What does video do? It works!

Posted on December 5, 2011 by paul freehauf

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Not to get too personal, but are you an innie or an outtie?

Posted on October 1, 2011 by paul freehauf

Print, email, direct response, and telemarketing aren’t totally extinct, but there is a better, more efficient way to generate qualified leads, engage customers, and build brands.

The old way, referred to as “traditional” or outbound marketing, meant pushing messages out to consumers. Regardless of what they were doing or how much they wanted (or didn’t want) to hear it – we interrupted them with our sales pitch. Remember all those dinner-time cold calls?

Today, there is a kinder, gentler…and just plain more effective approach. It’s called inbound marketing. Instead of bombarding consumers with unwanted advances – brands and businesses are giving consumers really good reasons, and multiple ways, to find them and to interact with them online.

This happens through the creation and distribution of engaging and informative online content; Search Engine Optimization and analysis; and an integrated use of various social media platforms that promote community and encourage sharing.

While content can come in many shapes and sizes, I happen to believe (and statistics agree) that VIDEO is what drives people to action more than anything else. A recent study by Marketing Sherpa revealed that “online video is second only to word-of-mouth for its ability to influence decision makers in every stage of the purchase lifecycle.”

So why merely publish information (ie. content) when you can broadcast it? Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to run a Super Bowl ad? It’s the same idea. Motion, sound, and voice are a pretty powerful combination. And contrary to popular belief – establishing an online video strategy for your business doesn’t have to be formidably expensive or laborious. At the same time, running out and having someone speak in front of a smartphone set for “video” doesn’t constitute having an online video strategy. Video is not a commodity. It shouldn’t be looked at as throw-away content, but rather, as a building block that is out there enhancing the perception of your brand – 24/7/365.

So…are you an innie or an outtie?

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How NESI is telling their story…

Posted on September 28, 2011 by paul freehauf

NESI (Non-Public Educational Services, Inc.) is a leader in Title 1 Instructional and Tutorial Services and Supplemental Educational Services. They were the first Title 1 service provider to private and religious schools in the US. They currently operate programs in 77 school districts and more than 225 schools.

During an exploratory conversation with the NESI sales staff a number of months ago, it became pretty apparent that their entire business model was based around fostering real-life success stories. The problem was that they weren’t sharing their extraordinary successes with many – or enough people. And certainly not with the most influential people. The gatekeepers. So, at this point in the conversation (which wasn’t initially a sales call), I paused and asked if I could explain a bit about what my company, wondrousstories, did. I routinely make a case for the use of online video with anyone who will listen, but his plea for help fed right into this unofficial sales pitch.

He got it. And eventually the entire team got it and we were brought in to conceive and produce a series of ten authentic and engaging digital spots intended to enhance internal and external communications for the company. We first established “Opening Minds, Enriching Lives” as the umbrella theme for the entire initiative. We shot at their corporate offices in Salem, MA; travelled to an inner city school in the Bronx, right up the street from “The House that Ruth Built,” and then onto a number of inner city schools in Chicago. We, of course, wanted to sit down with the people who these stories are really about…the students, their parents, and of course, the teachers.

Phase 1 of the NESI Corporate Communications Program currently in development.

Initial response has been tremendous. Being able to easily share engaging and informative video content with a prospect is extremely exciting and satisfying for a sales person. The recipient is typically also impressed, not only with the content and quality of the productions, but also because of the commitment NESI has shown by investing in such effective and inspiring marketing materials.

Whether for general awareness, branding purposes, or in support of a specific sales or marketing effort, the use of online video can significantly enhance the perception of your business and brand with both customers and prospects. Here are a few of the spots developed for the NESI campaign.

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5 Necessary Steps to Achieving Video Marketing Bliss

Posted on September 28, 2011 by paul freehauf

This is Juan. Juan is a veteran educator who has worked in the New York City public school system for over twenty years. This image was taken during a video shoot we did for NESI at Juan's school in the Bronx. Juan got downright giddy when he talked about the extraordinary pleasure he gets when learning takes place in his classroom. This is what bliss looks like.

Sooner or later all businesses are going to have to address them. They are all going to have to face reality and struggle through what I call the “5 Steps to Achieving Video Marketing Bliss.” It’s easy to think you only have to worry about one or two at a time, but the reality is…to fully exploit this tremendous sales, marketing, and branding opportunity…all five must be considered, understood, and embraced.

BELIEVE

The first step involves truly understanding and believing in the potential of online video as the most efficient and effective sales, marketing, and branding tool available today. How do you get to this point? Well, it might happen by looking over your shoulder and seeing what your competition is doing. Or, you might want to expose yourself to the tremendous amount of research and statistics which paint a very clear picture. Or, you might find yourself searching YouTube every time you want to be educated about a business, product, or service. One way or another, you will finally realize the Internet has become a broadcast platform and that THIS is the way to communicate and you want in.

STRATEGIZE

OK…that’s a great first step. However, before you jump in headfirst and run to tell your boss you want to “do” a video…there’s another extremely important step. You need a strategy. Just like any other successful initiative, you need to think strategically about how/why/when/where you are going to use your video assets. This process involves stepping back and looking out over the next twelve months. What are you attempting to accomplish? What are your primary goals and objectives? What type(s) of video will help you achieve these goals? This will provide the roadmap for your online video strategy as you begin to communicate using motion, sound, and voice….VIDEO.

CREATE

Once the strategy has been flushed out and you have an idea of the type of content you need, and where and when you are going to use this content – comes what I believe is the most important part. Creative development. This is your chance to put a face on your brand and really connect with your audience. Give it a face, a voice, a personality. It’s an opportunity to build brand equity with smart, high-quality solutions that engage the viewer and invite interaction. Great creative without a plan or strategy is useless, but bad creative with the best distribution strategy in the world is probably worse. Perception is reality and quality equals credibility. Your video content will be out there representing you and your brand 24/7. It needs to be right. Video is an investment – not a commodity.

PRODUCE

The production process itself is also extremely important. Again, quality equals credibility. Professionals worry about the “little” things that make a BIG difference. Lighting, sound, depth of field, camera angles, transitions, graphics, run-time, music, voice-overs, talent, etc. all contribute to successful video assets. Hire professionals. However, it is OK to add a user-generated video clip into the mix on occasion when you need to make a simple or time-sensitive point. Then, be sure to ask yourself if your video assets communicate without selling? Do they engage the viewer in a way that promotes positive interaction with your brand? If not – you’re selling yourself short and you may be doing your brand a disservice.

EXECUTE

To execute your video marketing initiative means a number of things. How will you host, manage, distribute, and track your video assets? Where will these assets live? Before you answer YouTube…you may want to consider a distribution source that you control. An OVP (Online Video Platform) becomes a trusted and trustworthy partner providing you with consistent, high-quality playback, branded video players, advanced tracking and analytics, SEO capabilities, interactive tools, pre-roll capabilities, video transcription, and more. A good OVP is worth its’ weight in gold.

Execution also means paying attention to results. What is working? What isn’t? Be prepared to try new things. Do more of what is working. Listen to the feedback you get. Share and interact. Engage consumers with your video assets and at every single touchpoint. Successful execution means being committed to communicating with stimulating and relevant video messaging.

Why publish when you can broadcast? Experience video marketing bliss…

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Why Focus Groups are for the BIRDS!

Posted on August 26, 2011 by paul freehauf

I’ll be honest, I never really liked the idea of focus groups. Obviously, some businesses, in certain industries, make lots of important product decisions based on their findings from focus groups. It’s not that the results that they get are wrong, but are they right? Are they really getting anything other than what the participants “think they think?”

I just finished Youngme Moon’s thought-provoking book Different. Perhaps that is why focus groups are on my mind. Throughout the book she provides many examples of brands and businesses racing to be the SAME – not different. I loved the example of Volvo and Audi and their focus on eliminating differences rather than accentuating them. Once upon a time, Volvo was THE car in terms of practicality and safety, and Audi was known for its sportiness. Instead of exploiting the distinct advantage that each car manufacturer had over the other, they began making a concerted effort to be more like the other guy. Now Audi is all about safety and Volvo got sportier. Did they learn this from a focus group? Probably. Did they gain anything from this shift of focus? I don’t think so. I’d argue that these iconic brands both lost a bit of what made them unique in the first place.

The next thing I found in myself immersed in after digesting Different was a white paper from the world’s leading strategic neurological marketing company Buyology entitled Leveraging the Non-Conscious to Drive Transformational Growth. Heady stuff no doubt, but spot on! And once again, the issue of what do focus groups REALLY tell us was front and center in their argument. The basis of Buyology’s findings is that there are two mental processes involved in every decision we make – conscious decision-making and non-conscious decision-making. One involves a deliberate, rational process (conscious) and the other is a complex melding of impulses, reflex actions, habits, memories, emotions, and instincts that occur quickly and automatically, with little awareness of feeling or effort (non-conscious).

So, if we are to give focus group any credit for helping us understand consumer behavior, it is because they do reveal tidbits of information about the conscious, rational side of the decision-making process. They may reveal “what the participant thinks they think” information, but nothing about non-conscious drivers. If you buy into what Buyology is saying, then focusing on focus group data is like looking at only half of the equation. I would argue that what you get from focus group participants are deliberate responses coming from the surface. They tend to point toward “sameness” or a “give me what the other guy is currently giving me” mentality. How could you ever expect focus group participants to ask for what they don’t even know or realize they need or want! That’s the non-conscious side. And that’s missing from the data.

Another wonderful example from Different is IKEA. Any chance in hell that a focus group told this category-leading global brand that they should offer minimal variety; no shopping assistance; no deliver or assembly; and no real promise of product durability? The answer is clearly NO, NO, and NO again. But it worked! It’s a perfect example of a “reverse brand” that took away things we thought we needed and gave us other things (a unique shopping experience, Swedish meatballs, etc.) instead. And in the process, they came out on top.

The bottom line, taking both Youngme’s and Buyology’s point of view into consideration, is that to be a successful marketer today, we must look beyond the obvious. We must strive to be different instead of thinking that being the same is good – or good enough. Words like BETTER, FASTER, NEW, IMPROVED, etc. have virtually no meaning to anyone who takes moment to step back, smell their Starbuck’s coffee, and recognize how homogenized everything has become. Shame on so many great brands and amazing products that, instead of enhancing their value or uniqueness, have chosen to be just like the other guy. As I write this, Steve Jobs has announced that he is all done at Apple. The buzz on the street is…will Apple be able to maintain the “edge” that Jobs so brilliantly engineered?

Even if you happen to be a “PC”…let’s hope so.

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Creative Development for Luxury Properties

Posted on June 27, 2011 by paul freehauf

My Luxury Property Creative Development package provides all the tools and assets you will need to exploit the power of the Internet via web video, SEO, and social media. I cover all of your needs for professional still photography; the production of robust and interactive web video, and the digital marketing support that will get your message out to the largest possible audience.

Here is an example of the type of assets we would typically capture and produce for a luxury property. This portfolio represents a portion of the still images we would produce and size for print, collateral, display, and MLS purposes.

STILL PHOTOGRAPHY

VIDEO PRODUCTION

I also produce two distinct video segments. The first is a Walkthru Presentation, which is a unique tour of the property I produce using a motion-still photography technique. Each Walkthru includes script development, a professional voice over, custom music track, and branded contact page. I provide an unbranded version for MLS and a fully-branded version for your corporate/personal website, blog, newsletter, etc. Share/Embed/Like options allow viewers to interact with your content and broaden the exposure.

The second production is a professionally-produced “Teaser” Spot about the property. Again, a professional voice over, custom music bed, and branded contact page are used in the production. Again, this video can be shared, embedded, or commented on, providing a tremendous amount of informative and ongoing exposure.

Email marketing is one of the most efficient and effective digital marketing tactics used today. Consumers are 8X more likely to open an email containing a video than text and a still image. You can use the Teaser Spot to introduce prospects to the property, or use it to reintroduce a buyer, making sure it remains high on their radar. Perhaps a number of recent (and important) showings occurred during less-than-ideal weather conditions…forward a link to your Teaser Spot and make sure that they “experience” the property during ideal conditions.

DIGITAL MARKETING SUPPORT

Having great content is ineffective if you don’t distribute it aggressively and properly. We will host your content for 2 years or until the property is sold. We provide both branded and unbranded versions allowing for the broadest possible audience. In addition to MLS and your corporate/personal websites, blogs, and newsletters, we will also establish a branded You Tube channel for your video assets to reside.

Our hosting solution also provides easy to use email marketing capabilities. Type in the email address, add a personal message, and push send. The recipient will be notified that you have shared a video with them. After viewing the video, they can easy share the link with others in their “circle of influence.” We can also dictate what they see after the video plays. Perhaps it is another video of that same property or a similar listing. All along we are tracking views/embeds/comments/links.

It is clear that consumers want as much information (content!) as they can get these days…and they would prefer to get it on the Internet. Currently almost 90% of home buyers will conduct research online. The creative use of the assets I provide, combined with more traditional tactics you may still be using, will help to satiate their growing appetite. The key to success is integration. At every turn and at every touchpoint, your customers must be presented with the same quality and consistency. Their experience with your brand, both online and offline, should be equally robust.

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What does your brand look like?

Posted on June 22, 2011 by paul freehauf

Very soon, visitors to The Green Company’s corporate website (www.greencos.com) will not only get to see what their brand looks like, but also what it sounds like. Every business has employees who are out there on the “frontline” interacting with prospects, clients, and customers. They’re hired to do and say the right thing and to represent the brand in a professional manner. It is these unique and important employees that help define a successful brand.

We approached The Green Company about creating Employee Profile online video segments for some of their key employees, as a fun and efficient way to introduce them to new customers. These are the very people that each and every new home owner will undoubtedly interact with over the course of purchasing a home from The Green Company and becoming part of a new community. Now, not only will customers learn who does what, but they just might find that they have much more in common with that person than they otherwise would have known.

This is yet another great use of online video as a marketing, sales, promotional, and branding tool. Look at Employee Profiles as “ice breakers” that promote social interaction and build brand equity along the way.

The Employee Profile (A few samples from a series of 8 currently)

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A secret weapon for selling luxury?

Posted on June 16, 2011 by paul freehauf

Clearly there is no single “sure-fire” way to sell a luxury item. Many factors come into play and each situation, and each buyer, is completely different. However, more times than not, the “sales pitch” is built around an emotion proposition rather than something tangible. Successful strategies attempt to engage buyers by helping them feel or experience what they are observing. When this connection happens, the ad or message is far more likely to influence choice. I believe a solutions like the spot below, when presented to qualified prospects, will deliver a sensation of emotion that the viewer will feel intimately, identify with, and own. What an elegant and enduring way to attract qualified buyers, sell luxury properties, and enhance your brand along the way.

Monkey see…monkey do

I’ve been reading about mirror neutrons and how the brain works in primates and, to some degree, humans. Mirror neutrons are tiny neurological structures that fire in the brain both when we perceive action and when we actually take action. Mirror neutrons were discovered in the 1990s by Vittorio Gallese and Giacomo Rizzolatti at the University of Parma in their research on monkeys. While mirror neutrons haven’t yet been pinpointed in people with the same precision as in monkeys, several recent studies support a social side to human cognition, with which people internally replay the actions they view in another before acting themselves.

The basic concept behind mirror neutrons is pretty simple: they allow us to feel what other people are feeling. When we observe visual and verbal cues, mirror neutrons help to simulate in the observer the same emotional state of the observed. What happens when you see someone yawn? Or when you see the brake lights go on in the car in front of use on the highway? See what I mean?

Feel the connection

Ever heard of the concept of Mirror Neutron Advertising? It’s not new. Showing and demonstrating in advertising has been done forever, but some believe MNA is just a fun theory. But why wouldn’t it work? Why wouldn’t a stimulating visual with an enticing emotional proposition not make us feel a certain way, intensify a specific desire, or create a need?

Which brings me back to my original point….selling luxury is equivalent to selling lifestyle – and it is all about making the viewer feel a certain way. Is there a better way to communicate an extraordinary waterfront location than putting your audience front and center and letting them experience your product? Can this benefit be mirrored? I think so.

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Don’t underestimate the POWER of music…

Posted on June 3, 2011 by paul freehauf

s u n s e t z e r o s i x z e r o t w o

More times than not…when we watch a film or a video, the fear or suspense or joy that we feel is because of the music bed. The soundtrack. The right music can actually manipulate our minds to feel – even see things that aren’t necessarily portrayed on screen. It’s certainly one of the most important parts of producing stimulating visual content whether you’re making a Hollywood blockbuster or a YouTube clip.

I recently produced a short time-lapse segment featuring the beauty and raw power of Mother Nature herself. The visuals speak for themselves, BUT…how did I want the person viewing the piece to “feel?” The music selected would make all the difference.

I decided to post this side-by-side example after sharing the time-lapse segment with a musician friend. He questioned my choice of music. Matt is an amazing Hang player who composes and performs extraordinarily beautiful music on an equally amazing instrument. He portrays nature it its’ most natural state. Calm and serene. He “saw” this piece in a different light than I originally did. Who is right?

The first clip features a somewhat powerful and even dangerous piece of music. It’s full of explosive energy – which is what I saw in the sky and passing clouds. The second clip features a track by Matt Venuti. It paints a totally different picture. It’s calm and peaceful. You might even think that the clouds are moving more slowly in this piece – but they’re not.

Who is right? Which piece of music is better? The answer is both. It all comes down to what emotion the creator wants you, the viewer, to feel when you watch it. It’s pretty intriguing and powerful stuff…

Which version do you like?

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Vintage Baseball Images from 1939-40

Posted on May 23, 2011 by paul freehauf

It’s baseball season, so why not share some vintage baseball images. Once again, these negatives come from my private archive. Most of these images feature the 1939-40 Cincinnati Reds. They were the National League Champs in ’39 and went on to face the New York Yankees in the World Series. The Yankees swept the 1939 Series in four games. The following season, the Red’s would once again make it the Series. This time with a different outcome and under extraordinary circumstances.

In July of the 1940 season, Red’s starting catcher Ernie Lombardi suffered an injured finger. Willard Hershberger filled in for him and played well. However, in a game against a poor New York Giants team at the Polo Grounds on July 31, the Reds blew a 4-1 late-game lead and lost the game 5-4. Three days later, the Reds lost both games of a double-header to the Boston Bees 10-3 and 4-3, respectively. The sensitive Hershberger, who caught the Giants game and the second game versus the Bees, perceived that some of his teammates might have felt or implied that they might not have lost to such poor teams had Lombardi been playing. The Giants and the Bees would ultimately finish in sixth and last place, respectively.

At one point during the Bees game, an upset Willard Hershberger alluded to his father’s suicide and said he would do likewise. Concerned, Reds manager Bill McKechnie spoke to his catcher in private. Hershberger tearfully opened up and took personal blame for the two loses. However, after about an hour, he had calmed down considerably and McKechnie believed he would be fine. The following morning, Reds publicist and traveling secretary Gabe Paul called Hershberger’s room at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston and relayed a message from Bill McKechnie that he wasn’t going to play that afternoon and needn’t even put on his uniform; McKechnie likely wanted to give Hershberger time away from the ballpark to collect himself emotionally. However, he said he would be there. But when he failed to appear for pre-game activities, Gabe Paul became concerned and went to the hotel. The manager unlocked the door to Hershberger’s room and found him dead. He had taken his own life.

After giving his team the tragic news, Bill McKechnie exhorted the Reds to dedicate themselves to winning the World Series “for Hershie”. The Cincinnati Reds would go on to defeat the American League Champion Detroit Tigers in seven games to win the 1940 World Series. Reds players decided to share a portion of their championship money, totaling $5,803, to Hershberger’s grieving mother, Maude.

Willard Hershberger originally signed with the New York Yankees, but did not make his major league debut until age 27, after eight minor league seasons. On December 3, 1937, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for shortstop Eddie Miller and $40,000. During his three-year tenure with the Reds, Willard Hershberger was a backup to regular catcher Ernie Lombardi. Hershberger, smaller and more athletic than the lumbering Lombardi, lacked power (he hit no home runs in his major league career), but was a good hitter for average, hitting .276 in 49 games in his rookie season and .345 in 63 games in his second season. He was a part of the Reds’ 1939 World Series team, their first appearance in the “Fall Classic” since the controversial 1919 World Series. In 1940, he played in 48 games and hit .309. He had a career batting average of .316.

What a sad story. How many guys playing today would be thrilled with numbers like that. My collection includes a number of Hershberger images. Included here are a portrait taken outside the dugout; an action shot with his catcher’s gear on; and the most chilling image of them all, a makeshift memorial placed directly behind home plate. The fourth image shows the entire Red’s team paying tribute to their teammate from the top step of the dugout.

All rights to these images are controlled by Paul Freehauf/wondrousstories. More to come…

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