Tag Archives: Boston

I hate missed opportunities. There are a lot of businesses out there producing marketing videos, but in many cases they fall short.

Maybe the production value stinks. Just because everyone has a video camera in their phone doesn’t mean they know how to shoot and edit good video.

HOW SOME VIDEOS GO WRONG

Maybe there’s no story. Storytelling is an art. Professionals like myself dedicate our lives to honing our craft. Storytelling is a skill just like anything else.

Unavailable resources are another cause. Sometimes the video you need to tell the story just isn’t available.

Throw in laziness and you can build quite a laundry list for why some marketing videos miss their mark.

If your videos are suffering from any of these things… stop. Stop making them. You could be doing your business a big disservice.

THE STORY BEHIND THIS STORY

Where’s this triad coming from? Well, thanks for asking. Major League Baseball. Actually, it’s mlb.com. They posted an article yesterday about all the various ballpark across the country performing tributes to the people of Boston. They all played “Sweet Caroline” during their game… a Fenway Park tradition… and people ate it up.

The story was great. The accompanying video… terrible. The article mentioned a bunch of ballparks, but the edited video only showed a few. As a Cubs fan, I was bummed they didn’t have any shots from Wrigley Field.

This wasn’t a marketing video, but it still got me thinking about them.

WHY THIS MATTERS

People who are watching your videos are busy, and they’re all video critics. They’ve seen good and bad videos, and they can spot a bad one a mile away. That means if you’re churning out bad videos, you’re probably leaving a bad taste in their mouths.

I was really excited to watch the mlb.com video, but I left it feeling mad. It was a total let-down.

Watching a bad video is irritating. It’s a waste of time. Your audience is going to judge your business by those videos, so why would you put out garbage?

Make sure to produce something you can be proud of.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

The Boston Marathon bombing has rightly captured the American people’s attention. It was a horrific attack and many of the images will be etched in our minds forever, and believe it or not there’s a lesson there for business leaders and marketing professionals.

VIDEO RULES

I was talking with a friend yesterday who mentioned all the stories he had read, and all the photos he had seen covering the terrorist attack. His comment, “You know what, none of it compares to the video.”

He’s right. The explosion, the chaos, the heroes who stepped forward to help… the Boston video was awe-inspiring. It’s what video does better than any other medium. It transports the viewer to the scene.

WORKS FOR BUSINESSES TOO

Corporate leaders can take advantage of this ability as well. They can use video to transport customers and prospects to their business via the web.

Good video paired with a compelling story makes a great impression on people.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

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Samuel Adams, Boston (2008)

No post today… simply sending a virtual hug to Boston. I’ve only visited once. It was a wet and cold weekend, but I loved the city.

We’re with you Boston!

–Tony Gnau