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"See the world through rose colored glasses"
With the advent of cell-phone generated content, paired with the accessibility of self-distribution methods with online marketing, we now live in an age where content creation can be as simple as the push of a button. With great power comes great responsibility however. While companies are in the dawn of discovery surrounding video advertising, you might just want to pump the breaks for a minute before you slash your entire content creation budget in half, or greater! In this article, I would like to take the time to point out how this age of self-creation is a short-lived trend, and how relying on it too heavily could negatively affect your brand, service, or product in the long term.
Let’s face it, quality is no longer the driving force within the online marketing realm. Now a days, authenticity is king, enabling consumers to feel connected to a brand or personality via an unpolished “look”. That look can be derived in a number of ways, but primarily stems from cell-phone generated content that can deliberately feel (at times) amateur in nature. That’s because brands know this approach can work with a select audience, pending their messaging is delivered appropriately. The driving force behind this “style” of content can level the barrier between a brand and a lead or recurring consumer because the prospect has a shared perspective through a familiar *visual* language. To reinforce, the key point of perspective being a shared visual language, not a personal perspective.
It’s like having a marketing diet consisting of purely candy and junk food, it’s truly an unhealthy approach, and it’s bound to cause issues over time.
Often companies creating in-house content will look to the figurative “left & right” of them to see what the new visual trend is to create media that will be received as “engaging”. That’s because companies have determined “engagement” is the key metric to drive subscriptions and sales. Have your prospect “engage” with a post, and that media is now likely circulating organically with your lead’s own followers depending on the platform’s algorithm. This cell-phone generated content for Insta, TikTok, and FB Stories is an echo chamber which typically relies on unique camera angles, clever editing, social challenges, or personalities wedged between a product as the driving force of the media. To be rather blunt, these are all trendy gimmicks in the marketing land-scape in what we refer to this as “throw-away” media. Sure, this type of content can churn a quick buck with little overhead, especially when their reach is leveraged via paid advertising. It’s certainly no slouch in terms of performance if distributed correctly, but it’s a far cry from true direct response advertising. Generally speaking, this approach pails in the face of a strong, pointed, and strategically crafted video. It’s like having a marketing diet consisting of purely candy and junk food, it’s truly an unhealthy approach, and it’s bound to cause issues over time. Together, lets discover the differences, and how in-house cell-phone generated content should be a supplemental or a mixed medium, instead of a catalyst for growth.
Example: Large brand using influencer likely to be scrolled over.
Credit: DrinkArizona
you shouldn’t be paying for their quality, instead you should by paying for their perspective.
When a client is up against the figurative wall when it comes to choosing quality vs. performance in direct correspondence to a budget, a client will typically lean on the cheaper alternative if the performance playing field is leveled. Typically video commercial agencies will try to sell their services based on their quality, style, or what technological advancements they have at their disposal. While these are certainly elements that contribute to the overall delivery of a video product, none of these factors are the key components in which a video marketing agency should be in reliance of. That’s because the modern consumer has dulled its expectations when it comes to consuming content in relation to paid advertising and their performance. In some ways, the consumer may prefer an unpolished look as it’s easier to associate with through a shared visual language. The reality is consumers are being overtly, and subconsciously advertised to in almost every aspect of their lives. Sometimes when an polished advert hits a prospect’s new feed, that material can be scrolled over simply because there is a disconnect, or a turnoff to being advertised to directly pending the media and service. Of course, you can always blend polished with unpolished media, and we have done so in the past with great results. As we discussed in a previous Article, now a days its crucial to give more in our respective media, than making a deliberate ask in our sales pitch. With all of this taken into account, as the title of the Article implies, it’s not about any of these aspects. When you hire Capion Studio, or any commercial agency for that matter you shouldn’t be paying for their quality, instead you should by paying for their perspective. What does that really mean though?
That’s because even with the same material, the “lens” in which we view the world is projected onto, and reflected back outwards on the media in which we create.
Example: Informal, yet polished advert. Cohesive story building a supply, demand, and CTA.
Credit: Capion Studio
Take the same subject matter and give it to five different commercial agencies, and you will land upon five wildly different end results. Matter of fact, to make things simpler, take the same shot material, and simply hand it to five different editors and you’ll still have vastly different approaches to the same content. That’s because even with the same material, the “lens” in which we view the world is projected onto, and reflected back outwards on the media in which we create. This is intrinsically connected to any sort of worldly products we craft whether it be digital / functional art, or otherwise tangible materials. This is why it’s important to know who is creating your media, and if their perspectives align with the brand ethos of your company. You see, at Capion our team is selectively comprised of some very worldly and experience enriched individuals that care deeply on the products in which we forge, imprinting a piece of ourselves upon our end-products. That’s why a lot of our works strike such a positive response, because our collective EQ in relation to our perspectives are being worked into these products from the ground up.
over time will undoubtedly plague your brand. The reason being is that you are compiling your entire library by hitching the cart of your company to a cheap, trendy look or personality that is indistinguishable from the next company, or influencer.
Listen, I’m not saying every piece of content you put out there needs to be a riveting, or an emotional rollercoaster. I’m also not saying that every piece of media needs to be a highly polished work of art from script to delivery. What I am saying however is that you as a company need to consider putting your best foot forward with bodies of work that are staples of your brand through a shared perspective. What I am also saying, is your average personality, or even general marketing director is not equipped to effectively, coherently, and strategically story tell. These are trade skills that take years upon years of experience to hone in on. Why is this important you ask? These works speak to who you are as brand, service, or product will undoubtedly serve as the bedrock of your company for years to come so long as the narrative and strategy are properly constructed. Using cell-phone generated content with trendy formulas as a spearhead for you digital campaigns can typically be informal, and off the cuff which I think may resonate short term with some of your consumers, but over time will undoubtedly plague your brand. The reason being is that you are compiling your entire library by hitching the cart of your company to a cheap, trendy look or personality that is indistinguishable from the next company, or influencer. That is the inherent problem with trend, it is bound to die, typically sooner rather than later.
Example: Great example of blended cell-phone and polished content.
Credit: Harmon Brothers
there are trend setters, that are offering, and imprinting their perspectives on their content, whom aren’t looking to the left and right of them to develop a formula and story.
Ask yourself, why is it that some media sticks that becomes widely engageable, and most media is overlooked no matter how much money you throw at it? That’s because there are trend setters, that are offering, and imprinting their perspectives on their content, whom aren’t looking to the left and right of them to develop a formula and story. Some of this original content can flop at a bigger expense, but the risks can be worth the rewards when you “hit big”. Regardless if a media trends or not, big brand pieces, or polished adverts are like paying down dividends; you most likely will not see the reward immediately, and sometimes you cannot feel it’s direct impact through data points, but over time you’ll look up and find yourself at an entirely new stratosphere. This can be taken quite literally these days with subscription models, and trickle purchases. It’s hard to pin point the source of this growth, but the effects over a period of time can be felt wide-spread.
Example: A complex branded narrative being interwoven through storytelling archetypes.
Credit: Capion Studio
It is a healthy mix of these mediums coupled with strategy, great writing skills, story-telling, technical competence, quality, and most importantly perspective that wins the hearts and minds of our potential consumers.
Of course, one can always bring these media professionals in-house to create strategies, and there can be some incredible opportunities to build media campaigns that may have long lasting rewards. An outside agency however maintains the competitive edge, as they have a finger on the pulse of contemporary media, and offer a fresh eyed perspective that an in-house talent typically does not share. With that said, a company should not be solely relying on trends, personalities, influencers, and cheap alternatives to bolster their sales, and more importantly their brands. It is a healthy mix of these mediums coupled with strategy, great writing skills, story-telling, technical competence, quality, and most importantly perspective that wins the hearts and minds of our potential consumers.
focus your time and energy on media that will live with you for years. It is the long game that will pay off in the long run
So you see, it’s all about perspective. Quality certainly comes “automatic” with our products, but that is not the defining trait being sold here. It is the perspectives and world views you are buying into when hiring a commercial agency that should be front and center. In the discovery or “courting phase” if you will, you should be asking the question “what new angles, and storytelling capabilities are the service provider offering”? Instead of trying to save a buck with some trendy media that will last you a day, or at best a week, focus your time and energy on media that will live with you for years. It is the long game that will pay off in the long run, while you balance your day-to-day with cheap, in-house cell-phone generated content. As long as your brand cohesion is on point, these two mediums / approaches can live co-equally alongside one another, granted you have not taken too much of your content creation budget, and put it behind paid-advertising. At Capion we bring a unique and worldly view to all of our products no matter the scope. If you’re interested in developing or elevating your brand, service or product make sure to visit us on our main page found at www.capionstudio.com. So as always thank you for tuning, until the next article, take care and stay creative!
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