Tag Archives: communications



Katy Perry’s Lesson For Business Leaders

Posted on October 10th, 2013 | Leave a Comment

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Inspiration comes from unlikely places. I never would have ever thought I’d be watching a documentary on Katy Perry, much less blogging about her… yet… here I am.

Mrs. G wanted to watch Katy Perry: Part of Me the other night (doing my best here to secure my Man Card by blaming her) so we checked it out on Amazon. I have to say, it accomplished exactly what a movie/video like that sets out to do, and it’s a great example for businesses.

My take on Katy Perry pre-movie

Katy Perry is a pop music star. I’m hardly her target market, but I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve always liked her music. Despite that, I’ve never been inspired to download any of her songs, but I enjoy them as they cycle through my Pandora rotation.

The movie isn’t going to win any Oscars, but it’s solid storytelling. We get a steady dose of live concert performances, behind-the-scenes insights and a little about her upbringing as well as her path to stardom.

Now look at it through the eyes of a corporate video producer…

  • live concert performance = what a business does… an About Us video
  • behind-the-scenes insights = showing how products/services come to life
  • upbringing and path to stardom = company history and growth

Now, I’m not suggesting businesses leaders produce feature film-length documentaries about their companies, but these subjects are all worthy of individual short videos at the company’s website… social media platforms… and email campaigns.

My take on Katy Perry post-movie

Videos like these work on prospects just like Katy Perry’s movie worked on me. Now that I know more about her… I like her more. I’d go see her in concert (with Mrs. G, of course.. MAN CARD!). I might download some music now. These are things I never would have even considered prior to watching the movie.

These are the results we’re looking for from a marketing video.

–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 12 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

3 Tips For Getting Shy People Into Marketing Videos

Posted on October 9th, 2013 | Leave a Comment

3 Tips For Getting Shy People Into Marketing VideosSuper excited that Gini Dietrich and Lindsay Bell gave me a chance to guest blog at Spin Sucks this week; a couple of questions from that post actually inspired today’s tips on getting shy people into marketing videos.

From Spin Sucks

I find it hard to get get co-workers comfortably in front of a camera. —Catrina Sharp

How do you overcome the “shyness factor?” I’ve tippytoed into this arena a bit, and encountered some real resistance to being on video. Any tips and tricks to help ease the fear for customers? —Rosemary O’Neill

No doubt… this is something that every video producer faces. We all encounter the shy guy and/or gal. What’s the trick to getting them to loosen-up? Alcohol.

Just kidding. I wish I had a trick, but there’s more to it than that.

It’s funny. One of the news videographers I worked with for years has said that one of my best skills is getting people to feel comfortable on-camera. Prior to his comment, I had never even thought about it… but it truly is an important part of my job.

Getting people comfortable with appearing in marketing videos

Here are a few things I’ve learned about getting people to relax in-front of the camera, and how I handle it…

  • I explain to them the process. You might know the ins and outs of how a video is produced, but the average person has no idea. I take the time to teach people about videography and how I shoot things, as well as the process of breaking down interviews into sound bites. I even give examples of techniques we use that they can see in popular TV shows. The more they understand, the more comfortable they feel.
  • for the interviewee who “doesn’t know what to say.” I make sure they understand it’s part of my job as the video producer to ask questions and get them talking. I tell them things like, “I’m not quizzing you on anything. I’m just asking questions about the things you deal with everyday at your job.” Also, “This isn’t live TV. We’re going to be editing this video and we’re only going to use short sound bites that make you and the company look good.”
  • for the person who doesn’t think they look good. The first thing I say (with good eye contact and a big smile) is “You are far too beautiful/handsome to be afraid of a camera.” Don’t laugh. Most people love it… even when they know you’re feeding them a line. After that, I immediately explain to them that we wouldn’t be putting them on-camera if we thought they looked bad. Also, I usually remind them that we’re all our own worst critics and that, “If you look bad in the video, that means the video we’re producing turns out looking bad… and I’m not about to let that happen!”

Finally, one of the keys to all of this is your demeanor. If you show sincere confidence in them, they pick up on it. They respond to it.

It can be difficult sometimes, but I’ve often found the people who put up a fight… end up being the best person in the video. They’re worth the effort!

–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 12 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

Pet Peeve Interview Backdrops

Posted on October 8th, 2013 | Leave a Comment

morgan stanleyOne of the great ways for business leaders to help guide their video producer on everything from storytelling to interview backdrops is to send them example videos of the things they like. We as producers don’t necessarily copy those videos (the good producers don’t anyway), but the videos do give us a sense of the style a client prefers.

A potential client recently sent me some video examples and I cringed when I saw them, but thankfully what he liked is the content idea and not necessarily the style in which they were shot.

It was a series of testimonial videos (example below) produced by Morgan Stanley. They feature financial advisers talking about the Morgan Stanley products they recommend to their clients. Our potential client is right… great content idea. What made me cringe were the interview backdrops used in the examples.

Superimposed interview backdrops

Granted… not everyone is going to react negatively to these. They’re simply artistic renderings that have been superimposed behind the interview subjects. Some of you might even be scratching your heads wondering what’s the big deal? Here’s why I can’t stand fake back drops like these.

  • they’re fake. Many of us go through all sorts of efforts to deliver authentic marketing videos. I would argue that as soon as you produce something that’s clearly staged, like a fake interview backdrop, you begin to undermine that effort.
  • they’re distracting. Your eye can’t help but be drawn to them because they’re unnatural. The look out-of-place.
  • both of the previous reasons take the audience right out of the video. We’re no longer captivated by the story. We’re simply focused on the backdrop. We recognize it’s fake. Our eyes are drawn to it and we begin to try to place it. Meanwhile, the interview subject is continuing to deliver content and we’re missing what they’re saying.

A better choice for interview backdrops

I simply prefer natural environments, and by that I mean anywhere the subject would naturally be found. A financial adviser would fit in an office, a conference room, etc. A factory worker should be in a manufacturing setting. You get the idea.

Interview backdrops shouldn’t be a distraction, so don’t make them one.

–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 12 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

Don’t Add Too Much To Your Video Content

Posted on October 7th, 2013 | Leave a Comment

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There’s an old journalism joke… don’t let the facts get in the way  of a good story. Well… that goes for video content as well.

Of course, that old joke is supposed to allude to being dishonest in  some way to further the story. In the case of video content, it simply  means sometimes you need to hold back some of the truth so that it  doesn’t get in the way of the story.  Something that could have  happened in one of our latest videos.

Video content case study

I love sharing client success stories. I feel like they’re good case  studies that everyone can learn from, and the story of Chicago Design  and Construction (CD+C) is no different.

CD+C is a one-stop-shop for anyone who needs a commercial or  residential building. It’s run by a team of architects who design the  building, then oversee its construction from the ground up. The  company’s partners are stepping-up their marketing efforts, so they  wanted a video as a part of their greater strategy.

No surprise, they wanted to highlight a bunch of projects they’ve  completed. Houses, condo buildings, businesses… you name it, they  have examples to show. They actually fell into the same category as a  lot of business leaders producing their first marketing video. They  wanted a short video, but they also wanted to show-off what they can do.

It can get tricky. Cram all of that material into your short video and  it becomes too much for viewers to focus on. Expand the length of the  video to comfortably add all the material and you risk your audience  losing interest.

In the end, we had the same discussion with them that we frequently  have here. I explained that video isn’t about the information or the  materials (the facts), it’s about emotion. Video is about getting the  audience to feel good about them… the partners. In the end, what  they say and how they say it is more important than showing dozens of  construction examples, especially when those examples can also be  found in other places at their new website (coming soon).

How to juggle all the materials

We have to let the story dictate how many completed projects we  feature in the video. A story that’s going to connect with people, and  one told in a way that’s going to inspire confidence in the men behind  the company.

To their credit… they got it. They cut down a list of completed  projects to a handful for us to shoot. We also shot video of them  doing the work they love. Most importantly, we heard from them in  interviews about their passion… design and construction.

They didn’t let the facts get in the way of their story.

 –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 12 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

Your Title Impacts Video Storytelling

Posted on October 3rd, 2013 | Leave a Comment

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An important part of video storytelling is focus. Not keeping the camera focused… keeping your story focused.

Northwestern football provides us with a great teaching opportunity. Fitting, right? Great school… alma mater to website consultant extraordinaire Brian Bender at Net Elevation (plug, ding!).

Anyway, NU produces a terrific web series called, “The Hunt,” which details the team’s quest to return to the Rose Bowl. A side note… the last time the Wildcats played in Pasadena, T60 client Jeremy Hogue of Sovereign Healthcare (double plug blog post!… ding, ding!) was leading USC to a victory over the Wildcats.

Learning from Northwestern

Okay… so… Northwestern does a great job of taking us behind the scenes. We get some flavor of campus life, as well as action on the field. It’s good stuff. It’s professional and well-produced.

Having said that, we can always find some room for improvement, and this lesson is great for business, PR and marketing leaders to note. NU’s latest video is titled, “The Student Athlete.” Like all the videos in the series, it looks great… the problem here is the storytelling.

If you watched the video without reading the title, you’d think it was a recap of the team’s game against Maine. Read the title again though… “The Student Athlete.” It isn’t until the end of the video when we get a mini-feature on one of the ‘Cats players talking about what he does in the classroom.

Actually, it kind of feels like a throwaway piece because we don’t really learn anything significant, and that’s a shame because highlighting how hard these athletes work in the classroom could be a GREAT story.

Video storytelling takeaway

The lesson is simple. Keep your video storytelling focused. If your title promises viewers something, you better tell that story. If what you deliver isn’t what the audience is expecting, how likely do you think it is they’ll watch your next video?

Focus your storytelling and deliver on promises.

–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.

Your Video Content Should Match Your Message

Posted on October 2nd, 2013 | Leave a Comment

Your Video Content Should Match Your MessageI really hope you have an About Us video as part of your video content. In my opinion, it’s an essential component for your company’s website. I also hope the video that’s there is in-line with your company image and message.

Which brings me to the Illinois Innovation Network. How I ended up at its website isn’t important. A click here, a click there… next thing I know I’m looking at something called the Illinois Innovation Index. Huh? Thankfully, there was an About the Index video right there for me to watch.

So… I did… and a little more than 2-minutes later I knew that the index provides analytics to inform the public and policy makers about the state of Illinois’ entrepreneurial community.

The video did exactly what it was intended to do. It educated someone unfamiliar with the index (that would be me).

Here’s where things went wrong

You know what struck me about the video though? Here’s a video touting the Illinois Innovation Index, yet the video itself wasn’t the least bit innovative. Just a series of sound bites.

Granted, the sounds bites were strung together well to tell a good story, but that’s all it was… talking heads. There weren’t any additional visuals… no video or graphics to enhance what was being talked about.

Even without the visuals, I can think of one great way to “innovate” through a talking heads video. All you have to do is get creative with the interview shots. Big wide shots, super tight shots, putting objects in the foreground, shoot through a window, use reflections, interesting lighting… etc. There’s nothing like that in this video.

Your message and Video content need to match-up

For me… that highlights a huge disconnect between the video content and the message. An organization centered around innovation better bring that in all aspects of what it does. The same can be said for your company. Take a look at your company’s mission statement, its marketing, its company culture. Does its video content match-up?

You videos are an extension of your business. They’re what people are watching and what they’ll associate with the company. Make sure they accurately represent who you are and what you do.

–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 Future Of Content Marketing Features…?

Posted on October 1st, 2013 | Leave a Comment

The Future Of Content Marketing Features...?No doubt… the future of content marketing is going to be filled with video. Businesses are starting to catch-on, but many are still on the sidelines.

(Vertical Measures) recently wrote for Marketing Land and asked some industry experts where content marketing is headed. A couple of them really stood out to me… especially for anyone trying to convince company leaders to begin investing in quality video content.

The future of content marketing features quality over quantity

Margot Bloomstein (Appropriate, Inc.) wrote…

Rather than focusing on the hot new tool or channel, smart and ethical marketers will focus on producing less content, but of higher quality and fluidity to cross channels.

I can only hope this is the case. I love the idea of quality over quantity. A hundred bad videos might help your SEO, but it won’t endear you to viewers.

The main reason I think quality should matter to business leaders has to do with reputation. You spend all sorts of time, energy and money making sure your company or brand is viewed as being professional. A bunch of bad videos can destroy all of that work.

On the other hand, quality videos that tell good stories enhance your professional reputation.

The future of content marketing focuses on trust

Barry Feldman (Feldman Creative)wrote…

In response to the online content noisefest, the content consumer is growing increasingly skeptical and careful. Translation for content marketers: get trusted or get busted.

This is another area where video excels. I love written content… clearly… and after enough of it you can become a trusted voice. Video can speed up that process… big time.

The reason is simple. It’s a lot easier to trust someone who you can see and hear. The inflection in their voice, body language, the way they articulate themselves… all on display with video. If we like what we see and hear from all of those things, we begin to feel a sense of trust.

Two good arguments to make if you’re pushing your company or organization to create video content.

–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.

3 Reasons Video Is The Ultimate Marketing Tool

Posted on September 30th, 2013 | Leave a Comment

3 Reasons Video Is The Ultimate Marketing Tool

You own or work for a company. That company has competition. You need a marketing tool to set your company apart. Here’s why video is what you’re looking for.

Most importantly, people watch

I can’t emphasize this one enough. If you’re going to put the time, effort and money into any marketing tool, you want to make sure it gets in front of its intended audience. You can push out a marketing message all you want, if it doesn’t catches anyone’s eye… what’s the point?

Video grabs people’s attention. They watch… bottom line. 80% of internet users reports having watched some sort of marketing video online in the last month (Online Publishers Association).

It’s a marketing tool that drives action

Great. They watch. Do they buy? That’s the big question and the answer is yes. Video is a marketing tool that helps compel people to take some sort of action… whether it’s buying a product or seeking more information.

How many people? Would nearly half interest you? 46% of those people who watched marketing videos also report taking action after seeing them.

Not everyone is using it

It doesn’t sound right, but it’s true. Chances are your competition isn’t using video. This at a time when the number of online video viewers is expected to double in the next couple of years to 1.5 Billion (Cisco)

Less than a quarter of national brands produce marketing videos (Kantar Media Study). Imagine what those numbers are like for regional or small local businesses. Video production is trending upwards thanks to all the data on how effective video is, but the majority of companies still haven’t begun to make the effort.

Video is a great marketing tool and more businesses are catching on. Make sure your company is first… and not your competition.

–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.

Video ROI Is Missing The Big Picture

Posted on September 26th, 2013 | Leave a Comment

Video ROI Is Missing The Big PictureIt’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. That’s laughable now. Of course businesses need a website. I’d argue that 10-15 years from now we’ll be saying the same thing about video.

Many companies have produced videos and post them at their website. They share them in email campaigns and via social media. They have a YouTube channel.

At the same time, MOST businesses have not produced any videos. Less than 24% of national brands are using online marketing videos according to Kantar Media. That is going to change.

Video ROI vs. Video COI

The cost of ignoring video’s influence is becoming too great. A video that tells a good story is a tool that helps win hearts and minds. It’s a tool more and more marketers are seeing as an essential component to their digital campaigns.

All this means many business leaders are asking the wrong question about video. They want to know the ROI when they should be asking about the COI. That’s where things are trending.

One day they’re going to wake-up and realize their competitor has a well-told About Us video at their website. Another competitor will be sending email video invitations to prospects to attend company events. Another will be sharing product launch videos via social media to get customers excited about what’s coming.

That’s probably the point when they’ll stop asking about video ROI and start asking about the COI, but by then the competition will have a huge head start.

–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.

Learning From the iPhone Product Launch

Posted on September 25th, 2013 | Leave a Comment

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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. The new iPhone models are no exception, but Apple did a little something different with these that everyone can learn from.

In the past, Apple’s videos were all focused on the finished product… what it looks like and what it can do. We got all sorts of  cool shots of the product spinning around on a white backdrop, tight shots of its components and screens, and sounds bites from the people who designed it.

We still get those things with the iPhone 5c and 5s, but now we get a little more… and I like it. Apple has decided to give us a look behind-the-scenes at how they’re made and the technology that makes them great.

Learning From the iPhone Product LaunchTaking viewers behind-the-scenes

It’s an especially smart move with the iPhone 5c (VIDEO) because it’s a whole new offering for Apple… an iPhone with a plastic cover.

When you’re putting a new spin on an existing and popular product, any little change is going to scrutinized. Apple shows you how to face it head-on. Instead of just telling you about how it’s made… they show you. They want customers to be comfortable with how it’s constructed, so they’ll have the same confidence in this version as they have others.

Taking viewers behind-the-scenes helps earn their trust… something every business is looking for from customers.

–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.