Branded Content Takes Time & Planning

I was reading a blog from Joe Pulizzi on ContentMarketingInstitute.com and actually found this comment by Steve Faber the most interesting of the article.  You can read the full blog post here.  But basically Pulizzi talks about how brands are getting bombarded with all these different companies coming at them pitching their content marketing strategies, but how do they know which ones to choose.  Faber left this great comment.  During a time when everything feels immediate, videos seem to blow up over-night and companies wants to get a piece of it, Faber comes in with some realism, a good reminder that not everything happens in seconds and even those that seem too, have been at it for a long time.  Long-term planning and goals are important, getting real customers that aren't just "likes" on facebook are important.  Having true interactions with real people to build a solid customer-base that wants to share and "spread the word" is what content marketing is looking to achieve .
 
"One challenge we face with clients, especially those used to "traditional" marketing, is the long term view content marketing requires. Sure, you can get the occasional "one hit wonder", but brand building through content requires long term consistency. Not that brand building is the only reason to use CM, but it's often the outcome, no matter the initial goal, if everything's hitting on all cylinders.
We focus on planning, an oft-neglected part of the process. Goal setting, and a road map to achieve those goals is ignored by businesses that have heard all about the content marketing magic bullet. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, as all too many discover, much to their chagrin.
It's funny that most organizations have no problems creating a marketing plan, and in fact, do so. When it comes to making a honest-to-goodness CM plan as part of that, well.... that's a whole different ballgame. So many are using the "hope something sticks" approach.
Thanks for highlighting the value inherent in using a CM plan. It's a critical success step in the process. It's not a loss leader, and agencies should treat it as such, although the lure of a long term project is sometimes too attractive to ignore." -Steve Faber

SEO & Social Media

Companies Are More Successful With SEO If They Integrate Social Media (Ascend2) 
According to Ascend2,  38% of companies that rated their own SEO efforts as "very successful" are integrating social media into SEO tactics, compared to just 2% of the companies that felt their SEO efforts were largely "not successful."

Out of the Box Thinking

I remember the first video he did last year from this series.  I think it's smart and funny.  People can connect with these videos.  Especially people with young kids.

Recommended Video Sticks with Consumers Longer

I just read an interesting blog on "recommendations" of videos to friends.  According to Unruly, the impact of the recommendation on consumers is substantial.

Here's their quick breakdown.

• Viewers are more likely to enjoy a video when it has been recommended than when encountered through browsing (14 percent higher enjoyment).
• Viewers are more likely to recall a brand name when the social video has been recommended than when encountered through browsing (7 percent higher recall).
• Viewers are more likely to engage with an ad's messages when the social has been recommended than when encountered through browsing (10 percent higher brand association).

When to post Branded Video

You put in so much time and effort into making the perfect video.  You couldn't be more proud of the end result.  Unfortunately none of that really matters if no one sees it.

Luckily, Unruly seems to have figured out the best day.  They analyzed the sharing activity of the 1,000 most shared branded videos during the 52-week period leading up to June 7, 2013.   Here's what they found:

  *Sharing Activity was highest on Fridays (15.9% above average). With Wednesdays (+14.1%) and    Thursdays (+7.5%) the next most active.

  *Hold your horses, don't launch your video on Friday.  Analysis shows that the viral peak occurs on day two of the campaign.  Actually, 25% of all shares occur in the first three days.

Conclusion: Launch your video campaign on Wednesday!

*Check out this blog for the full article.

Volkswagon has a little fun.

Great, quirky clip.

"The Motherhood" by Fiat

This video has been shared by mom's all over Facebook. It features a rapping mother with three kids showing off her oh-so-glamorous life of poopy nappies, nursing bras and cesarean scars. Well done, Fiat.

An Apple, non-Apple Ad?

Whether Apple had a hand in this or not, I don't know, but it's a great "non-Apple" ad.

Squaresville Web Series

Already finishing season 2, this web series has been around for awhile (in "web series land").  It's a good example of what can be done with a fairly low budget and still generate viewers/consumers.
Here's their first episode.

Guiness

I know this video has been circling the web for a little while, but I'm going to post it here as well.  A great example of an engaging story that is easily and happily shared.

3 Basic Steps to Engage Your Audience with Branded Video

Posted by Megen Musegades

There are many ideas and helpful tips to help make a successful branded video, these are my top three.

1. Develop your why.  What makes you different.
• If you are stuck, ask your customers and/or your employees what they love most about your company.
2. Make your story engaging and easy to share.
• Keep it short.
• Connect with your customers at an emotional level, make them want to share.
3.  Use a trigger.
• Jonah Berger, the author of Contagious, says it well, When you hear the words "Peanut butter", you automatically think of "Jelly".  So peanut butter is a trigger, an advertisement for jelly.
• A great example of a trigger is Geico's Hump Day ad.  Every Wednesday, this commercial gets passed around online.  "Uh oh, guess what day it is!?!"

I just like to rock. - Samsung

Samsung's Companion Stories are sweet and simple. Their budget may have been a lot larger, but this could be done on a very low budget for smaller companies.

Photoshop Live - Event & Branded Video

I couldn't stop watching this.  Getting people's genuine reactions tugs at everyone's emotions.  Very memorable and charming.

Kevin Allocca - YouTube's Trends Mngr talks Viral

This isn't specifically about branded content, but great points to remember before creating it.

ABC's Happy Endings webseries, gets branded

Further proof, if you're still looking for it, that video is the way to grow.  Here, Karin Gilford, Senior VP of Digital Media for Disney/ABC Television Group, talks about what a six episode web series did for Subaru.

Dove does it right, Twitter shows the stats.

I'm sure by now you've seen this Dove ad.  I just watched it again and again, it brought tears to my eyes.  Dove has been doing this right for awhile now with their Real Beauty campaign.  We've seen their commercials about how their product is better on your skin than other soap, but this video and others they do like it, make you want to by the product based on their mission to make women feel empowered and comfortable in their own skin, it grabs you at the emotional level and that's powerful.  Here is the video.



And here's how it went viral on Twitter.

Brands on a Vine - Toblerone & Ballantine's

Lowe's 6sec. Vine Campaign

Lowe's is one of the companies jumping on board the Vine train.  Helpful do-it-yourself tips in 6 seconds.  Check them out here.

Expedia Viral Video

This is a tear jerker.  Well-executed branded film.
 

Band-Aid Video

Good Combination of Video & Website

Coca-Cola - Branded Content Doesn't Have to Cost an Arm and a Leg

Point Made for a reasonable budget

Web series for Intel & Toshiba

These are seriously fantastic.  Just posting episode 4, but check them out on youtube for more episodes.

Hot Pocket

Hot Stalket - watch more funny videos