And it worked: Within a week, Intuit’s online video racked up 16.8 million views, and more than 5 million viewers watched the entire video. By telling a great story through the right medium, Intuit went from the name on the bottom of the TurboTax website to a preferred option in the minds of its target audience. Moving pictures and great stories Stories are the most powerful marketing weapon, and videos are the most effective storytelling vehicle. The four elements of an effective narrative arc are character, conflict, journey and resolution. Customers enjoy a feel-good story, but brands must position themselves as the enablers of that feel-good story’s success. In a good video, the journey portrayed showcases a central character (the "hero") using the brand to achieve resolution, whether or not the problem being focused on gets solved or at least a conversation is begun. In short, the video -- if it's an effective one -- demonstrates why its viewers should think about the brand the next time they take this journey themselves. Think beyond the story. The company also posts videos of everyday people going through their morning routines, which helps real people see themselves using Glossier products. People trust other people, even those they’ve never met, because they see themselves in those people's struggles and triumphs.
People view ads, but they engage with video. Use this medium to tell better stories and turn uninterested prospects into brand fanatics.
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Video content — done right — has the power to transform a brand from a background player to an established powerhouse. And it’s something you should seriously consider integrating into your own marketing mix.
Proof? Intuit, the maker of software QuickBooks and TurboTax, lived quietly behind the scenes until its first-ever marketing campaign catapulted the brand into the limelight. Intuit’s campaign, which covered both digital and television media, revolved around a Pixar-like story about a friendly robot.
And it worked: Within a week, Intuit’s online video racked up 16.8 million views, and more than 5 million viewers watched the entire video.
By the time the campaign closed, Intuit had earned a 17 percent bump in brand awareness and a 27 percent increase in brand favorability. By telling a great story through the right medium, Intuit went from the name on the bottom of the TurboTax website to a preferred option in the minds of its target audience.
The secret sauce here, of course, is storytelling. Storytelling personifies a brand better than any other tactic. When audience members relate to a story on a personal level, they remember the brand behind it — and, when it comes time to purchase, they give that brand the first shot at their business.
Moving pictures and great stories
Stories are the most powerful marketing weapon, and videos are the most effective storytelling vehicle. Audiences have short attention spans, so long-winded articles have limited effects. Photos alone can certainly be nice, but brands can only tell so much “story” in a still image. When that story is made dynamic, a brand can win headspace in its customers’ minds and plant the seed of loyalty.
According to Syndacast, 52 percent of marketers surveyed said video has better ROI than any other type of content. People view ads, but they engage with video. That engagement translates to increased brand preference.
The four elements of an effective narrative arc are character, conflict, journey and resolution. Audiences need such an arc — and someone to relate to, a problem to solve, a way to solve it and the satisfaction the solution provides them.
They also need the element of conflict. Without conflict, the journey is too easy. Customers enjoy a feel-good story, but brands must position themselves as the enablers of that feel-good story’s success.
In a good video, the journey portrayed showcases a central character (the “hero”) using the brand to achieve resolution, whether or not the problem being focused on gets solved or at least a conversation is begun.
When consumers recognize themselves as the character(s) in the story, they can then imagine taking the same journey themselves. As the video wraps, the audience should see how the brand enables its hero to overcome the odds. That is where the viewer then sees the story’s…
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