DTC vs. Retail: How Brands Win with a Blended Approach
In a world of customized placement, your DTC brand needs to be omni-channel, which is why a proper DTC marketing plan is so critical. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands are riding a sustained growth wave. It’s estimated there are more than 400 significant brands now in this category, while DTC web traffic is growing 100% year over year. This growth is being supported by performance-based DTC marketing plans. Don’t think top retailers haven’t noticed. Nordstrom, Sephora, and other industry heavyweights are working overtime to entice emerging DTC brands into the retail space by offering a range of incentives. One example: Bloomingdale’s Carousel concept, which allows DTC sellers to set up rotating pop-up shops within the storied retailer’s brick and mortar environs. Yet, as DTC brands would be the first to tell you, this kind of relationship doesn’t come without substantial tradeoffs. Winning with a blended approach Wholesale retailers, always eager for trendy, differentiated offerings, have been busy integrating DTC brands at a rapid clip. There’s no question that such relationships offer very real benefits for these brands. A DTC marketing plan that provides proper placement in Nordstrom or Bloomingdale’s can expose DTC products to much wider audiences. Partnering with an esteemed wholesale retailer also gives newer DTC brands instant cachet and credibility. For a largely unknown brand, an association with a retail heavyweight can be extraordinarily valuable. Yet these benefits are also somewhat mitigated by the demands DTC brands are facing. Given their reach and capacity, it’s not surprising that large retailers want to get DTC brands in front of a sizable number of their customers. Yet these brands are often ill-prepared to scale up to accommodate placement at 50 stores. Large retailers also exert a very high degree of control over product strategy and operations. DTC brands that are accustomed to exerting full control over how their products and services are presented and marketed may balk at relinquishing that control. Much of the storytelling, creative messaging or flair associated with DTC brands may be suppressed when these products are presented and marketed by a larger retailer with different sensibilities and prerogatives. So how do DTC brands thread the needle? Many of today’s most successful DTC brands have been squaring this circle by pursuing a blended approach. They make wholesale retailers a part of their omni-channel strategy, but only on their terms. If retailers push DTC brands to scale too early, they resist. If DTC brands believe their messaging is being polluted by clumsy or irrelevant retail marketing, they speak up. Most importantly, these DTC brands don’t cede control over their narrative. They may be hitching a ride on a larger, faster and more visible ship, but they remain the undisputed captain of their fate. Looking for a DTC marketing boost? Attractive and eye-catching product and packaging design is a virtual pre-requisite for successful DTC brands. Luckily for you we’re experts in this field. Whether you need assistance with product design, performance-based advertising and marketing strategies or branding services, we have the necessary expertise to deliver the goods. Contact Bigeye today for more information about how we can help take your DTC marketing plan to the next level.
Putting the Persona in Persona-Based Marketing
If you want to understand your audience, identify their pain points and win them over, persona-based marketing is critically important. Know Your Customer — it’s the First Commandment of Marketing. It’s also the reason why persona-based marketing is so critically important for modern brands. Without identifying who your customers are, you can’t understand what motivates them, identify their pain points and connect with them. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at why persona-based marketing is a powerful tool for advertisers, marketers and brands. Putting the persona in persona-based marketing So how do brands get their feet wet in persona-based marketing? First, it’s necessary to create detailed profiles of your potential buyers. These buyer personas then serve as the core of your targeted marketing strategy; they are idealized representations of the audience most likely to purchase your products and services. A buyer persona is a comprehensive image of a customer that reflects who they are, what motivates them and their propensity to act through each stage of the sales cycle. Some businesses will only need to develop two or three personas, others may be better served by a dozen or more. These personas are based on a variety of sources, including: Market research into probable buyers, including surveys and in-person interviews. This research provides a fuller picture of the wants, needs and tendencies of a brand’s likely market. Insights and feedback gleaned from existing customers. The same research process can be applied to a brand’s current client set, and this process often provides unique insights, given that these audiences are already familiar with the products or services on offer. Brands also often work with their in-house sales team to learn more about existing and potential customers. Sourced and analyzed consumer data. Customers often say they want one thing, then go buy another. Our words and intentions don’t always reflect our actions, and objective data can help provide another window into what truly moves buyers. Broader market, industry and demographic information. This data can provide critical context during the brand persona creation process. Such information allows brands to take a wider angle view, and anticipate looming changes within markets and industries. If you can anticipate these changes, you can also anticipate how customers may be affected. Buyer persona categorization Brands developing persona-based marketing strategies should also understand that different classes of buyers require varying approaches. For example, when dealing with individual buyers (someone who makes a one-time retail purchase, for example), you’d create a single persona type with a variety of personas to fit within that type. A persona development agency can help you accomplish this task. B2B operations, however, are often led by sales teams rather than a single buyer. C suite executives, sales leaders, marketing leaders etc. may all be involved in the procurement/sales process. In such cases, brands create team-based personas. These often include a dedicated persona for each member of the purchasing team — personas that outline the specific prerogatives inherent to each position. For example, a team persona designed for a Chief Financial Officer would focus on pricing issues, ROI and other monetary motivators. Working with the right persona development agency Buyer persona development, when done at a high level, requires research expertise, industry knowledge and an advanced grasp of marketing strategy. It’s often a tall order for brands to accomplish this without outside help. At Bigeye, we’re experts at creating finely targeted buyer personas supported by experience and insight. Contact us today to learn more about what the right agency can do for you.
Four Audience Targeting Strategies for Your Product
Audience targeting can help you identify who your ideal customers are and help you create relevant and resonant marketing messages. Few things are sadder than wasted potential — and that applies to both people and products. If you build a great product or service and can’t get it in front of the right audiences, your odds of realizing its potential are slim. This is one reason why audience targeting is so critically important. Audience targeting 101 The practice of audience targeting is straightforward: You take a large customer segment and break it down into smaller groups in order to target likely buyers within these groups. The animating principle of audience segmentation is this: General messages sent to large undifferentiated audiences don’t resonate the same way that specific messages sent to highly targeted audiences do. In other words, why waste your time selling your product or service to people who aren’t interested? Instead, find the people who are interested and send them messages custom-designed to appeal to their wants, needs and interests. Audience segmentation comes in four general types: Geographic: The state, city, neighborhood etc. where your audience lives. Behavioral: This evaluates spending habits, brand interactions etc. Demographics: Includes age, gender, marital status, income level, education level etc. Psychographic: Personality, beliefs, values, interests etc. By considering these four factors, brands can begin to develop highly tailored audience segments and deliver customized marketing messages. This allows brands to speak directly to consumers, creating specific messages for specific audiences. This creates higher-quality leads, more loyal customers, and differentiates your brand from others. Smart strategies for audience targeting In order to get maximum value from your audience targeting efforts, it’s important to lay the groundwork by following some tried and true segmentation strategies. Some of the most impactful strategies include the following: Begin with buyer personas. The buyer persona is the foundational document for targeting purposes. These personas are descriptions of your ideal customers (some businesses may have two or three, others up to a dozen). These personas are constructed from market research, internal data, demographic data, and other sources. Once a brand has well-defined buyer personas in place, the process of targeting specific audiences becomes viable. Use an identity graph. Such graphs are powerful algorithmic tools for identifying who your highest-spending customers are and where you can reach them. By analyzing mobile advertising IDs and email address data, brands can gain deep insight into what potential customers are searching for along with their purchasing behavior. Use Facebook and other social platforms for custom targeting. It’s not the most complex approach, but Facebook has more information on our interests than any other organization. It’s no stretch to say Facebook knows most of its users better than they know themselves. Brands can use Facebook’s backend to set up demographic, behavioral and psychographic profiles that target the right audiences. AI-assisted chatbots. With the right design and programming, a chatbot can significantly improve UX and glean critical targeting data from site or app visitors. This data can be used to determine whether visitors fall within target markets. Marketing messages can then be tailored according to this segmentation. Locating the ideal audience insights agency Audience targeting has long been a critical part of advertising and marketing, but today’s digital tools are making the job easier than ever before. At Bigeye we have the domain expertise and technological resources to help you find the right audience and serve them with the perfect messages.
The Explosion of OTT Content
OTT content and distribution platforms continue to proliferate at an astonishing rate. Here’s what you need to know about marketing your OTT services. Remember when Netflix was a quaint little DVD delivery service? When they introduced a streaming component, it seemed more like a novelty, and less like the future of entertainment. OTT services (short for “over the top services”) have since become ubiquitous, thanks to the “Big Three” streaming content providers: Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. We’re experiencing another shift in the OTT services marketplace, however. Unwilling to cede the streaming entertainment category to the OTT Big Three, a number of major competitors are entering the market in force and creating ripple effects through the ad world. These days, everyone is a content provider… Disney, WarnerMedia, all the major TV networks, cable providers, technology companies etc. have all pivoted to become content providers and distributors. The end goal? To become OTT companies and capture as many eyeballs as possible, carving out a significant piece of the $70 billion spent in the U.S. every year on TV advertising. While OTT services account for roughly one-third of all TV viewing, ad spend (and budgets) don’t correspond. At the moment, OTT video services have only gained about 3% of total TV advertising spending. So what does this mean? It’s simple: Though OTT viewing is growing at an exponential clip, advertising and marketing in the OTT space hasn’t grown in parallel. That’s coming, however — and the brands that act today will be in the best possible position to create competitive advantages. Currently, OTT advertising is dominated by two large players: Hulu (which generated $1.5 billion in ad revenue in 2018) and Roku. Other major players are coming in strong, however. YouTube is refashioning itself as a platform with TV-like programming capable of going head-to-head with traditional television networks — a competitive, rather than complementary force. YouTube has one undeniable argument in its favor: Raw viewership. According to the most recent company data, U.S. residents spend 200 million hours each day watching YouTube videos, many of which are consumed on smart TVs or other large screens. Meanwhile, Amazon has been pursuing a new TV advertising strategy based around Fire TV. The technology giant has been heavily targeting TV advertisers and has created a dedicated TV ad sales team to further that goal. An OTT ad duopoly? This activity is sparked in part by a realization that, if other players in the space don’t fight for OTT ad dollars, Hulu and Roku could form a duopoly reminiscent of the digital ad duopoly created by Facebook and Google. TV advertisers, meanwhile, have their own imperative: Audiences are moving to OTT services in ever-increasing numbers. If advertisers don’t mirror the behavior of these audiences, their pitches will be less successful, and they’ll ultimately cede ground to competitors. There’s another reason why OTT advertising shouldn’t be a hard sell: It holds the potential to be far more effective than traditional approaches. While network TV may have been the gold standard in terms of reaching viewers, it can’t compete with OTT in terms of audience segmentation. The data-rich nature of OTT platforms allows for high-level audience targeting, allowing brands to deliver much more relevant ad content and target motivated buyers who have an interest in what they are selling. Finding the right OTT marketing agency OTT advertising can move the needle — but only if you’re working with an agency that has the experience and expertise to drive results. At Bigeye, we’re OTT experts, and we’d love to show you the power and reach of a well-executed OTT ad campaign.
Video Marketing: Still As Important As Ever
As we pass over into a new decade, video marketing continues to produce exceptional results for businesses around the world. In 2020, the overwhelming majority of industry authorities confirm that video marketing remains a key driver of advertising and branding efforts in the United States and around the world. Now in its sixth year, the annual State of Video Marketing Survey by Wyzowl determined that 85 percent of businesses currently use video as a marketing tool. These results show a 24 percent increase from 2016 when Wyzowl first included this question on its survey. Additionally, Wyzowl determined that 92 percent of marketers who use video call it “an important part of their marketing strategy.” Only 78 percent of surveyed marketing professionals agreed with this sentiment just five years ago. Video is popular Quoting figures from another longstanding annual marketing study by Promo.com, the independent online news source Grit Daily shows that the high value placed on video by marketers is fueled by a ravenous appetite for video among consumers. Grit Daily reports that, in 2019, 36 percent of the public watched two to five videos per day and nearly half of all people watched more than five videos per day. An astonishing 10 percent said that they watch “too many videos to count.” Summing the situation up, Promo.com CEO Tom More cited booming consumer demand for the flood of video content that businesses are current creating. What’s more, this trend is expected to continue into the near future. The digital technology company Cisco projects that global IP video traffic will account for 82 percent of all IP traffic by 2022, up considerably from just 75 percent in 2017. This represents a fourfold rise in total Internet video traffic over a period of five years. What, exactly, makes video so popular among consumers? Here are just a few reasons for video’s rise to prominence and continuing success in the modern marketplace. 1. Video is versatile From traditional commercial spots to informative presentations and “how to” videos, there is nothing that moving pictures can’t do. Consumers turn to the video medium daily for a range of practical and not-so-practical concerns. 2. Video is engaging and easy to digest It has held true since the Golden Age of Hollywood: when it comes to entertainment and relaxation, motion pictures just can’t be beat! Today, video gives viewers a welcome respite from the excess of textual information that seems to flow endlessly from every online website. 3. Video is accessible Anyone with Internet access or a wireless data plan can easily get online to watch a video with a single click of the mouse or touch of the screen. And businesses can easily supply video content to their target audiences thanks to incredible advances in video technology, both at the professional and amateur levels. Video is effective For all of the reasons listed above and more, businesses are turning to video in increasing numbers. The State of Video Marketing Survey reports that, of the 99 percent of video marketers who will continue using video in 2020, 95 percent plan to increase or maintain their spend. Even more remarkable, among businesses that don’t currently use video, nearly three out of five plan to launch their first video marketing efforts in 2020. The reason for this is simple. Video boosts your bottom line. 88 percent of video marketers report that video gives them a positive return on investment. This figure is quite striking in light of the fact that only 33 percent felt similarly in 2015. Examining the effectiveness of video from the consumer’s point of view, Grit Daily reports that more than 60 percent of Internet users visit a publisher’s website after watching a video, confirming that video’s ability to drive online traffic is simply unparalleled. Furthermore, nearly 60 percent of people stated that they “sometimes” remember a brand after viewing a video, and approximately 13 percent of people stated that they “very often” remember brands after viewing a video. Even better, video skews to a decidedly younger audience demographic, allowing businesses to reach consumers with disposable income who have proven exceedingly difficult to reach using traditional marketing channels and techniques. And thanks to modern digital analytics, the effectiveness of video marketing is amazingly easy to track and quantify. To learn more In light of the overwhelming importance of video marketing, wise companies will seek the guidance of a full-service marketing agency with considerable video expertise. Bigeye can answer any questions that you might have about everything from video planning and production to online video distribution and analytics.
How to Find Success on Shopify
Shopify, one of the world’s fastest-growing e-commerce platforms, is growing at such a rapid rate that it’s projected to overtake eBay as the second-largest e-commerce platform in 2020, according to CNBC. While that kind of growth offers massive opportunity for Shopify retailers, it’s also quickly becoming a much more competitive space. Shopify now has more than 1 million merchants active on its platform, all of whom are working to differentiate themselves and outsell the competition. So what’s the secret to gaining more traction with your Shopify store? Let’s take a closer look at seven key tips for better Shopify store development. 1. Prioritize customer service — and outsource if necessary E-commerce doesn’t have to mean minimal customer service. In fact, it was Jeff Bezos’ famous “customer obsession” that helped Amazon become a global heavyweight. Yet for most people operating Shopify businesses, dealing with customers is an enormous time suck. While keeping your clients happy is critical, most people simply lack the bandwidth for the task. Instead, it makes sense to outsource customer service functions. The international call center business is booming, and you can find qualified customer service freelancers on just about any major Gig Economy marketplace. It’s important to ensure that the workers you contract with have first-class fluency in English. Adding live chat is another element that can really improve the customer experience. 2. Focus on the right design Great design is crucial to the success of any Shopify site. This begins with choosing an appropriate theme. Find one that fits the look and feel of your brand or signature products. The right theme can have a dramatic impact on the visual atmosphere and overall user experience of your site. While Shopify offers some free design templates, you can also choose to pay for some of the premium designs the company offers. Unsurprisingly, the premium templates tend to be more eye-catching, which can help your site stand out with a fresh look. In addition to the look and feel of your site, you’ll also need to consider how design impacts functionality. Do you want larger images? A wider Instagram feed? These small decisions can have a significant impact on how your products are browsed and purchased, so weigh these decisions carefully. Generally speaking, it’s also a smart idea to design with certain principles in mind. Your site should feel clean and uncluttered. An overabundance of design elements or products can confuse or irritate visitors and encourage them to depart without buying. 3. Incorporate and optimize elements stressing your originality Templatized websites run the risk of appearing a bit cookie-cutter, but there are a few steps you can take to make your site appear fresh and original. First, commission striking, original photography and avoid over-reliance on stock imagery. This can go a long way toward giving your site some visual panache that makes it stand out from other e-commerce offerings. Second, create copy that is truly creative and that engages the reader. Too often Shopify copy is bland and boilerplate. By coming up with lively product descriptions and other copy, you can help convert buyers and differentiate your approach. You’ll also want to choose headlines that stand out from the crowd and that are calibrated to resonate with your target demographics. Figure out why people would be interested in your products and use that as a guide for creating catchy headlines. Humor — in the appropriate contexts — is also a big plus. 4. Check out the competition and test your approach Auditing other e-commerce sites is a smart way to evaluate your own approach. You can take what they are doing well and adapt it for your own purposes, while also identifying any deficiencies in their approach and capitalizing on them. Incorporating some simple A/B testing into your site can also help you learn what people are really responding to. These tests allow you to take two versions of a screen, headline or some other element and evaluate how visitors interact with each version. This can be an invaluable tool for learning what converts and what causes people to disengage. 5. Build your social proof There’s no debating it: Reviews are the lifeblood of any e-commerce store. This means it is critical to monitor your reviews and respond in a timely fashion. If there was a legitimate issue, be transparent and forthcoming rather than defensive, and offer to make it right. This will often disarm even the most dissatisfied customers and help turn negative interactions into positive ones. Encourage your customers to leave photo reviews whenever possible. Visitors enjoy these and they often seem more credible than text reviews. The more smiling and happy customers you can showcase on Shopify the stronger your business will be. 6. Tread carefully with shipping costs Excessive shipping costs are one of the most common reasons why customers do not follow through with e-commerce orders. For online retailers, nothing is more frustrating than getting a customer all the way to the checkout page…only to have the product deleted from the cart because of elevated shipping charges. E-commerce consumers have been conditioned to expect low or no-cost shipping by Amazon Prime, so it’s a wise idea to either build the cost of shipping into your products or figure out an alternative method for defraying costs. 7. Use a well-designed SEO and programmatic ad strategy An up to date Search optimization strategy plays an essential role in helping people locate you. Most site owners aren’t experts at search, so it often makes sense to bring a marketing agency or SEO expert into the mix. The rules governing SEO are always evolving, so working with an expert can save you the hassle of trying to master search and remain perennially current on the latest changes to Google’s ranking algorithm. It also makes sense to work with a Shopify agency that specializes in this kind of overall site development. Pay-per-click ad strategies are easier to learn, as you can get a lot of traction by
Will 2020 Be the Breakout Year for Voice Marketing?
Chances are good that you’ve used Siri, Alexa, or a similar AI voice assistant over the recent months or years, but have you stopped to consider the tremendous potential of voice marketing? Leveraging the power of voice user interfaces such as Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, voice marketing is poised the become the next big thing in the worlds of digital advertising and branding. As the average consumer leaves typing, clicking, tapping, and swiping behind to embrace the future of hands-free, voice-activated computer use, wise marketers are quickly following suit. In the words of high-tech consultants Deepa Naik and Nikhil Karkhanis: “Consumers are adding voice to their shopping cycle using voice agents and interfaces like voice-enabled virtual assistants, voice search, and smart speakers. Brands and marketing professionals are finding innovative ways to respond to these newly opened channels.” The popularity of voice user interfaces Both in the home and the mobile space, a rapidly increasing number of people are interacting with digital devices and navigating the Internet using only their voices. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center and several other reputable sources, nearly half of all mobile users employ voice technology while operating their smartphone devices. And the growing popularity of voice user interfaces shows no signs of slowing or abating, with more and more people transmitting and receiving key information by voice/audio means alone. The leading global high-tech research and advisory company Gartner contends that 30 percent of online searches will be entirely screenless by the end of 2020. Gartner credits the ubiquitous use of portable and wearable audio components such as Apple AirPods and Echo Buds as well as household devices such as the Google Home and the Amazon Echo for the rise of screenless Internet surfing. Just how far will voice user interfaces take us in the near future? A recent study by Juniper Research predicts exponential growth in the use of digital voice assistants thanks to advances in the smart speaker, smart television, and smart wearable markets. Juniper expects that consumers will be using more than 8 billion digital voice assistants by 2023. This figure represents an estimated 2.5 billion increase from the number of digital voice assistants in use at the end of 2018. The marketing potential of audio content and voice-enabled devices So how can businesses tap into the incredible marketing capacity of voice user interfaces? Here are just a few tips ad tactics that you might want to consider. 1. Build a Custom Voice-Activated App Akin to the physical apps that you know from your smartphone touch screen, Alexa Skills, Google Actions, and Siri Shortcuts all allow users to connect directly with your company and its goods/services simply by speaking a few words. According to the most recent numbers from Amazon, there are more than 70,000 Skills currently available. 2. Launch a Podcast or Flash Briefing One of the great things about a podcast is that it can be both accessed and enjoyed through a single device using only your voice and your ears. No need to trouble your eyes or your fingertips for a thing, thanks to the voice user interface. Marketers also encourage companies to create and distribute flash briefings – short, prerecorded audio pieces that offer news and other informative content via one or more voice-enabled devices. 3. Invest in Sonic Branding. Although the rise of voice-enabled devices and digital personal assistants has recently reinvigorated this tried and true marketing approach, there is certainly nothing new about sonic branding. Encompassing any auditory element that might be described as a defining sonic mark or an audio logo, sonic branding has long been a common practice in traditional television and radio advertising. The three-note deodorant jingle “by Mennen” and the Apple computer boot-up chime immediately spring to mind! 4. Leverage the Power of Voice Search Optimization The art and science of getting your company to the top of online searches by your key consumer demographic, search engine optimization (SEO) has long been a (if not the) key component of any effective digital marketing campaign. In the era of spoken searches, voice search optimization (VSO) has evolved as a natural offshoot of traditional SEO practices. An investment in VSO is essential if you want to optimize your branding and products/services content for searches made using voice-enabled devices. To learn more For more information about the power of voice marketing in 2020 and beyond, contact a representative of Bigeye today. In addition to its status as a leading voice marketing agency, Bigeye can help you with all manner of digital outreach in the modern marketing landscape.
Why Richard Simmons Would Love Our Motion Graphics Work
If you’re looking for motion graphics that bounce, pop, and just work, you could do worse than to draw inspiration from Richard Simmons. When someone says “motion graphics,” the campy exercise guru Richard Simmons may not be the first thing to pop into your mind. But when it comes to finding motion graphics that work, he just may be the ultimate standard bearer. The basics of motion graphics In the modern digital environment, the term “motion graphics” refers to a specific genre of animation that bridges the gap between tradition moving pictures and graphic design. It has proven highly successful in the marketing and public relations sectors for communicating to audiences in a captivating and easy-to-watch manner. According to high-tech thought leader and motion graphics authority Michael Betancourt, the history of motion graphics date back to the Futurist painters of the early 1900s, who created experimental films with a firm emphasis on graphic design. Over the next century, marketers developed commercial motion graphics that seamlessly blended textual elements with music and/or sound effects in order to further targeted branding and adverting campaigns. Listing primary examples of commercial motion graphics, Betancourt points to television commercials with their animated logos/graphics and the moving title sequences of feature films. But in both the fine art world and the consumer marketplace, motion graphics rely on “the aesthetic principles that organize and structure the relationship of image to soundtrack originates with…color music” – a synesthetic art form that “established the ways that sound and image can be related to each other in a visual medium such as motion pictures.” Although the line between motion graphics and full animation has never been clearly drawn, the look and feel of modern motion graphics are immediately recognizable to anyone who has been exposed to digital media over the past several years. Essentially animated graphic design, motion graphics almost always combine voice-over narration a wealth of words/symbols to allow viewers to learn visually and aurally at the same time. The independent technology news and information platform Lifewire outlines the power of motion graphics as “purpose-driven pieces with the goal of presenting information to the viewer through the use of animated text or graphics” and “voice-overs narrating what the text or graphics are representing.” What should good motion graphics look and sound like? Think Richard Simmons! Although he has largely disappeared from the public eye for the last several years, Richard Simmons is an unmistakable media personality with a distinct style all his own. In fact, his unique personality and approach to spreading physical fitness to the masses have a lot in common with quality motion graphics work. Here are just a few traits that colorful exercise guru Richard Simmons shares with the outstanding motion graphics of the BIGEYE marketing agency: 1. Bounciness Describing the look and feel of motion graphics, Lifewire asserts that they typically employ a “very fluid, bouncy animation style.” Lifewire goes on to cite the use of “snazzy transitions” and “dynamic movement” – two characteristics that simply scream Richard Simmons! Without this kind of busy visual engagement, viewers are likely to begin to “zone out” as they listen to the narrator drone on. 2. Bright Colors Although most motion graphics have a sophisticated look and an elegant appeal, they also typically use vivid color palettes that match the bright workout clothes and colorful personality of Richard Simmons. When it comes to informing and educating viewers, the bright colors of motion graphics both capture attention and keep it. 3. Musical As detailed above, music is an absolutely essential component of motion graphics. And anyone who has ever seen “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” knows that Richard Simmons knows how to integrate music and active visuals. 4. Instructional As entertaining as Richard Simmons might be, the real reason to watch him is to get or stay in shape! Like good motion graphics, he has a real knack for wrapping detailed instruction in a positive, likable, and easy-to-understand package. 5. Fun The bottom line when it comes to Richard Simmons: he manages to make exercise fun. In a similar vein, motion graphics are an exceptionally effective tool for anyone who wants to transform dry, boring content into an entertaining, engaging experience. Getting professional help If you want fun, informative, eye-catching, and attention-commanding motion graphics that even Richard Simmons would appreciate, contact Bigeye today. In addition to our achievements as a motion graphics company, we have all the state-of-the-art tools and innovative vision that you need to drive a comprehensive and competitive modern marketing campaign.
Tips on Hiring the Top Video Production Company
If you are looking for the very best video production services for the money, pay close attention to these five essential tips. In today’s media-saturated consumer marketplace, no one can dispute the awesome power of an effective video marketing campaign. But if you truly want to stand out from your closest competitors (or even if you simply want to ensure that your next video advertisement is a benefit and not a liability), you have to secure the services of an outstanding video production company. So how can you be sure that you are working with one of the top video production companies in the business? Here are five key guidelines that can help you choose the very best video production services for your company and its particular needs. 1. Don’t be fooled by a demo reel. Both the Business 2 Community online platform and Entrepreneur magazine warn against putting too much stock in the demo real of any given production company. In fact, devaluing or disregarding the highly persuasive but often misleading demo real ranks high among many authorities’ leading video production company search tips. Consider the length of the average demo reel. Can a minute or two of video really provide an accurate picture of the overall quality of any company’s total content output? While a demo reel can certainly give you a peek into the ultimate potential of a specific production house, you simply can’t equate a company’s ability to release a compelling demo reel with an ability to meet your specific video marketing needs. It may be fine to eliminate video production houses with poor demo reels, but don’t let a good demo real dazzle you into a bad decision. 2. Evaluate recent projects. As an alternative to the video production demo reel, take a close look at the recent projects of any video production companies under consideration. Although these won’t always be readily available on official company websites (website updates can be time-consuming and expensive), most video production companies post links to their most recent work on their various social media sites. However you access it, the most recent work of any video production company will give you a good idea of the equipment, talent, and level of quality that company will bring to your project. Can’t find any recent projects for a particular company? Perhaps you should choose another! 3. Find a video production company that is right for your audience. Consider the disparate consumer bases of companies such as Louis Vuitton and Quaker Oats. Although there is certainly a demographic overlap between the target audiences of these two companies, their core customers are obviously quite different. Like any other organization, each video production company comes with its own unique set of values, approaches, and stylistic strengths. Part of your job, when searching for a video production company, is to find one that is capable of producing content that will resonate with your existing customer base and your prospective target audience. 4. Prioritize value over cost. On its Trends and Insights blog, American Express warns that “cheap video comes at a premium.” Business 2 Community echoes this sentiment, declaring, “you really do get what you pay for.” Although you want to be sure that you are getting quality services for your dollar, you must realize that professionals who command higher rates are able to do so because they are highly confident in their abilities, their equipment, their processes, and their final product. Just make sure that you get an itemized bill so you can see exactly where your money is going. 5. Consider a marketing agency that offers video production as part of a comprehensive marketing package. The greatest marketing video or advertising spot in the world will fail to make an impact if you don’t know what to do with it after it is in the can. To seamlessly incorporate your video content into a larger marketing campaign and to truly leverage its persuasive appeal, consider contracting with a full-service marketing firm that offers video production as part of a broad spectrum of services. Of course, the overall quality and relevance of a video production company must remain your paramount concern. Don’t accept an amateurish video just to sign a comprehensive deal with a big “one stop shop” agency. For more information If you want to learn more about the characteristics that define a truly outstanding video production company, contact the comprehensive marketing agency Bigeye today. In addition to our considerable expertise in video production, Bigeye’s team of forward-thinking marketing can lead your organization in all aspects of modern-day marketing.
The Benefits of Testing Your Packaging Design
As high-tech digital analytics continues to rule the virtual marketing world, don’t forget to collect real-world marketing data including the valuable information gleaned from packaging design testing. Make no mistake: product packaging is integral to product sales. In fact, a recent study by the leading corrugated packaging company WestRock determined that more than four out of five consumers in the United States have tried a new product because its packaging caught their eye. Furthermore, 63 percent of consumers have purchased a product a second time due to its packaging appearance/aesthetics, and 52 percent of consumers have changed brands as a result of new packaging. With these figures in mind, businesses are universally committed to optimizing their packaging design. But how can you tell if your packaging is truly connecting with your key consumer demographic? Packaging design testing basics Briefly defined, packaging design testing involves presenting several packaging designs to your target audience and asking them to provide honest feedback on each of them. This feedback should ultimately determine which design is the most appealing to consumers and which design its most likely to encourage sales. By testing their deigns, companies are far more able to wrap their product in external packaging that both sets it apart from the competition and communicates its unique value in a succinct and compelling manner. Companies that incorporate testing into their general packaging design processes have solid data that can readily guide team operations and facilitate coordinated company decision-making. In addition to helping to bring brand new packaging designs to market, packaging design testing is key when optimizing or otherwise altering your existing packaging. The testing process is also extremely valuable when it comes to reaching out to new or alternative target audiences/consumer demographics. Types of packaging design testing Any good consumer marketing agency or packaging design company will tailor packaging design testing processes to meet the specific wants and needs of the client. In order to produce the specific benefits that are most important to their clients, these organizations may employ a wide range of techniques both in controlled study groups and in the marketplace at large. The venerable packaging products organization Performance Packaging of Nevada suggests A/B testing as an easy and inexpensive way to determine the better of two different packaging designs. This method of testing involves gathering together one or more test groups that are (hopefully!) representative of your larger consumer/audience base. Test group leaders present these groups with two packaging choices and then ask each group member to pick their favorite. Of course, this relatively restricted form of testing is limited when it comes to assessing multiple design variables (color, size, substance, etc.,). Therefore, depending on its particular goals, a company may choose other approaches to gathering feedback such as filling out comprehensive surveys or participating in thorough interview processes. Although careful sampling methodology can compile study groups that closely match larger target audiences/consumer demographics, there is no substitute for marketing testing in the field. This method is, of course, far more expensive, than study group testing, but companies can benefit greatly from releasing two or more packaging designs into the marketplace and then collecting data on which design the general public prefers. Getting the most out of your packaging design testing endeavors As we have seen, your ideal methods and techniques of packaging design testing will depend entirely upon your unique and specific goals. Do you want to ensure that your product catches the eye of the casual consumer as he/she walks down the supermarket aisle? Or is it more important that your packaging reflects the core attributes and values that consumers associate with your brand? After determining the aspects of your packaging that are most likely to influence your overall success or failure, you can develop packaging design testing procedures that are right for you. A key metric that you will certainly want to consider is purchase intent, which measures the likelihood that your packaging will motivate people to buy the product that it contains. Secondary metrics will depend on the specific results you hope to achieve and the marketplace in which you operate. These metrics might include appeal (how enticing your packaging is), relevance (how effectively your packaging reflects the wants/needs of your audience), uniqueness (how your packaging differs from that of your competitors), and ease of finding (how well your packaging stands out on the average retail shelf/website). For more information To learn more about the importance of packaging design testing, contact a skilled and knowledgeable representative at Bigeye today. In addition to excelling at the art and science of packaging design, Bigeye offers a broad range of comprehensive marketing services with an eye on innovation and customized service.