Editor’s note: Paolo Mottola is a finalist for 2017 Content Marketer of the Year. And while REI has a uniquely powerful opportunity for producing amazing video, Paolo believes that any brand can reach its potential if it approaches video content the right way. The REI content marketing team built a video strategy from a solid foundation of internal brand guidelines and clearly defined brand voice. Make sure video is the right choice And, while Paolo and his team consistently get great outcomes from their video content, he keeps a critical eye on his content marketing strategy to make sure they’re telling stories in the right format. “You have to be honest and see how visual the subject will be and if motion is the best way to get the story out there.” Sometimes it will be, but other times long-form journalism, infographics, or a photo series will give the story a better voice. At the same time, Paolo’s team partners with external production companies to build a cadence of entertaining, aspirational stories that resonate with REI’s target audience. “Partnerships like these allow REI to reach an expanded audience and deliver valuable content consistent with our brand,” Paolo says. “We’re privileged in our work to create content that represents and serves the outdoor community,” he says. Make plans to attend Content Marketing World Sept. 5-8 in Cleveland, Ohio, to hear who wins Content Marketer of the Year 2017 and learn from industry experts so you may create an award-winning content marketing program yourself. She was instrumental in helping us find our 2017 Content Marketer of the Year finalists.
Editor’s note: Paolo Mottola is a finalist for 2017 Content Marketer of the Year. We will be sharing insight from all CMY finalists in the blog before the winner is announced at Content Marketing World this September.
With Mark Zuckerberg recently identifying video as a “mega trend” with the same game-changing potential as mobile, the race is officially on for marketers to add video to their content mix.
Consider REI out ahead of the pack, as its managing editor, Paolo Mottola, has long understood the inherent power of visual storytelling. His farsightedness means that his team is well ahead of the video adoption curve and already seeing outstanding results. REI produces dozens every year, ranging in complexity from five-minute how-to videos all the way up to 40-minute documentaries.
Paolo and his content marketing team are delivering real gains for the REI brand, earning enormous brand exposure and earned media with recent short films like Brothers of Climbing, Within Reach and Adventures in Real Life, which have received millions of views across digital networks in 2017.
With video content firing on all cylinders, Paolo has earned a nomination for Content Marketer of the Year for 2017. And while REI has a uniquely powerful opportunity for producing amazing video, Paolo believes that any brand can reach its potential if it approaches video content the right way.
Brand guidelines come first
REI’s brand is all about the outdoor lifestyle, and as the largest consumer co-op in America it’s blessed with an abundance of amazing stories to share. But even with this nearly ideal situation, REI didn’t rush into video production.
The REI content marketing team built a video strategy from a solid foundation of internal brand guidelines and clearly defined brand voice. This base helps his team provide a consistent audience experience, whether showing viewers how to take their first snowshoeing trip or following expert cyclists biking across the United States.
Make sure video is the right choice
And, while Paolo and his team consistently get great outcomes from their video content, he keeps a critical eye on his content marketing strategy to make sure they’re telling stories in the right format.
“The story needs to be conducive to video,” he reminds us. “You have to be honest and see how visual the subject will be and if motion is the best way to get the story out there.” Sometimes it will be, but other times long-form journalism, infographics, or a photo series will give the story a better voice. His teams deliver on those content formats, too, as demonstrated on the Co-op Journal, REI’s online publication.
Once REI’s content marketing team decides video is truly the right approach, it starts to design and resource the story. For example, an internal creative team produces between 10 and 20 education videos each quarter, meeting a variety of needs in the consumer journey. These videos run about 3 to 5 minutes in length, each introducing people to the outdoor lifestyle or familiarizing them with specific outdoor gear or skills. They find a…
COMMENTS