James Bailey, head of Maxus for Business, explains how to create a successful B2B video campaign without breaking the bank
It’s difficult to create a cost-effective B2B video that works. Did you know that visual data is processed 60,000 times faster by the human brain than text? Why then, in B2B marketing, do we not turn to visual communications as the first platform for conveying messages in the same way that consumer brands would? Are people less receptive to AV advertising when they have a business hat on? Is there any reason why, when considering a business purchase decision, we would be more heavily influenced by the written word than sound or video?
A recent study by the CEB and Google has shed light on the strength of the emotional connection between individuals and B2B brands. When you think about it it’s perfectly logical – when individuals make a purchasing decision on behalf of a business it will usually be a decision that others will rely on, a decision that may even have ramifications for the career of an individual. So it makes sense for them to be considered ‘emotionally connected’ to that brand…especially if it lets them down.
If this is the case, should you focus disproportionately on rational benefits within B2B advertising? Could a greater weighting towards audio visual communications help plug an emotional deficit in the way B2B brands project themselves? A joint study between B2B Marketing and ITN Productions concluded brands would love to produce more video, yet are held back by a skills gap within marketing departments.
Here’s the steps you need to follow when creating effective video:
1. Forge an emotional connection
It was recently reported the much heralded Volvo Trucks’ ‘Epic split’ spot with Jean-Claude Van Damme was voted the ‘least effective at making transport companies want to buy Volvos’ when compared with other spots in the brand’s ‘Live test’ campaign. This was an example of B2B video at its most extravagant, but did heavy investment pay off, or should the ad be deemed a failure? This is more a question of how success is measured.
Was the video created to answer the question ‘why Volvo Trucks?’ No. Instead we should be considering what emotional connection it helped stimulate with its audiences. We have already learnt that B2B brands can better connect with customers through taking an emotive, rather than rational, approach. What Volvo has helpfully produced is something of a 71 million-viewed moon shot – the ‘money and ROI are no object’ campaign, inspiring the rest of us to find a comfortable level of investment closer to home.
2. Be resourceful
Some 55 per cent of those surveyed by ITN considered ‘expense’ as the main limitation to investing more in video messaging, yet 82 per cent considered their previous investment in video either ‘successful’ or ‘very successful’. This immediately highlights two roles for an agency: to get the costs down and to make video more accountable.
Most media organisations have video production departments that can be utilised as a component of any advertising partnership. If we were intending to use a partner to distribute our advertising messages, why not obtain their help in production? Looking to readily available resources will keep costs down and encourage more efficient content creation, all of which serves to enhance accountability.
3. Keep it snappy
Contrary to popular misconception, video needn’t be lengthy to make an impact. The reason Vine has thrived is because it turns out you can communicate a lot in six seconds. The truth is most B2B video will be consumed from an office based desktop or mobile device, so keep messaging to the point.
4. Map assets to audiences
When considering the distribution of video, start by getting a grid ready and map the type of message you are looking to communicate down one axis and the audiences you are looking to reach across the top. Fill in the blanks with the messages that are being created accordingly. This should not be the way assets are developed creatively, but rather serve as a structure over which we can overlay how each message should be broadcasted.
5. Plan for organic amplification
Don’t leave initiatives such as employee engagement to the last minute; organise your peers and leverage their social media networks by involving them in the nature of any content from the off, and the potential benefits for others. Often employees are quick to share when they know what their peers and clients can get from a piece of content. Ultimately this contributes to extending the reach of any content being produced. With a creative approach, you might be surprised by how many internal company activities can become sources of engaging video.
6. Plan to measure
Simple interaction metrics won’t suffice if you’re considering a prolonged investment in video. Consider what you’re looking to achieve withvideo: what is it communicating that non-video assets do not? How are we hoping viewers will feel about the brand? There are many simple and cost efficient polling methods to incorporate within a media buy to answer such questions and make video assets more accountable.
