Humans Dig Other Humans
We all know the classic saying, “People choose to work with people they like.” It’s classic because it’s true.
The key to building a vibrant, growing brand - one with real staying power - is winning your customers’ hearts. Videos make that happen by building emotional, lasting connections with people. It’s the most effective way to make your audience feel something about your brand at scale. One of the best ways to leverage video to create that genuine connection with your brand is to step out from behind your products and services and let customers get familiar with the people creating it. It’s more than just a good idea. It’s SCIENCE!
No, seriously. With legit data and everything. Our friends at Wistia talked about it in one of their blog posts. It’s called the familiarity principle, and it was first demonstrated in a lab by Psychologist Robert Zajonc. The short version (without all of the citations and experiments involving tachistoscopes) explains that when people are repeatedly exposed to certain stimuli, they come to develop a preference for them. In the case of business video, your people are the stimuli.
That’s right, you and all of your colleagues are charming, stimulating people. And gosh darn it, you have the power to increase the appeal of your brand. Now, don’t let that go to your head. Let’s just get you in front of the camera so you can do your thing.
We love making the people behind your brand shine. It’s the common thread through all of our work, and it’s something we’re really good at. Our portfolio is full of real people - owners, executives, employees, customers, even the occasional pet or rogue velociraptor. Why? Because they’re authentic. Well, everything except the velociraptor. The point is, creating a connection between your people and your customers builds trust in your brand.
The proof is in the pudding. Here’s a double scoop.
PolyCore
PolyCore’s a new company that’s developed a fantastic polymer coating for fabrics. The environmentally-friendly coating increases any fabric’s resistance to wear and tear by a quantifiably ridiculous amount. The company is led by Arthur Chen and Paul Delorey, both talented and skilled professionals, but they manifest their respective skills in, let’s just say, “distinctly different” ways.
As founders, their personalities are integral to the brand. We worked together to articulate their brand story, then present it in a video that clearly communicates PolyCore’s purpose while giving prospective customers an opportunity to get to know Arthur and Paul. Which is good, because they might find themselves otherwise utterly unprepared for the sheer number of different sunglasses Paul might bring to their first meeting.
PolyCore / Brand Story
Prospera Credit Union
We’ve worked with Prospera Credit Union on their brand advertising campaigns since 2014, and we’ve always included actual members in their commercials. It’s important to Prospera that they share the real experiences and stories of their members. It’s a bold move, but it’s given us the opportunity to share their purpose, providing personalized financial advice that guides members to prosperity, with authenticity, power, and a dash of humor.
Whether it’s a TV spot, radio spot, or a long-form interview, we’ve worked closely with Prospera to give their members an opportunity to share their experiences and help others understand why Prospera is a brand they can trust.
Prospera Credit Union / This Isn’t a Good Fit
There’s plenty more pudding where that came from.
If you need a titch more pudding, you can find additional examples of our work on our Vimeo profile page. You’ll see plenty of real people being really charming, really funny, and really connecting with their audience. You can also check out some animated videos, product launch videos, and more. You might even spot the velociraptor.
If you’re looking to communicate more effectively with your customers, educate them about your company and your products, or even better, make them feel something when they think about your brand, you should make room for video in your marketing mix. If you’d like to learn more about how you could feature your people to create a strong connection between your brand and your customers, let’s talk.
We’ll bring the pudding.