Ikea perplexes me.

On one hand, I’ve blogged about how smart the company’s leaders are to use video in their displays to help market their products.

On the other hand, I’ve blogged about them creating the worst-ever customer experience by holding me hostage.

Now, another interesting experience, this time while I exchanged something.

I walked in… pretty confident they’d allow me to leave this time… and took a number to wait my turn. They had a seating area featuring some of their own chairs (good move). They also had some flat-screen TVs to keep people occupied while waiting.

On this day and at this time, those TVs were tuned to a regular over-the-air channel where customers got to watch a celebrity poker game.

What a waisted opportunity! Think about it. Inside, the furniture displays have TVs tuned to an in-house channel featuring information about Ikea products. LOVE this… such a good idea, but think about it. Customers who encounter the TVs inside the store might stop for a minute or two to watch. Someone in the returns/exchanges waiting area might be there… well… a lot longer.

Why in the world wouldn’t you use this time to inform them more about your products? Heck, Ikea leaders should be producing their own HGTV-type design show featuring their products.

Play THAT in the waiting area. This would occupy, entertain and market to customers all at the same time.

There are many ways to use video and all sorts of ways to deliver it. Keep your eyes open for those opportunities at your business.

–Tony Gnau

I still speak with business owners who question whether or not it’s “worth” producing videos.

When I tell them, yes, they often want proof. Some sort of statistic that will shown return on investment. Truth is… I haven’t found good data on that subject. There are tons of stats on people being more likely to watch an online video as opposed to reading online text, but I’ve never seen anything on ROI.

That doesn’t, however, mean that I don’t have proof. Here’s my answer for them. Go to YouTube, then type in a major corporation you admire and see what turns up.

Chances are that company is producing videos. They’re investing time, effort and dollars in… producing videos. They’re devoting creative energy to… producing videos. Big companies that calculate ROI for just about everything they do are… producing videos.

Why? Because people watch them. Because every time they create a video and post it online it’s an opportunity to highlight their company… their brand.

How’s that for proof?

–Tony Gnau

I know we’re in video production, but that headline is true for anyone in any line of business. You know what you’re capable of. You know where your expertise is. Play to those strengths.

Don’t try to be something you’re not. Don’t lead others to think you can do more than you can. Be true to yourself and to them.

Virtue like that will be paid forward in the future.

–Tony Gnau

Southwest Airlines happens to be a frequent topic here because they provide some great examples… both good and bad… of how to use PR and marketing videos.

Today, we add another… the mediocre.

Here’s a nice example of a company that “gets” it, but falls a little short. Southwest recently posted this video about its new line of 737-800 airplanes. I think it’s great when business leaders let us know about the innovations and investments they’re making on behalf of their customers. This particular video is professionally shot and edited, but the story falls a little short.

It’s great to highlight the new planes’ arrival, but here’s the deal… they don’t really say much about how it’s going to impact travelers. There’s a couple of things mentioned like more storage and comfortable lighting, but I need more.

If this video was produced for Southwest staff, than it makes more sense. Kind of a rah-rah for the rank and file. On the other hand, if it was produced for the public, the impact on travelers needs to be the focus.

It all comes back to the audience. When you’re producing a video, always keep them in mind. Ask yourself… why should they care?… why should they watch the video?… what are they getting out of it?

That’s your focus.

–Tony Gnau

Video is a terrific tool because it has many uses. I think a lot of people simply press the default button… which happens to be PR and marketing.

Video is GREAT for those things, but businesses shouldn’t limit themselves to just those applications. Once a company has some success with a marketing video, I often recommend for them to start thinking of other ways video can benefit the organization.

Do you have a recruiting video? Sure, tons of people are looking for jobs, but it’s critical for companies to attract the best candidates… not just lots of candidates. Using video to highlight your company culture is a good way to show job seekers what it’s like working for you.

Once you have those great employees in-house, how are you communicating with them? If you  have a small company, this isn’t a problem. On the other hand, if there are hundreds of people at the company, it’s a little more difficult to get them up to speed on what’s happening with the business.

Training videos are an obvious tool… the video newsletter… not so much. It’s a favorite of mine. Produce short videos about what’s happening at the company,  feature your employees on-camera, and post everything on the intranet. It’s the type of thing that they’ll look forward to seeing and act as a great morale booster.

–Tony Gnau

We just started doing some production work for the Chicago chapter of the American Marketing Association, and I can only hope our experience is as good moving forward as it has been working on the first video.

We’re going to be producing preview videos for upcoming events. This first one is for a presentation that will be given by Prophet’s Andy Stephanovich. He’ll be talking about the link between inspiration and innovation.

Watch the video, and if you’re looking to re-inspire your team… I’ll see you at the event.

–Tony Gnau

Before the camera ever rolls, maybe the most important step to creating a great video is picking the person who’s going to produce it.

Make no mistake about it, you’re not selecting an ordinary contractor to work for your business. You’re hiring an artist.

Every producer has a different style, a different vision. That’s why I think it’s important for you to meet with the person who’s actually going to produce the video and not just a salesperson.

Look at their work. Let them talk about their vision. Is it a good match for your company’s style? Will they work well with your team? Do they fit your culture?

All good questions to ask yourself.

–Tony Gnau

Ahhhh… Spring Training has begun. I live and work about a mile from Wrigley Field, and hope springs eternal in these parts. I love baseball and came across a nice baseball-video analogy yesterday.

It comes via Jeremy Scott over at Reel SEO. He urged businesses producing videos not to swing for the fences. Please feel free to read his take, but I’d like to expand on that idea.

Video marketing is indeed a “small ball” strategy. Instead of trying to hit a home run every time at bat, swing for singles to move the runners along.

Not following me? Instead of producing one long video designed to make a big splash, opt for shorter videos that build and cultivate an audience over time.

Here’s why… producing one video might capture some attention, but once a viewer has seen it they probably won’t continue to re-watch it over and over. Producing a series of short videos released over time gives you repeated exposure to the audience. The more they see from you, the better they get to know you and your brand.

Hitting a single every month will always score more runs than a grand slam.

–Tony Gnau

Here’s what I love about the Oscars… the retrospective videos. The look back at classic films we all know and love.

Why? Because they give me an emotional jolt. Last night when Star Wars popped-up, and I heard Obi-Wan say, “Use the Force Luke,” I gasped.

That’s the power of video. If I had read a story about classic films and saw that quote within the text, I wouldn’t have reacted the same way.

This is why businesses need to be producing videos. They can reach your customers, prospects, and employees on an emotional level that the text on your website can’t.

You might not produce Oscar-worthy videos that will touch the lives of millions, but you can can produce great work that will impact your audience.

–Tony Gnau

You don’t need to find inspiration for your corporate videos in other corporate videos. I was reminded of this yesterday when I was posting a few things to our Pinterest board.

This is my favorite video from last football season. It was produced by the University of Southern California, and it’s an inspirational speech delivered by the Trojans’ defensive line coach Ed Orgeron prior to defeating the 4th ranked Oregon Ducks.

Don’t look at this as a football video. It’s simply an inspirational message. He’s trying to motivate his players, and the video was meant to fire up fans leading into the game. These are things I hope our business leaders are doing everyday.

Give your employees a pep talk. Fire up your customers. Be an industry leader.

Video is your way to deliver those messages.

–Tony Gnau