Advertising and marketing is one of the only industries where everyone thinks they can do a better job, or are somehow qualified to have a go because they ‘have an opinion’. This type of attitude isn’t seen in other industries, for example, you wouldn’t take your car to the garage to be fixed and then proceed to continually question and tell the mechanic how to do the job. So why do we see this type of behaviour in the advertising industry?
Largely driven through the huge transformation of technology (and social media, communications and marketing) in the last decade, there is a relentless march of self-creation and self-publishing making this potentially a bigger problem. After all - we can all create and publish our own content, make our own films, write our own blogs. And we can all have a great idea.
It’s not fair to assume that creativity can only come from those with the creative job title, nor is it just for those in ad land. So here are a few simple thoughts that might help along the way when it comes to making great film content and to get the best out of your effort, ambition and time.
1. Why are you doing it?
Like any decent marketing, you need to be crystal clear on the purpose the video content is going to serve. If you can’t articulate simply and clearly the reason for the activity, it probably means you’ll end up with a film that tries to do loads of things and ends up doing none of them. You can look at many recent brand films (naming no names!) and it’s clear this first stage hasn’t been given the time of day.
2. What are you aiming for?
If you don’t know what the goal is - how will you know whether you’ve scored?
It is important to understand what you want to happen as a result of someone viewing your video, and also, how you are going to know if they have done it or not? This is true for all forms of marketing communications, so makes it easy for yourself by having clear, measureable objectives and desired outcomes to start with. These guidelines will keep you on track during the creative process and, if nothing else, the data will help to iterate and make it better.
3. Be hard on yourself, because your audience will be
Ask yourself - is it any good? Really, honestly. It is?
The problem is that most of us desperately want the ideas we’ve been involved with to be good. It’s human nature. Creative people have learned to not be like this but in reality, most of the rest of us haven’t. This, allied with the inherently subjective nature of creative work, means most of us are really poor at judging our own ideas. It’s why creative directors exist, so give someone permission to assess your work honestly and constructively. Ego is the enemy.
4. The competition is broader than you think
Whilst you may think that the only competitors are those in the same industry or sector, for video content you are competing against all video content. Oh, and people getting on with their lives, however, chained to their devices they are.
5. Just because you could, it doesn’t mean you should
Great marketing, great ideas and great video content (particularly when clients and brands are involved) requires insight, knowledge and expertise. It’s not about just doing it, it’s about doing it brilliantly. And find people who can help, whoever they are.
So next time you head to the drawing board remember, just like you, people don't have time for average, so make it good! And when you're talking video, you're not only competing against thousands of hours of it, you're competing against the latest season of Narcos or The Walking Dead too.
By Dan Gregson, managing director at Foxtrot Papa
Want to keep up with the latest ideas in digital marketing? Free conference and exhibition Integrated Live is the place to be.
PrivSec Conferences will bring together leading speakers and experts from privacy and security to deliver compelling content via solo presentations, panel discussions, debates, roundtables and workshops.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the website.
comments powered by Disqus