NEW WEBSITE AND BLOG COMING SOON

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Top 3 Answers Revealed...

I thought I would share some questions I get asked on a regular basis...


1. How much does it cost to advertise on TV? - prices have come down substantially over the past few years and a targeted campaign can cost as little as five to ten thousand dollars. 

2. Why Television over other mediums? - I don't recommend any marketing plan that focuses on one medium however television is the easiest way next to email to reach a large audience. It's extremely effective and the results are measurable if done properly.
 
3. Do you guarantee results? - if you allow us to build a strategic media plan and guide your creative then the answer is YES 

Six Reasons Why You Need a Video

1. Visitors spend on average 2 minutes longer on your site if you have a video. 
2. 70% of customers prefer to watch a video than read boring copy on a website. 
3. Video on landing pages can increase conversion by up to 80%. 
4. 53 x better chance of getting onto page 1 of Google. 
5. 41% higher CTR than plain text in search results. 
6. YouTube dominates the search results. Your brand should be on it.
**stats are based on studies done by: AimClear, Forrester, EyeviewDigitaL, Comscore

Marketing's Greatest Hits - Vol. 1

I've taken a break recently from blogging as its been a hectic few months for me. With a wedding a new house and a new job, it seems I've taken on just as much as I can.

With that said however, I wouldn't change a thing. I am as happy as I've ever been and am do enthusiastic and focussed on the future.

I'm excited to announce a new web series that will be published weekly to my blog as well as other content hubs focussed on marketing.

Each week the series will showcase an interview with one of the GTA's top marketing talents. The series will be mostly Q&A with some surprises thrown in.

It's been an exciting week for me and I'm already booked up for December.
However if you or somebody you know would like to be featured please inbox me and I'll see if we have some room left for the January bookings.

The profile is someone who is currently working as a Marketing Manager, Director or VP level within a Toronto organization.

Please send all enquiries to corey.barker@me.com

Look for the new series to be published here in the new year.

Thanks for reading and please share amongst your peers.

Not your typical Campaign Ad? Richard Tisei: Not Your Typical Ad, Not Your Typical Politician

Oh, the horror! Another Pre-Roll....

Among the long list of problems threatening the planet -- civil war in Syria, economic collapse in Greece, the potential demise of the European Union, earthquakes in Japan -- it’s the world’s population of Internet users who clearly face the biggest hardships of all, having to suffer through paper towel and laundry detergent commercials before getting to watch the latest “kitten in a cardboard box” video.

Oh, the horror!

If the frustration expressed by viewers over having to wait 30 seconds to watch an online video for free is a little bit silly, then the readiness with which our entire industry empathizes with their plight is outright inane.  But be that as it may, and regardless of whether or not the anxiety over an otherwise harmless commercial is warranted, there are other (and better) advertising options for marketers to explore. 

To begin with, not all pre-roll is created equally, and some are clearly just lazier than others.  Taking a standard-issue TV spot and placing it in front of an online video doesn’t require a tremendous amount of money (at least from a production standpoint), but it also doesn’t take full advantage of the medium;

Look at this from another angle: Suppose a brand that typically markets itself through print advertising decides to run a TV spot.  To save money on scripting, casting, shooting and editing a unique production, they simply take the print ad and hold it in front of a camera for 30 seconds. It wouldn’t work, or at least, it wouldn’t work that well.  They’d be ignoring the true benefit of the medium – TV gives you the opportunity to entertain, inform, capture interest and tell a story.  Similarly, the Web gives marketers an opportunity that TV doesn’t: the power to engage, and connect with your viewers through direct interaction.  You’ve got your entire audience watching your spot with their fingers on the mouse button, just waiting for a good reason to click on something, and (apparently) bored and antsy because they have to suffer through your ad at all. So give them something to do; a reason to feel better about the delay.  Instead of running static VAST ads, invest some time and money into V-PAID ads, creating brand-associated games or interactive storylines that use the medium more effectively to interact with online consumers.

Even better, skip the pre-roll altogether and expand beyond the 30-second format.  Branded content can be a far more powerful tool, turning your marketing message into an informational, entertaining video that viewers will want to watch and benefit from, without even realizing (or at least not minding so much) that they’re being marketed to. A well-written, well-produced piece can appeal to viewers and be written around points you want to make, without it becoming a heavy-handed sales piece.  For example, an ongoing series called “Everyday Savings” that provides quick, easy to implement tips on how to save more money is content that many people would have a use for, and watch more of.  If that same series was “Presented by Some Bank,” it frames the sponsor as experts, helps build their brand, and entertains as well as informs – all without the perfunctory pre-roll.  What’s more, with many video networks and partners, brands can arrange deals so that rather than pay a flat CPM rate, they only pay when viewers watch a minimum percentage of any one video. 

Other opportunities are also available to brand interested anxious to take advantage of online video for marketing purposes.  Product placement is a growing and beneficial opportunity, in which brands may sponsor a video producer to mention their product, or include their products as part of the content.  Interactive overlays on specific videos, which collect answers given by viewers and provide a customized product offering at the end, based on those answers, are also strong but underutilized options to get closer to consumers. 

Pre-rolls, while by far the predominant method of online video-based marketing, isn’t without value.  But in a medium whose strength lies in extended storytelling and enhanced connectivity with viewers, it’s just a scratch on the surface of what can actually be accomplished. 

Credit: Jay Miletsky - MediaPost's Video Insider
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/185839/beyond-the-pre-roll.html

How to Create Compelling Video on a Small Budget

Video is a wonderful tool for telling a compelling story. It can be valuable for SEO, useful as a straight-forward marketing tool, and increase the reach of your message via social media in countless ways.

That said, one of the challenges a number of my clients face is a desire to use video but a very limited budget with which to work.

Maybe video wasn’t initially a part of the plan, or perhaps it was but the budget for it was eaten up by other urgent needs. Thankfully, creating a video doesn’t always have to mean heading out with a camera or hiring a crew to shoot new material.

What options do you have to create compelling content while minimizing your out-of-pocket investment?


Use what you’ve got

My #1 piece of advice for clients who find themselves in this situation is to use what they’ve got.

Maybe you’d like to illustrate a couple key points from new research for an audience that won’t wade through a 30-page report. Does the report have graphs, charts and other graphic elements that could be re-used?

Working with existing assets and a graphic designer (as well as adding some low-cost music and recording a tight, focused narration track) can result in a compelling, graphic-driven piece for a fraction of the cost of shooting interviews about the research, or finding stock footage to try to illustrate your message.

Think about the emotional impact of your piece as well. Even lower-quality, non-professional video and photos can have great emotional impact if there is a wonderful story behind the images.

All you may need to do to bring a great piece to life is record an audio interview and spend time with an editor to put it all together.

Do some of the “heavy lifting” yourself

There is an unholy trinity that rules all video projects. That trinity is fast, cheap and good… and you only get to choose two.

Since most people have a vested interest in doing good work, that means time is your most expendable resource when your budget is limited. Spend time crafting your message and laying out your plans. Write a script by putting everything you want your audience to hear in one column, and in a separate column list the imagery you want on screen for each moment of run time. Enlist team members to dig through archives or reach out to stakeholders who may be able to lend good imagery to the cause.

The more time you spend on these tasks before bringing in a professional or sourcing materials you have to pay for, the less the project will likely cost you.

Keep your message short and sweet

Each page laid out in the two column format mentioned above will equal roughly one minute of video. If you find yourself with long stretches of narration and no imagery to go with it, it may be time to edit down your script or start thinking of ways to use text or other elements on screen to make your point… perhaps even some combination of the two.

Finding imagery

You may come to a point in the planning of your piece at which you realize graphics, text and the video and photos you have aren’t going to get you to the finish line.

What else can you use?

Stock footage is the obvious choice… but in my opinion it’s not always the best choice, particularly if you have a lot of time to fill. Great stock footage and stills are expensive, and finding good, inexpensive imagery can take hours and hours of time.

Someone (maybe you, maybe some unfortunate intern) will have to wade through page after page of cheesy stock shots to find ones that work for your piece, and even then the costs can add up fast.

If you find yourself in this position, it’s time to get creative.

Is there an excellent amateur photographer in your ranks?

Perhaps you can find a way to free up a day or two of their time to take photos that will be useful to your project (in addition to helping you build an archive of imagery for future projects)?

Maybe the National Archives has some great public domain footage that would work well for your project.

At this point, further brainstorming with your internal team or even bringing in a video production company or a producer to help you evaluate your options might be time well spent.

A strong idea executed well

This video is one of my favorite examples of well-executed concept using precious few materials. Video can be a daunting medium because of the time it can take and the potential cost, but it is also incredibly flexible and creativity can bridge a lot of gaps left by budget shortfalls.

Source: http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/2012/10/17/video-without-the-shoot/