Chicago Video Production

A truly effective branding campaign does more than raise awareness about a company, it also shapes public opinion. Hence the latest video for Volvo’s S60, in which the world’s safest car company sets its sights on an attractive new?client?le.

Everything about the video screams “fun” and “sex” and “European debauchery,” but is an international party campaign fueled by alcohol and beautiful hipsters the best way to sell a car? It just might be.

The traditionally family-oriented brand has set its sights on a new demographic, the young and reckless. The type of people who belong in the world’s safest car. The beauty of this video is that it’s fun enough that most young people would want to be a part of it, but it’s also delivered on a platform that probably won’t reach Volvo’s typically older customers. In effect, the company comes off as risque and dangerous, but never alienates the people who already buy Volvos.

For creating a video that calms our fears of Europeans, and also makes us want to buy a car, Volvo has earned this week’s Video Professionals Award.

BONUS TRIVIA QUESTION: Who’s the most famous vampire to drive a Volvo?
The first person to comment correctly gets a free coffee drink of their choice from The Goddess and Grocer, AND a VIP tour of the Video One Studio!

Rapid Learning Life, a Manchester-based marketing firm, produced an otherwise great video about Internet marketing, with hardly any mention of online video’s role or potential.

RLL’s video is well-made and rather informative, but everything it says about Article Marketing should be replaced with information about online video. By today’s business standards, article marketing is?ineffective?and time consuming. Simply put, people don’t like information thrown at them. Instead, they want to be engaged, to be a part of the conversation rather than just recipients of it.

If all marketing is relationship building, than video is an ideal way to create good relationships. Video presents information in an easy-to-absorb format, and allows?people to watch and comment on the same page. Could there be a faster form of engagement?

Surely RLL is aware of video marketing’s benefits, they are in the “biz” after all. But they should mention that in their video marketing primer. After seeing their portfolio and YouTube channel, we’re confident they could produce an all-encompassing video about video. It would be the ultimate meta-nonfiction for the new media age.

And as long as we’re giving out free advice, let’s ditch the fake American accent in the Simple English videos. We want to hear some of that British charm. Okay, GO!

One of the smartest ways a business can use video is to broadcast customer testimonials.

A customer testimonial is probably the best reference a company can have. A happy customer is invaluable. They are more trusted than any advertisement, and are a limitless source of good publicity.

In the age of social media, brands are what customers say they are. Thanks to online reviews, forums, and blogs, customers can say anything about the products they buy and the brands they support. It’s become such an integral part of consumer behavior that lots of companies hire a dedicated web-searchers to find what customers are saying about that company’s products or services. As a result, public relations and customer service are becoming intrinsically linked because brand image and customer experience are no longer exclusive.

Video testimonial offer all the benefits of word of mouth publicity, without people having to meet or actually talk to each other. Plus it provides a certain level of transparency in the publicity process. Instead of the ambiguity of a generic quote on a website, a video testimonial gives viewers a name and a face to associate the word of mouth with. Although it’s still just a one way communication, it can still be as effective as an online customer review.

But not all customer testimonials are created equal. Although a testimonial with poor production values is forgivable, they tend to be harder to watch than a highly produced alternative. See the difference for yourself.

The speaker in the Ford testimonial is far more pleasant than the man in the mercantile testimonial, but the latter is actually easier to watch. Although I’d buy practically anything form the charming old man in the Ford video, the wind noise and hand-held cam video quality create engagement barriers for an otherwise effective video. The mercantile video, on the other hand, is less innocent and endearing, but the higher production values help the viewer remain engaged.

So are you taking full advantage of the PR work your brand has been doing? If you have happy customers, they should be utilized. In most cases, they would be happy to talk, especially in front of a camera.

Medical Training Video from American Media Professionals on Vimeo.

Company training is a repetitive task that can be easily streamlined by a well-crafted video. Training videos can be easily customized to practically any job or task. Industries with a high turn-over rate can save time by producing a detailed video that prepares new employees for the job ahead. Likewise, training videos can be used to supplement formal training procedures or even serve as a go-to when various issues arise.

For instance, if a Nintendo retailer is struggling with a high product return rate, there is a branded video that addresses the specific issues that retailers may experience.

These videos are reliable, always available, and easier to absorb than a lengthy document or static presentation. Although training videos have existed for years, they are more effective now than ever before. The young people entering the workforce today are more?accustomed?to rich media than any other group of people. Traditional training methods, be it through lecture or Powerpoint, are far less engaging than a video, and might fail to capture a young employees fleeting attention.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that training videos should be tailored specifically to today’s younger generation, which seems to be the case for this Wendy’s training video from the 80’s. But like all videos, the creator should be aware of the audience and know how to reach them. A catchy and informational rap song might be one way, but something with thorough writing and decent production values would probably work just as well. However, many training videos seem to have no sense of realism, and companies should be careful about what they convey with their video. Below is an example from Gamestop, which seems to think that women only want to buy childish video games and can be woo’d with female-oriented magazines.

Corporate training videos can also be used to discuss company policy, practices, and expectations. These videos can be used during employee training, or when questions about company policy arise. They can be as generic as dress code do’s and don’ts, or even serious topics like sexual harassment.

Because training videos are so?versatile?and?efficient, they can be a good investment for practically any business. From customers service to corporate policy, a good training video can prepare anyone for their job at a fraction of the company’s time.