provider. One of the golden oldie rules of branding is if you can swap out the current logo and replace it with a competitors — you’ve got problems if the spot still works.

Well, guess what — the spot still works. (Although I will argue, it’s weak for any coffee company.)

Over at John Moore’s Brand Autopsy, there’s the suggestion that the spots are better suited for Caribou Coffee. Perhaps.

But really the point is…in a world of grande, skinny, half-caf, double shot mucho mocha lattes — the Starbuck’s spots are a plain cup of black coffee. No matter whose logo is on them.

How disappointing from the company we marketers often point to as our branding example.

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