I wanted to share with you a fun new video that we’ve been working on around the office. We’re quite proud of the end product, hoping it encourages lively discussions among marketing team members and introspection about the possibility of dusty marketing strategies, unvisited return metrics, and some misallocated budget dollars. If the video gives pause for thought about the services Ovation offers, well, that’s a definite bonus.
Ovation Interactive stands squarely in the Content Marketing crowd, believing that content is more about being a customer’s helping hand than about selling them the next big thing. An element of the content marketing philosophy is that by sharing information that will add value to consumer lives, inform their decision-making, offer a ‘take-away’ that increases convenience or comfort, provides topical insight, and is otherwise generous, consultative, and outward-focused, a brand will experience blooming and beautiful by-products:
- Customers receive more signal, less noise. More of what the brand continues to say may break through.
- Positive feelings start to emerge thanks to the perception the brand is paying attention to customer needs/wants.
- Customers begin to share their newfound groovy experiences with others. Folks they trust, people they want to convert (hey, we all want to be the guy that helped our neighbor out of a jam).
- Magically, organically, your brand gains momentum among its existing audiences/targets, and others they know that are in the market. No endorsement is more powerful than peer-to-peer word of mouth.
So we’re challenging marketers not to push overt ‘me’ messages, and instead tap into what gives ‘you’ a warm & fuzzy. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. Give ‘em what they need, and they’ll stick around. It may mean operational changes, re-jiggering some plans, or convincing the old guard it’s time for a new trick. But you gotta do it, or suffer the consequences: irrelevance and erosion.
In this video (which is, admittedly in part a self-promotion video for our company) we’re taking a fresh approach with our challenge for B2C marketers to reconsider their traditional approaches and methods.
We’d love to know your take – on the creative execution, message, and philosophy. Looks best first-generation HD on a 42″ display (I can totally hook you up…), so consider this my disclaimer on Web-quality, small-format video (or try it here on Ovation’s Viddyou page).
Note: In case it doesn’t come through clearly enough, with my links here I’m saying: 1) I’m down w/ Hubspot’s lyrics that TV, Direct Mail aren’t cutting it the way we used to think they did 2) Todd Defren simply rocks, 3) Chris Brogan in pursuit of a “well-balanced marketing meal” is spot on and 4) with my comment (and Dave Fleet’s reply) I maintain that there is no single magic marketing bullet (every channel has its place and purpose), perhaps we have to reconsider the weight and message within each (yes, Dave’s post was a slightly different media beast, but I took the liberty with a side road that I think applies).
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A consumer-centric brand strategist with strengths in idea orientation and activation. Seeking the intersection of brand relevance, differentiation and emotional fulfillment to create opportunities for stronger customer relationships. Believe compelling content can create a memorable brand experience in this noisy world. Brand is the heart of business.
