Tag Archives: corporate communication

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

By now you might be aware that I’m a big fan of the web series. Instead of paying to create one long video, I often advocate producing a series of shorter videos instead.

There are plenty of companies out there doing this, and some of the bigger corporations are taking them to the next level. It’s great because they serve as good examples and provide good ideas for smaller companies.

Today, I’m featuring General Motors and its new web series for the Cadillac ATS. It’s a new model for the brand, so we get a bunch of videos at Cadillac’s YouTube Channel.

I love it! They basically put the car through the paces in different parts of the world. Patagonia, Morocco, Monaco, China… all with different environmental challenges to test the ATS.

That series on its own is pretty cool, but what’s amazing is that each location actually has its own series of videos. For example, Patagonia has a feature on the car, then there’s one on the making of that video, a story on a lighthouse where the Atlantic meets the Pacific, one on the region’s Grey Glacier, and finally a story on the indigenous tribe that lives there.

Some of the videos feature the car, some of them don’t. Sure, you get plenty of the car, but the video series is more about the adventure than the ATS. It’s all very fun, and again, serves as a great example for small business owners.

First, it demonstrates you don’t have to hit people over the head with your marketing message for them to “get” it. We’re a smart audience. We know it’s about the ATS. It’s the storytelling that keeps us watching, not an endless message about Cadillac.

Second, a series like this should get your creative juices flowing. Start thinking about your products and services in a different way. How are people using them? Feature them and their experiences instead of simply having company officials talk about facts and figures.

You don’t have to be GM. You don’t need to travel to different continents. All you need are good stories, and you can find those.

–Tony Gnau

I ran into an interesting guy yesterday. We got to talking and he asked me what I do. I told him about T60 and that we produce mostly PR and marketing videos.

That peaked his interest.

Turns out he teaches at Northwestern’s business school, and specializes in… wait for it… marketing. That started a back-and-forth, and I don’t know who was more interested in what the other had to say.

The big takeaway I got from the conversation was that we’re on the right track. I told him how I don’t think of us as marketers, that I believe we are storytellers first and foremost. He loved hearing that and talked about how he’s teaching the same thing in the classroom.

Nice to hear the next generation of marketing students are going to be on the same page as our story when they graduate.

–Tony Gnau

I’ll tell you what… American Airlines is producing some pretty good videos. If you’re in marketing or public relations, you should be taking notes because they’re doing a lot of things right.

American is in total PR mode. The CEO is reportedly on a “recovery” tour, pumping up customers and employees following the company filing for bankruptcy last November.

To go along with the tour, company officials produced a video. It’s terrific. Nothing revolutionary, just good videography, nice editing and solid storytelling.

One of the reasons I’m highlighting it is because the first two-thirds is simply a good example of an “About Us” video. It features customers and employees, and it’s just great to see how a major corporation produces something every company should have on its website.

For you small business owners, or you PR/marketing folks who help small business owners, there’s no reason you can’t have a quality video like this produced. Some of the shooting techniques might be toned down a bit to save costs, but the storytelling and message are totally doable.

–Tony Gnau

You don’t need a big production to create good videos. You don’t even need a big budget, and T60 is ready to prove it.

$500. That’s the price-point for our latest service. We’re calling them “Elevator Pitch Videos.”

I don’t typically write about the services we offer. This blog isn’t meant to be a sales vehicle. It’s a platform to discuss our passion… storytelling.

I decided, however, to write about this particular service because I run into so many business owners with the same problem. They understand the power of video, and they would love something for their company’s website and social media… but they don’t have the cash.

I’m a small business owner myself, so trust me, I get it. That’s why we developed this service.

Clients get a 1-hour shoot. During that time we conduct an interview of sorts where they give us their elevator pitch. What they do, what sets them apart, and how they want their clients to feel after working with them. We shoot a little raw video, then take it all back and put together a short video.

It’s basic but professional. It’s high-quality but budget friendly. It’s just what a lot of small businesses need.

–Tony Gnau

Okay… I think I’ve recovered enough to blog about last week’s day-trip to New York City. If you missed it, I posted about my extended stay. The short story is storms pass through, flights cancel, hotels fill-up… equals a long night at LaGuardia.

I have never been awake for a longer time… 41-hours.

Now you know why it took me a while to be ready to blog about it.

Today’s post isn’t about storytelling. It isn’t about shooting or editing techniques. It’s about being able to do a lot with just a little.

When you’re shooting somewhere close to home, you can bring everything and the kitchen sink. When you’re traveling, you can’t do that. You have to pick your gear carefully and know how to make things work.

I went on the New York trip solo. That meant I could only take what I could carry, and it also played a big role while getting around the city. I shot in Brooklyn and the Bronx and took the train from location to location.

Take a look at the photo. The only thing I had with me that it’s seen is a small bag that carried my DSLR. Otherwise, I had a backpack carrying a video camera and audio equipment, a hard case for my light kit, and finally, a baseball bat bag on wheels I use for my tripod and miscellaneous other things.

That’s it. Funny thing is I didn’t even use the light kit. We shot the interview outside and the indoor b-roll was fine with the room’s existing lights.

You don’t need the kitchen sink to create good videos. Minimal gear will never be a problem when you know how to use what you have with you.

–Tony Gnau

I’m changing my title. You can do that sort of thing when you own your own business. The tough thing is choosing one.

I’m the founder, president and CEO, but I’m also a videographer, writer and editor. I don’t like any of those.

What I really am is the Chief Storytelling Officer. It’s a good title for a couple of reasons. First, it accurately describes what I do for our clients. I help tell their stories.

Second, I’m T60’s storyteller. I’m in charge of telling T60’s story. It’s not so much about when we started, the type of equipment we use, or listing our clients. Our story is all about our passion for video and storytelling. I’m in charge of getting that message out.

I hope your company has a Chief Storytelling Office… even if they don’t have the title.

–Tony Gnau

Ground Zero: September 13, 2010

We have a New York City shoot this week. I’m sure we’ll have more in the future, but I think all of them combined will have a tough time competing with our first.

We walked on Ground Zero.

There it is. Top that. It was about as powerful a shoot as I think we’ll ever have.

We produced a story on a former Chicagoland cop who walked from the Windy City to the Big Apple to raise money for fallen first responders and military families.

The shoot at Ground Zero happened by chance. While we were shooting outside the site, one of the Port Authority cops patrolling the area asked what we were up to. After telling her about the walk, she escorted us inside and introduced us to her boss. He then led us onto the site.

Talk about a video that shifted gears.

That’s a good lesson for everyone producing videos. Don’t get married to your plans. A great opportunity presented itself to us, and within 5-minutes we completely shifted the story we were telling.

Powerful, spontaneous moments will almost always trump a good plan.

–Tony Gnau