Tag: marketing

Combine Corporate and Social Video Filming to Reduce Costs

Post author By WK Studios
Post date November 18, 2019
No Comments on Combine Corporate and Social Video Filming to Reduce Costs

With the end of the year looming, many companies like yours have started thinking about and planning their 2020 marketing budgets. Smart companies know that video is an essential component in that plan, but what kind of video?

Brand stories, testimonial videos, product videos, advertisements, social media videos — they all have a place in a successful campaign, but corporations that use branded narratives to create stories are ahead of the curve. They’re capitalizing on emerging studies that scientifically prove that stories stick with viewers and cause chemical reactions in the brain such as dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. These emotion causing chemicals are then carried into the customers’ experience with all your other marketing. Social media videos take on new power when used in conjunction with narrative video.

At WK Studios, we believe video has the power to merge your brand with emotions. Viewers remember the emotion they felt long after the information has been forgotten. Creating video campaigns that evoke emotion in customers will stick with them long after the initial viewing. While we believe that all video is powerful. History, life experience and neuroscience teach us that storytelling videos are the most effective.

Budgeting for Video Marketing Campaigns

A solid video production company will offer to produce a social media campaign while also filming your corporate video content. By combining the two projects, film sessions can often be minimized in many cases. This helps reduce costs for your agency, corporation or non-profit.

Social Media Videos

Video helps you engage your audience on social channels and many of these platforms prioritize video in their listing algorithms, resulting in better organic reach. Users have come to expect social videos with great lighting, optimal sound and professional production value. Your social videos on each platform should align with the same overall brand narrative. From videos in your Instagram story to the video ads you create on Facebook, brands should be consistent and take advantage of as many platforms as possible.

Make Your Video Dollars Go the Extra Mile

In planning your marketing budget for 2020, the idea of creating a corporate video, testimonial videos as well as a full schedule of social videos may seem daunting at first. Finding room in the budget for all types of video marketing doesn’t have to be expensive or exhaustive to be successful. In many cases, filming sessions can be combined when you select the right video production company to create a variety of videos for your marketing campaigns.

Packaging your video projects helps increase brand consistency throughout your marketing campaigns. An experienced and savvy video production company has the capability to produce a social media campaign while also filming video content for a brand narrative or other corporate videos. Blending these projects can reduce costs for you by using clips from a single filming session to create multiple, cohesive videos for your brand.

Create Corporate and Social Media Videos in 2020

WK Studios offers video marketing packages to deliver video content with an emotional impact. We have more than 20 years of experience in the PNW creating in the visual language of film and video production. Our team uses our skills to engage your audience and create an emotional response to your brand. We use the “Hollywood” or Lean Model, meaning we hire the absolute best crew for your specific project and brand narrative. You don’t pay for the staff you don’t need.

Contact us today to receive a quote for a customized corporate and social video package. We look forward to learning more about your brand story.

Brent, Director of Operations at WK Studios, currently lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife Stephanie and two sons Micah and Ezra.

Tags Brand Narrative, filming, marketing, Social Media, video, video production

Marketing Video Marketing

Branded Narrative is Scientifically Proven to Make a Difference in Marketing

Post author By WK Studios
Post date October 16, 2019
No Comments on Branded Narrative is Scientifically Proven to Make a Difference in Marketing

branded narrative marketing video — Artificial intelligence. 3D illustration

Think of the marketing and advertising campaigns that have impacted you most, that have swayed you in one direction or the other on a certain product, service or cause. The most effective marketing campaigns evoke emotion in consumers, moving them to take action. Many marketers look to impressions through social and digital advertising, but without the emotion to back up your branding, how will consumers connect with your product, service or cause? Branded narrative is central to a meaningful marketing strategy. Marketers who begin to see themselves as storytellers connect with consumers on an emotional level, fostering brand trust and advocacy.

At WK Studios, we work alongside clients who want help elevating their marketing efforts to reach the right prospects at the right time with the right message — using video storytelling. Specializing in branded narratives effectively uses psychology and the science of emotions to connect with targeted audiences. Understanding how branded narrative and science work together helps companies achieve better results throughout marketing campaigns.

Science and Marketing

Good marketing starts with knowing your target audiences’ problems (in particular, the problems you intend to solve). Branded Narrative requires you to put yourself in your customers’ shoes so you can create the kind of message that draws them in using various principles of psychology. By examining the key neurotransmitters that foster the bonds people have with different stories, guiding customers along the buyer’s journey is much easier.

Dopamine

Dopamine increases focus, motivation, and memory. Marketers and sales teams are eager to learn about how to tap into this area of their customers’ minds. Storytelling does this extremely well. For example, as a person watches a movie, their dopamine levels become heightened as the suspense builds. Ultimately, viewers become captivated as they watch the story unfold.

An impactful story results in an engaged audience that is actually seeing more of the content. At this point, marketers can discreetly, or even bluntly insert their brand, product or service into the narrative in order to reach a focused and motivated audience. And that’s what it’s all about, right? You want to grab your viewers’ attention so your message is remembered.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is an empathy and bonding neurotransmitter. It induces trust, generosity and bonding. The most remarkable release of oxytocin occurs between lovers or between parents and their children.

This feeling of bonding can also be achieved to a strong degree through effective storytelling. Consider a story where a viewer watches a movie or a video that shows a young girl experience the sudden loss of her loving father. Viewers experience a heightened level of empathy resulting in trust, bonding and generosity due to their feeling of connection with the story’s character. Stories can be extremely powerful, as they form the basis for relationships and loyalty.

Many nonprofit organizations connect with donors using this type of narrative. For example, they may show a story featuring marginalized children to heighten levels of oxytocin within the audience. Feelings of duty and responsibility result, inspiring donors to give to the nonprofit’s cause. As a marketer, you want your customers to be emotionally tied to your brand – to bond and feel a sense of loyalty.

Endorphins

Endorphins are a powerful resource that video can tap into. One of the most effective ways to produce high levels of endorphins is through laughter, which results in more relaxed, creative and focused feelings. Consumers love to share content they find funny. When viewers share your content they significantly expand your reach, while also conveying their support for your brand.

As marketers, we must know the problems of our customers and show them how to solve those problems with our product or service. This sense of empowerment transfers from you to your customers. Your customers want to feel empowered and your brand can help them feel that way.

Branded Narrative Improves Marketing Performance

Today, the most effective way to tell a story is through video. Done well, you will be able to trigger the kind of neurotransmitter releases in your customers that make them loyal for life. Video tells stories that resonated with people. Consumers feel empowered enough to align themselves with your brand. As you share your branded narrative, your customers become gripped with the suspense of your story – the bond between your brand and their lives.

Effective marketing pays homage to how the brain works. Instead of merely selling products and services, marketing can connect us on a deeper, more human level. Branded Narrative through video makes all the difference in connecting with your customers.

WK Studios believes in the power of branded narrative — connecting with consumers through video storytelling. We’re passionate about helping brands raise awareness of the benefits of psychology-focused marketing. Contact WK Studios to learn more about using branded narrative to tell compelling stories that resonate with your prospective customers.

Tags marketing, video

Branding Filmmaking Marketing Video Marketing

A Video Content Marketing Roadmap

Post author By WK Studios
Post date July 22, 2019

How to make your video content marketing relevant and searchable

You want your video and webpage to rank in SEO, right? Video is taking over the world of branding and marketing. It’s also playing a much bigger role in SEO results than ever before. The problem is, the landscape is changing so fast, if you’re not working in the industry (and even if you are!), it is challenging to keep up with what are the best strategies for SEO. This blog by Margot da Cunha does a great job of breaking down some of the most vital marketing tactics for your video content.

Even a simple video can be strategically created to optimize its digital reach.

I broke down Margot’s tips into a simple list for all of us who don’t have time to spend reading full-length articles and blog posts.

9 Ways to Optimize your Video Content for Search

Choose the right video hosting platform
- Using YouTube & Vimeo are great if you’re just trying to get your video seen, but NOT if you want people to go to your own site
Create a video transcript
- Viewers will be able to read your subtitles when their volume is off
- Your captions will actually create more searchable text, great for SEO
Create an engaging thumbnail
- Even take photos specifically for thumbnail if necessary
- Thumbnail picture must be relevant to the main video theme
Video Title and Description must be engaging and relevant
Make sure your underlying webpage is also relevant and optimized for SEO
- If your site is awful, there’s a good chance your video will face an uphill battle to be ranked
The video you want ranked highest needs to be the first video on your page
If possible, make the video the focus of its webpage
Only embed each video in one location on your website
- Multiple locations lead to your videos competing against each other
Don’t only focus on SEO for your video
- Lots of other supplemental ways to market your video: FB, Twitter, Instagram, (other social media outlets), paid video advertising, and even having your partners share it!

If you’d like to know more about how to produce engaging and SEO-friendly video content, or would just altogether rather leave it to time-tested professionals, reach us at WK Studios! We’d love to work on your next video project with you.

#videocontent #video #marketing #branding #seo #results #WKStudios

Tags marketing, video production

Filmmaking

We are Attention Brokers

As video producers, we make our living trying to capture people’s attention. Attention is the currency, and we are the brokers. Every time we conceptualize that TV commercial, upload that video or post on Instagram we are hoping to capture the attention of our target audience. How many of them will view, like, share? How many of them will convert?

Monetize?

Sorry to be so mercantile, but video production is expensive. If there’s no ROI then your client has very little reason to invest. Even non-profits have to connect their message to the proper audience to ensure their longevity.

As creative professionals, it’s our job not just to make pretty images, but to conceptualize and capture effective ideas.

So, how do we hijack the attention of our audience away from the myriad of other images vying for their eyeballs?

Of course, there’s always the cheap tricks – do something shocking or disgusting. If you’re funny, I mean really funny you could always make a hilarious video and hope… However, that low hanging fruit has pretty much been harvested.

For serious brands with an actual message, here’s the WK suggestion.

1. Content marketing – these are cheap and easy. For these videos, content and distribution is king. The quality of production doesn’t matter nearly as much as communicating something useful. When you want to fix the fan in your computer or change the spark plug in your car you care that the “teacher” is thorough and intelligent and are willing to overlook the shaky video and noisy audio. If you associate your brand with these “quick tips” or small teachings, it is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader and keep yourself “top of mind”.

2. Lifestyle videos- people in general, especially millennials, don’t just want to buy a product, they want to buy into a lifestyle. Communicating your brand through lifestyle videos can create strong associations with the kind of lifestyle your target audience either has or desires.

A great example of this is GoPro. They show awesome Video of people living extreme lifestyles and finish with their tagline “Be a Hero”. Most people who buy the camera probably never engage in anything near the extreme sports shown in their promo video, but buying it makes them feel like they are a part of something greater.

3. Branded narratives – Stories move us. They create emotion. A well-told story grabs our attention early, brings us into the character’s world, and invents a need for resolution. Innovative brands such as BMW, Lexus, Pontiac, Ritz Carlton and more are tapping into this art form as a powerful way to infuse that emotion into their brand.

Once your client’s mind associates an emotion with your brand, that same emotion will come back every time they see your logo, your product, your website, etc. Of course, emotion lingers long after facts and figures are gone.

Paul Powers is a producer at WK Studios and currently resides in Bend OR with his beautiful wife and daughter.

Tags Bend, branded, content, lifestyle, marketing, narratives

Local Business Uncategorized

Branding is a Slow Burn… but a Longer Term Investment

Post author By WK Studios
Post date January 6, 2016
No Comments on Branding is a Slow Burn… but a Longer Term Investment

I love commercials. I know… I’m the odd man out.

In fact, I’ll share a little secret with you: When I watch TV, I mostly skip the shows and look for the ads.

I’ve noticed that big names do branding commercials while small businesses create informational commercials. This got me to thinking and here’s what I came up with regarding the differences.

1. Branding creates a feeling

Check out this commercial for milk:

An informational commercial would have started by listing the health benefits of milk, continued with telling you where you can buy it, and finished with a call to action (i.e. Drink Milk because it’s good for you.)

Compare the above with this commercial:

Which one gave you more information? Which one are you likely to remember when you are at the grocery store thinking about what to buy? (Matt Dillon tells us, “don’t forget it,” but I’m pretty sure you already have.)

2. Branding is slower

If you want a quick burn with immediate results (i.e. a sale or event) then informational is the only way to go. Just tell people “Who, What, When, Where and Why.” But as Roy H. Williams, the “Wizard of Ads,” asks, do you really want to train people to wait for a sale, or do you want them to buy from you because they love your brand?

If you are looking to build a “presence” in a product category, or a reputation in a geographical market–if you want people to feel your weight–then informational ads will be watched and forgotten before people even know who you are.

When you think about Nike, do you think about what kind of rubber they use on their soles or how cool their laces are? Does Nike have to convince you that they are quality by listing their manufacturing process? No, you feel something that has been faithfully added to and built upon for decades; they have created trust by the very “weight” of their brand.

3. Branding uses association

Nike associates its products with the biggest names in sports. Milk associates itself with obsessive desire. By the time they get to their slogan, “Got Milk,” the idea of living without it is unthinkable.

Unlike Nike, most businesses can’t afford even one minute of LeBron’s time, but with some skillfully-crafted creativity, they can create other powerful associations that are cheap or free. If you make quality knives, for example, then you can spend your advertising dollars associating your brand with the types of gourmet foods that your clients want to cook. If you make custom dog collars, then associate your brand with the special bonding that happens between dogs and their loving owners.

The most powerful branding moves the viewer to think, “I want to be that person; I want to live that life”

(By way of full disclosure, we were not associated with the above commercials in any way.)

Which sports fan doesn’t fantasize about being at the front of the pack, or the top of the key, making the winning slam dunk and having the fans go wild? Nike ads strongly associate its brand with some of the most powerful images known to sports fans.

The stronger the associations, the more powerful the emotions; the more powerful the emotions, the deeper your ads will impact the soul.

4. Branding lasts longer

Since association and emotion are functions of the subconscious mind, they stay with the viewer for much longer than mere facts and figures (which reside in the intellect).

5. Few things can impact the soul like video

SO here it is…the shameless sales pitch. (Not really.)

While strongly crafted words or a beautiful image can affect the soul, the medium of video is uniquely poised to impact the emotions of the viewer and help them temporarily suspend their filters. This is something I strongly believe.

Take your cues from how the big brands concept their ads, and focus on building brand loyalty through emotional connections, rather than going in for the kill with less effective informational ads. As marketing legend, David Ogilvy said, “Don’t bunt; aim out of the park. Aim for the company of immortals.”

Paul Powers is a producer at WK Studios and currently resides in Bend OR with his beautiful wife and daughter.

paul@wkstudios.com