Recently, I attended the Ad Age Video Branding That Gets Results event at the Conrad Hotel in downtown Chicago. I heard from experts across the field about the upcoming trends in video, as well as how a brand can make their mark in the video sphere. Here’s what I learned.
“Personalization matters to people; people buy products.”
Eyeview‘s Anthony Risicato’s quote is becoming increasingly true. With the increase of data being collected and people wanting to be marked out as individuals, this is the age of personalization. The more tailored an ad can be to a specific person, the better. Some companies are even taking it a step further and personalizing ads on an individual level.
“Why do you share content?”
Ze Frank of BuzzFeed uttered this question during his chat with Ad Age’s Simon Dumenco. When in doubt about why your audience might share your video, ask yourself that question. What Ze concluded was that sharing video is a way to express oneself, either as a way to align themselves with that content, align their friends, create nostalgia, or even express how they think the video missed the mark completely.
Very short silent films
During a panel discussion with select content creators, Steven Slivka of Edelman likened making video ads to creating very short silent films. With attention spans getting shorter and shorter, and the increasing likelihood that someone is watching a video in a public place, reaching an audience effectively means the video has to be efficient. Short, high quality visuals have to keep viewers engaged, while audio becomes a secondary component because it’s not guaranteed that viewers will hear it.
“If brands don’t have something to say that people want to hear, they’re going to get lost.”
This piece of wisdom was imparted by Morgan Carroll of Digitas, but others echoed his sentiments throughout the panel: have brands earned the right to say what they think they can say? Are they really adding to the conversation? Understand that there is so much content out there to be devoured that if you don’t stand out, you’ll just be one in a crowd. Discover what makes you stand out and leverage that through a video strategy.
Be geniune and stay true to the brand. Find what medium works best for the message and explore what resonates with the audience. Take risks and engage the audience in a conversation around their needs, not just your product or service.
Let’s talk about how Sparkfactor can do powerful things for your brand through video.
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