“Promotional videos are designed to promote businesses, products, or services. The enjoyment of video advertisements increases purchase intent by 97% and brand association by 139%,” – Unruly Media
Customer engagement has emerged as a seminal mantra in the world of commerce as brands, businesses, and enterprises compete to enhance their remit and seek out a larger share of customer dollars. Commercial enterprises use multiple means to engage customers and promotional videos have established their credibility in the pursuit of such objectives. This may possibly stem from the fact that video conveys a lot of visual information and carries significant potential to engage the attention of the audience. Videos can be transmitted again and again in an attempt to create and reinforce a certain impression in the minds of the general public. Promotional videos can be used in websites, in publicity campaigns, in a business / investor presentation, shopping centres, product promotion kiosks, and television advertisements. An expertly crafted promotional video can have the effect of creating an emphatic impression about a product or service, thereby enhancing the commercial prospects of a business enterprise.
A business can choose to create promotional videos in an attempt to enhance public awareness about its commercial offerings and to widen its customer base. For instance, a tennis academy can deploy said promotional materials to attract new customers into its fold. This can be viewed as a marketing tool that enables members of the public to gain knowledge about the sport and to enthuse public interest in tennis. Modern video technology enables the creation of stunning video footage that can pique customer interest and encourage viewers to enrol in said academy. The video product can be broadcast on television and on the Internet to gain a wide audience. Interesting facts about tennis can be included in such promotional videos in a bid to retain viewer attention. The video can be crafted to include brief endorsements from current players. The exuberance and excitement of the tennis court can add a sporting flavour to the visual production, thereby increasing the chances of sustaining customer engagement.
The planning stage of promotional videos should clearly identify the target market and makers should create the artefact to exacting specifications. We must bear in mind that video includes moving visuals and a soundtrack; this makes it a powerful platform to convey a marketing message. For instance, a footwear and shoe production company can assign professionals the task of creating promotional videos to highlight shoe products. The video can describe the rich texture of leather that goes into the creation of formal footwear, the use of high technology to create athletic and running shoes, the impact of quality footwear on sports and recreation activities, etc. Highlighting product features is clearly an intrinsic part of promotional videos because the medium is equipped to describe product attributes in granular detail. The verbatim feedback from product users can further bolster the commercial message and convince viewers and customers on the efficacy of the product and the brand. We must note that short videos accompanied with an appropriate soundtrack can deliver the message just as succinctly as an arresting visual of a product.
Modern marketing materials should ideally engage all the mental faculties of viewers in order to create an emphatic impression. This is critical because modern customers in most markets face a wide range of choices in terms of products and services. Therefore, promotional videos should be crafted with a distinct edge that engages the customer’s attention in the first few seconds of play. For instance, a pharmaceutical manufacturer can choose to market a video that spotlights healthy children and adults in moments of triumph. The message that is being broadcast emphasises the importance of good health in the achievement of personal objectives. The ‘feel good’ factor that emerges in the opening frames of the video is bound to attract attention and then the rest of the video can deliver the commercial message. Actual product images may not be necessary in said video because health remains a universal concern and many devices can be used to transmit wellness messages through promotional videos. We must note that such videos should try and create a message that underlines the definitive value proposition of a product, brand, or service.
Interesting stories can be used as the basic premise in the creation of promotional videos. This brings the power of storytelling into video productions and can impress clients and customers to invest in a product or service. For instance, enterprises that seek to raise money from private investors and venture capitalists can devise promotional videos that track the evolution of a certain brand or company. Video remains an immensely versatile medium to convey multiple messages and this ability can be harnessed by businesses to tell a story. An oil drilling and marketing operator that seeks private investors can organise road shows that include a video narration of the origins and subsequent expansion of the company. Significant milestones in corporate development can be spotlighted and brief interviews with management personnel can be included to complete the video. This effort should create a significant impact on potential investors and may help said operator to raise funds for business expansion, among other purposes. We may note that this instance demonstrates a corporate attempt to engage customers through the use of precedent and history.
Promotional videos can be created and deployed to re-instate customer faith in a brand or enterprise. This strategy heavily hinges on the legacy value of a brand and leverages the same in an attempt to help the brand to shine in a congested market. For instance, a biscuit and cookie maker can allocate corporate resources to create promotional videos that highlight the esteemed legacy of the brand and the customer goodwill it has earned since inception. Biscuits are a mass consumption product and represent a market that is annually worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Naturally, many competitors would seek to access and operate in this market, lured by the considerable revenues. The legacy brands would therefore seek to highlight their market pedigree in promotional videos designed to engage new generations of customers. Further, the top notch ingredients used to create the cookies and biscuits can figure prominently in said marketing materials. The creation and wide dissemination of the videos can re-charge the brand appeal of the business and help the brand to boost its market credentials. These outcomes typically boost the bottom line of a business enterprise and help it to achieve stated corporate objectives.
In the preceding paragraphs, we have examined some of the uses of promotional videos in the cause of furthering customer engagement. Every commercial video should be designed to highlight product or service attributes and the distinct benefits that accrue to consumers. Businesses that wish to invest in these marketing devices should bear in mind that a brand must establish and sustain its core value proposition over the long term. The use of promotional videos represents an aspect of brand advertisement and must always underline the core value proposition. Interesting angles can be explored to arrive at the original premise that underscores a promotional video. Once that is established, businesses can be confident in achieving high levels of customer engagement and winning the hearts and minds of their customers.
