ProMotion

One of the things I love about producing videos is the opportunity to meet new people and get a glimpse into their worlds. We’ve done videos for hospitals, banks and even the military, but our recent work for the Manitoba Pork Council was definitely an experience.

Our first day of shooting involved going into three different pig barns to interview the barn managers and get footage of them doing their daily routine. I hadn’t realized how clean these places were, and there’s a reason for that. Disease can spread fast among pigs and can quickly wipe out an entire barn. The crew had to shower in, shower out, and change all clothing upon entering and leaving the facility. Good thing we all looked great in sweat pants. And after six showers that day, I don’t think I’ve ever been cleaner.

The people we interviewed were clearly proud of the work they do and of the quality of food they produce. From barn workers and truck drivers to nutritionists and vets, it was amazing to hear their stories and see the care they put into their work.

Special thanks once again to Keith and Nathan Eidse, as well as Kamp Photography.

I was going through my old blog and stumbled across this post I wrote a few years ago. Like Adam’s post on the “power of motion design” last week, it touches upon video’s extraordinary ability to stir emotion, and what that means with the advent of the digital age. I’ve updated the sample links at the bottom, some really cool examples of online motion branding!

With the introduction of television advertising over 60 years ago, advertisers quickly realized the benefits of the moving picture. Not only could television be used to convey information; it could be used to incite an emotional response, a reaction, a feeling.

Branding could be taken to the next level, as commercials could associate a product or service with feelings such as trust, reliability and prestige, creating incredible potential for advertisers.

Today, with the advent of the Internet, we are at another equally exciting threshold in advertising. As broadband increases, video and motion media such as Flash animation are increasingly being used for on-line promotion and branding. Only now, we have the additional feature of interactivity. If the advertising message is compelling enough, the audience, no longer passive observers, can react instantly and purchase the product online.

Car companies have always made great use of motion media, especially television. In fact, the automobile industry depends on television advertising to stir up those feelings that drive (no pun intended) customers to purchase new vehicles, feelings such as desire, envy, and pride. By combining a great soundtrack, fast-paced editing techniques, some “professional driver on closed course” footage, and often a little sexual suggestion, car companies have found a winning advertising formula.

Now check out the online branding of these car companies. Automotive giants like Dodge, Lexus and Audi are using new media like Flash and video on their websites to trigger the same emotional responses from their audience that their commercials generate. But now they’re adding interactivity into the mix. Here are some great examples of online branded content:

Dodge: Ram Challenge

Russian Lexas Mini-Site

Audi R8 Mini-Site

Social media is playing an increasingly important role in branding these days. Company blogs, product ratings on e-commerce stores, technical support forums and viral video campaigns are all examples of opportunities for companies to reach out to their customer and change the way customers perceive them.

 For companies though, being so open can be a scary thing. There’s certainly a lack of control in how a company’s image is perceived on a public forum such as a blog. But there are also some great opportunities.

 Dell is one company that opted for transparency through social media, and made it a success. A couple of years ago, Dell got some extremely bad press when a video of a Dell laptop spontaneously combusting appeared on tech website Engadget. Suddenly, videos of flaming Dells were popping up online from all over the world. A PR nightmare.

 So what did Dell do? Dell’s Digital Media Manager Lionel Menchaca posted the video on the company blog. He and his team addressed customer concerns directly, admitting mistakes had been made, and took the heat (so to speak).

 The reaction? After a couple of weeks, the Blogosphere became more and more positive towards Dell. And since then, Dell has gone even further to open up dialogue, adding more blogs and investing more of its marketing budget into social media.

 Menchacha has some very wise words in this interview with social media blog Global Neighbourhoods:

 “I would argue though that the benefits of being part of the conversation outweigh all the risks… Companies need to admit that control is shifting toward customers. More and more customers are talking about companies they either like or dislike. Those conversations happen with or without companies being actively involved.  And it’s becoming increasingly clear that those conversations have more influence over perception than much of the marketing material and PR messages that companies produce.”