Tag Archives: communications

I blogged last week about American Airlines’ pre-flight video. In short, I loved it and couldn’t believe American had created a video about something we practically know by heart and got me to watch.

That post prompted a Facebook comment I thought was worth some further exploration. Katie wrote…

This is a good reminder that even when your audience is “captive” you need to produce something good if you want them to actually pay attention! Makers of training videos… listen up!!

Really good point. Certainly for training videos, but really any type of video. I think back to some of the boring videos I’ve seen at conferences. Quality matters… whether your audience is clicking through on the web, or they’re a captive audience that “has” to watch.

The truth is you could have people watching but not paying attention. We all have the ability to tune things out, so your captive audience still might not be getting your message.

The solution? Produce quality videos. Make sure they’re shot and edited well. Help people connect with the content by incorporating the information into a compelling story.

And if you don’t know how to do it… hire a pro who’s a dedicated storyteller.

–Tony Gnau

Some people are surprised to find out T60 doesn’t own a bunch of expensive equipment. We have the essentials… a couple of cameras, lights, microphones, and a computer for editing… but that’s about it.

We occasionally take on projects where we need more than we have, and when we do we turn to AV Chicago.

I recently returned some gear to them, and they surprised me. The guy helping handed me a business card highlighting the company’s social media. He said if I had a good experience with the rental, he hoped I would “like” them on Facebook and write a review on Yelp.

Nicely done. I was really impressed. I’m a big fan of there’s, so guess what… I just “liked” them and now I plan on writing a glowing review on Yelp. Chances are I wouldn’t have done either without the classy suggestion.

A good lesson for us all.

–Tony Gnau

Here’s something that’ll speak to anyone who’s ever produced a video. You’ve been shooting all day. You’re tired. You pack-up your gear and head for home.

Then it happens… you see one more shot. Do you stop and get it or keep rolling home?

I’ve been there myself many times, and it happened again last week while we were in San Diego. We were done shooting for the day, in the car heading back to the hotel, and I looked out the car window and spotted a beautiful shot.

It wasn’t anything crucial to our project, but it was perfect as a San Diego scene-setter. The shot was only 4-5 blocks from our hotel, so we finished driving back then I grabbed the camera bag and tripod and walked back to get it (see the photos).

So… the message is… STOP! Get the shot. You’ll regret it if you don’t. You’ll be sitting at your computer editing and kicking yourself. It happens all the time… but not to me. Not this time.

–Tony Gnau

Reading material is essential for an out-of-town shoot, and a couple of things I picked-up during our flight to San Diego really drove something home.

Video rules over print.

We all know this. When given the choice between a lot of text or watching a video, most people will choose the video. There’s all sorts of online data out there supporting this, so it’s no wonder even print publications are trying to offer video.

Examples A and B… USA Today and Skymall catalogue. I snapped a couple of photos showing how they ask people to go to their websites to watch videos. USA Today does mention you can find other things like features and photos, but tops on the list… video.

Business leaders need to get with it. They need to realize just offering text on a website or in social media posts won’t cut it anymore. If they want to remain competitive and on top of the marketplace they need to be producing videos.

It’s how their customers and prospects are consuming media.

–Tony Gnau

Knowing we’d be shooting in San Diego last week, I was keeping my eye open for stuff to blog about after we got back. Never in a million years would I have guessed I’d be praising a pre-flight video.

Yes, the one about exits, seat belts and floatation devices. American Airlines actually produced a nice video explaining all the usual stuff we’re accustomed to hearing before takeoff. I was hoping to find it on YouTube to share with you, but I didn’t come across it so my description will have to suffice.

It features employees from all across the company… pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, et cetera… all reading the standard pre-flight check list.

What made it noteworthy was that each employee recited their lines in different environments. In other words, baggage handlers were loading bags onto planes, pilots were in the cockpit and they would cut from one person to the next after each line. Sometimes there were split screens with demonstrations, like buckling the seat belt.

Nothing revolutionary, but you know what? It caught my attention, it kept me watching, and I wasn’t the only one. People who normally don’t pay attention to that stuff being said over a public address system were watching the video.

Why? It was well-produced and people like watching videos.

It’s the reason why businesses need to be using video to communicate with clients, employees, you name it.

Provide a nice video. Promote it. People watch.

–Tony Gnau

This is San Diego week here at the T60 blog. We took a trip out west last Monday and Tuesday for a shoot, and I did my best to accumulate some good material to write about.

First-up, I was THRILLED to see that Chicago-based celebrity chef Rick Bayless has a Frontera Grill spinoff in O’Hare Airport’s American Airlines terminal called Frontera Tortas. If you’re not familiar with Bayless, you’re probably not a foodie. Suffice to say, he’s one of our nation’s best chefs and his specialty is Mexican cuisine.

What struck me is he didn’t miss a beat with this grab-n-go food stand. My sandwich was outstanding… second best breakfast sandwich I have ever eaten (The Commuter at La Grande Orange Grocery in Phoenix remains the champ)… but the other thing was that he didn’t miss a beat marketing-wise.

There are two TVs in the small bar area where you can eat. One was tuned to the Olympics, the other was tuned to Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless… his TV show.

I’m sure they just run episode after episode on a loop, and why not? There have to be tons of people passing through O’Hare who have never heard of Rick Bayless, so why not take the opportunity to introduce him using the best means available… video.

Bayless is one of the most decorated chefs in the country, but he doesn’t rely on his ability in the kitchen to make an impression. He uses well-produced video to carry his passion for Mexican food to as many people as possible.

Business leaders could learn a thing or two from him… one torta at a time.

–Tony Gnau

As I mentioned yesterday, our San Diego shoot inspired a bunch of blog posts. Here’s a tease ahead to next week…

Frontera Tortas: I was excited to see that celebrity chef Rick Bayless has his own restaurant in O’Hare Airport’s American Airlines terminal. It serves all sorts of gourmet tortas. I was there in the morning and had one of the best breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever tasted. While sitting at the bar eating, I looked up at the TV and was impressed with what I saw. It wasn’t the Olympics.

American Airlines Safety Video: yes, the video that tells us all to buckle-up and points out that our seats are also flotation devices. Of all things that could impress me, this might have been the most surprising. The video was… terrific. It was a whole new spin on something we’ve all seen before.

Print Turn Video: this is something I’ve written about in the past, but it was driven home during our trip. Print publications that now offer video. Sounds ridiculous, but it’s happening in all sorts of different ways.

Don’t Pass Up Good Shots: we’ve all be there. You’re producing a video, you’ve been shooting all day and put away your gear, you’re tired and thinking about evening plans… when… you spot a good shot. Do you take that camera back out? We did… and I’ll show you why.

–Tony Gnau

Just got back from a shoot in San Diego and trying to get back into the swing of things.

Sorry for ditching the blog for a couple of days. I debated writing some posts in advance and auto-posting, but I just had too much to do preparing for the trip.

Anyway, no big insights today, but I found some really good blog material while in SoCal. I’m planning a whole San Diego-inspired blog week that’ll start Monday.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a preview!

–Tony Gnau

There’s a difference between a commercial and a good online video, but many business leaders don’t get it.

Many think their online videos need to be all about them and their company. They don’t. That’s a commercial. You know, the annoying segments people avoid while watching TV?

That’s why companies need a different approach to online videos. The videos need to benefit the audience in some way, which means flexing the creativity muscle and developing stories. Use your expertise to help… to educate.

The result is loyalty. When you produce stories that benefit your audience, they’ll return. The more they return, the more you become trusted. The more you’re trusted, the more business you’ll earn.

Putting the audience first should always be the goal.

–Tony Gnau

Here’s a crazy fact. Many corporate executives don’t know what their company’s story is.

I understand that sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. They know elements of their story. When it was founded, who founded it, how many widgets they’ve shipped over the years, et cetera. Unfortunately, they frequently miss the component of their story that’s going to make it appealing to the masses. That’s what a storyteller can do for them.

Business leaders are just that. Ask them about P&L, cost-benefit analysis, ROI… they’ll blow your socks off. They know their stuff when it comes to pie charts and tables, but storytelling isn’t about facts and figures. It’s about emotion.

Business leaders need storytellers who can look at their company, identify the types of stories that will connect with audiences, then let them loose.

–Tony Gnau