Tag Archives: Twitter

It doesn’t take long. A good video can get people’s attention and peak their interest in less than a couple of minutes. That’s important because most web surfers have very short attention spans.

However, that’s not why I think shorter PR and marketing videos are better. Shorter is better because it allows you to do more.

Instead of producing a single, let’s say, 10-minute video, businesses should turn out five, 2-minute videos. Breaking things up into segments does a couple of things…

1. it’s a manageable time for people to watch
2. it creates an event to look forward to

I want to focus on that second point. Producing a series of videos allows a company to release them as a web series. Using our previous example, we’ll say one video a week for five weeks.

Show them over your social media networks, in an email campaign, and now you’re producing content your followers will anticipate and appreciate every week.

Less really can be more.

–Tony Gnau

Photo: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Last night I awoke at 2:30 a.m. from a bad dream where the USC Trojans were trailing the UCLA Bruins.  Yes, I dream about football.

Bear with me, I’ll get to a relevant point.

In the dream, USC trailed by 7-points with 3:30 left to play when the defense scooped up a fumble. Instead of attempting to drive for a game tying touchdown which would at least force overtime, USC head coach Lane Kiffin elects not to run an offensive play. Instead, he kicks a 49-yard field goal cutting the lead to 4-points.

Craziness… I know. I woke up thinking why would a coach make a move like that? Sure, it closes the gap and potentially preserves enough time to go for the win, but it also paints the team into a corner. The only option available for the Trojans would be to get the ball back on defense and drive for a game winning touchdown.

It actually made me think about viral video. Many companies want to create the next great viral video, but that quest does bring risk. Groupon created a Super Bowl ad I’m sure they hoped would go viral the next day. It did, but for all the wrong reasons. Using the Tibetan people’s oppression as a gag offended a lot people and turned out to be an embarrassing failure.

Creativity is a great thing, but don’t confuse creativity with boldness.  Businesses striving to be bold need to avoid painting themselves into a corner where winning is the only option.

I’m not saying don’t go for it. Everyone’s risk-reward threshold is different.  Just keep your eyes open… and maybe a good PR pro on standby.

–Tony Gnau

My dad taught me a valuable lesson when I was a kid. I might have been eight or nine years-old when I said something insensitive to my mom. My dad was furious but it didn’t lead to a tirade. He simply leaned forward, looked me in the eye, and said, “Think before you speak.” I’ll never forget that.

I’m guessing Alexandra Wallace didn’t get a similar lesson when she was a kid. Wallace is the UCLA student who filed a video blog on YouTube ranting about Asian students in the library talking on their cell phones.

This is a teachable moment for businesses that have employees blogging or vlogging. Think about your message before hitting the upload button because once it enters cyberspace… it’s out there.

Now, I know there’s a movement advocating unfiltered content. Keep the message “real.” I get it and to a certain degree I’m with them, but there’s a big difference between being guarded and being smart.

Businesses need to be smart with their social media. Be open and share… just be smart about it. It’s a lesson this UCLA student learned the hard way.

–Tony Gnau

p.s. did I mention she attends UCLA?

Last week Danny Brown blogged about relationships and how they lead to sales. He also mentioned something that really struck a chord with me… that we base our decisions on emotions.

He’s right, which is why marketing videos can be such a great way to reach people. A good video can elicit an emotional response and connect the viewer with the company on a personal level.

Enter storytelling.  It fosters these emotions in a way facts and figures don’t. The lesson? Don’t get wrapped up in the facts behind a product, service, or company. The story should come first.

–Tony Gnau

Finally… a sports agency with some vision! I’ve pitched several agents in the past on the idea of producing an NFL Draft video for their clients. I’m glad to see someone is jumping onboard… even if it wasn’t T60 creating the video.

USC Trojans tight end Jordan Cameron is entering this year’s draft. He also has a YouTube video hyping his abilities courtesy NBA Slam Dunk Champ Blake Griffin.

Do I think this is going to improve his draft status. Maybe. Cameron isn’t the biggest name on the draft board, so maybe a little extra exposure gets him some needed attention.

Where I think the video will really have an impact is after the draft. Whichever team selects Cameron, many of their fans will immediate Google “Jordan Cameron,” and what will they find? A fun video they can share with other fans. He instantly becomes a marketable figure for that team, and he hasn’t even played a snap.

That’s the power of video and how it can work for individuals.

–Tony Gnau

SIDE NOTE: I wonder if anyone had to explain to Jordan and Griffin that their video mimics the famous 1989 Nike ad campaign featuring Michael Jordan and Spike Lee. USC’s Jordan and the Clippers’ Griffin had to be in diapers back then! :-)

Have you seen Jennifer Aniston’s new video for Smartwater?  It deserves a brief word… lame.

I have no doubt this video will go viral… it features Jennifer Aniston for crying out loud… but is this the best her team could come up with?

The video is trying to be funny. The irony is that it will go viral because it fails. This would have been so much better had they simply done all the viral “tricks” and not talked about them.

It’s something I speak with clients about all the time. You don’t have to hold the viewer’s hand and hit them over the head with your concept or message. Let them watch and draw their own conclusion. It becomes a far more effective message when viewers figure it out for themselves.

People are smart. Smarter than Smartwater for sure.

–Tony Gnau

Give ’em all the facts and figures you want, but in the end many consumers will take a good story over logic any day.

Yesterday, Seth Godin blogged about the limits of evidence-based marketing. He also offered up an alternative… persistent storytelling.

I like the sound of that. As a matter of fact, regular readers here know it’s one of my favorite subjects.

Simply put, storytelling sells. Give viewers interesting stories, deliver them on a regular basis, and good things will happen.

That’s because they trigger and emotional response. The better the stories, the more favorably people view the subject matter.

So… are you ready to tell people the stories surrounding your business?

–Tony Gnau

Videos don’t need to long, substantial… epic. A series of short videos done on a regular basis can actually have a bigger impact than a single, big time production.

Why? Good quality, short videos are something people can look forward to, they’re easy to share with friends, and they’ll earn you a following.

One incredible video might get you some attention at first, but a solid series will keep people coming back for more. Business leaders should decide whether they prefer a big splash or a steady stream.

–Tony Gnau

Content is king these days. Cyber consumers are demand it, and businesses are struggling to deliver it.

Don’t get me wrong. They’re trying. Many businesses are churning out lots content, but is it worth-while content? Is it stuff that will benefit customers? Does it make a good impression? I’d argue that a lot of the content is pointless, and even worse, some of it could put companies in a bad light.

Take a look at many of the YouTube/Facebook videos companies are posting. They’re boring, poorly produced, and a waste of time. Is that the image a business wants to convey?

In the midst of this content push, someone at these companies needs to stand up and be the voice of reason. Let’s not just produce content. Let’s produce quality content.

–Tony Gnau

Ford’s been doing a lot of things right lately. Its producing good-looking, well-made vehicles and consumers seem to be responding by buying them.

Company leaders have certainly jumped on the social media marketing bandwagon as well, but their video strategy is kind of head-scratching. Some videos are clearly professionally done, and others look pretty basic like someone inside the company is putting them together.  A couple of examples…

Good: Ford Fiesta vs. Lamborghini

Boring: 2011 Ford Explorer Clay Mockup in the Wind Tunnel

The “good” video works. It has upbeat music, a fun concept, and tight editing. Do your best to ignore the annoying host and you have a memorable video.

The “boring” video doesn’t need to be. It’s focusing on the aerodynamic attention put into the Ford Explorer. This could be really interesting in the hands of a professional storyteller. Instead, we get no music to set a mood and poorly-paced editing.

The reason this drives me crazy… yes, I wrote “drives”… is that someone at Ford clearly understands the power of video and social media but still short-changes us. They raise our expectations with quality work only to disappoint us with a ho-hum effort.

If you’re going to do something, do it right. If you’re only going to half-try, you can expect half-results.

–Tony Gnau