It’s Social Media Week here in Chicago and some of the discussion has me thinking about video ROI. I’ve been following tweets coming from the sessions, one yesterday really caught my attention.

@audreyschroder: COI = Cost Of Ignoring. This is just as, if not more important than ROI. #smwtestnlearn #SMWChicago

COI… cost of ignoring. WOW… love that one!

The tweet was referencing something said by Erich Marx (@emarxe), Nissan’s Director of Interactive & Social Media Marketing/Public Relations. And I have to say… true for social media and true for video.

It wasn’t long ago…

It’s hard to imagine today, but 10-15 years ago web designers were out there doing their best to convince companies they all needed websites.… Read More

Have you run out to get your new iPhone yet? Whether you’re an iPhone person or you prefer Android, there’s one thing we can all agreed on. Apple is the undisputed king of the product launch.

There’s the big debate over what the new products will be. The slow leaks out to the media and tech bloggers. Then comes the big day. Apple puts on a show with a keynote address by the CEO introducing  the new products. The company gets them up online at apple.com, and have you noticed what always tends to accompany them? Videos.

Product launch videos

That’s right, the undisputed king of product launches almost always has a video introducing the new merchandise to customers.… Read More

Now’s the time. It’s only September, but businesses everywhere are already planning their budgets for 2014… so why not start thinking about your video production budget!?

It sounds so simple, but this is critically important. Companies often approach us without any idea of how much producing a video is going to cost. There’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t expect people to be experts on video costs.  But, this often slows the process… even for motivated clients. Business leaders need to investigate that sort of thing as they’re planning the new years budget, not when they realize a video is needed urgently.… Read More

Having a plan for your corporate video production is smart. Sticking with that plan… might be overrated.

I love clients who have it all figured out. This is what we’re going to shoot and when we’re going to shoot it. This is who we’re going to interview and what they’re going to say. I love that commitment to preparation.

The clients I love even more are the ones who make those plans, but are always ready to adjust when things don’t work out the way they were planned.

Corporate video production and Murphy

We have a client like that. Getting a spreadsheet filled with shoot times.… Read More

I received a video email yesterday worth noting. That’s because it’s the second time I’ve received the video, and I think that’s a good thing.

The email came from Act|On. I actually blogged about the video the first time I received it because it’s a good example of an effective testimonial. The company is all about automated marketing, so no doubt the email I received then and yesterday was actually a planned attack that’s been in the works ever since I entered the company’s system.

Sending the same video email twice

At first, you might think sending the same video twice is a bad idea, but here’s why it’s a great idea.… Read More

Writing this week about a couple of things we should all know but sometimes lose focus on. Yesterday, I blogged about knowing who you are as a business. Today, it is knowing your audience and how critically important it is for your video storytelling.

Both of these were themes talked about during last week’s “Evening with an Expert” put on by ChicagoAMA. One of those experts was Chris Young, Senior Director, Global Menu Strategy for a little company you might have heard of… McDonald’s.

Chris found it a little funny speaking at a marketing event because he isn’t a marketer.… Read More

Over the next couple of days, I’m going to touch on some pretty basic themes. Themes we all know, but important ones that bear reminding… especially when it comes to corporate video production.

Evening with an expert

The first one comes via Justin Massa at Food Genius. He was one of the speakers last week at ChicagoAMA’s “Evening with an Expert.” The topic for the evening was the Age of Agile Marketing and Justin related his speech to the theme by talking about what he and Food Genius do… deliver Big Data to the food industry.  

A lot of what he talked about was how to use Big Data to help guide the marketing decisions businesses need to make in our ever-changing world.… Read More

You don’t need a spoken audio track to make an effective marketing video, but you do need good storytelling. An American Airlines video remains my favorite example, and since seeing it I love highlighting similar videos.

The best of the best are often high on style but still manage to tell a good story. The not-so-best of the best… just high on style. Case in point… Porsche.

I saw a friend post something on Facebook yesterday about the Porsche 918 Spyder. I love cars, so I Googled the car and found a video of its lap around the Nurburgring.

High on style

The German Nurburgring… much to the chagrin of the BBC Top Gear guys… is the benchmark track where many cars are tested.… Read More

I’m sure I’m like a lot of Americans on this day. It’s hard to look at the date and not think about the morning of September 11, 2001. I think 9/11 will always be that way for me. Without question, it was one of the most emotionally draining days of my life.

So… for me… it’s a day to reflect.

I think back to the day itself when this seasoned news reporter was an emotional wreck, and the day years later when a Port Authority cop allowed me to shoot on Ground Zero. Each are worth a day of reflection.… Read More

There was another interesting event put on last night by the American Marketing Association’s Chicago chapter (ChicagoAMA). “Evening with an Expert” was focused on the Age of Agile Marketing, marketing strategies and tactics that allow you to quickly respond to change.

At the start, I was thinking to myself… I don’t like the sound of this. Video production isn’t traditionally thought of as an “agile” marketing tactic.

Agile marketing and video can work well together

The truth is that’s not the case. The more I listened, the more I thought about how agile video really can be. After all, I come from TV news.… Read More