It was hard for so many folks to comprehend how the Buzz character could be a real person with so much advanced technology, yet Andy had a toy of the same character in a much simpler time. Marketing never made the connection between Andy seeing a science fiction movie with an action hero named Buzz Lightyear.
Social Media is NOT An "AND" Job.
I've said this before but it bears repeating, Social Media is not an "and" job. Managing your social media presence is a full-time job in and of itself.
The "Encanto Concert." How I Would Stage It
Wishful thinking for now, but what would an Encanto Concert Event look like? image ©Disney
When looking at the overwhelming success of Encanto with its ensemble soundtrack and music theater roots, I immediately thought; “limited live concert experience.” Sadly, no concert experience has been announced, but given the chance, here’s how I would stage and distribute the show.
Using Unexpected Storytelling To Expand Your Brand Audience
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is never going to build your brand. One effective way to build your brand and brand audience is to show up in unexpected ways and unexpected places.
LinkedIn Branding. It Takes Time and Consistency
"LinkedIn? Oh yeah, we tried that. It didn't work."
Did you really? Did you really try or give up because it's not easy?
Breaking the Short Video MYTH
It's time to break the Short Video Myth. Audiences ARE watching branded videos and stories that are longer than 60 seconds.
During the workday, 30 to 60-second videos rule. When relaxing and especially in the evenings, audiences use their mobile devices and connected TVs to engage in 30, 60, 90-minute video programming. Not just the big streamers, but YouTube, Vimeo and more.
Branded Storytelling: Stories And Content Should Have A Purpose
All stories, all content should have a purpose. You should never create content just for the sake of creating something. "Content, Content, Content! Everyone else is doing it, they say we should be doing it. Let's get some content created!" If you're just creating content because 'that's what everyone says we should be doing,' then how are you going to measure your return on your efforts?
Create More Authentic Branded Storytelling With A GoPro
One of the big aspects of branding, especially in social media today is "Authenticity." There's no better way to get authentic with anyone, than with a GoPro Vlogging rig. It's unthreatening and creates awesome opportunities to create and capture content on the fly.
Grow Fanatics, Not Followers
Growing your 'followers' by 1 can be incredibly powerful once you understand why.
If your entire focus, your entire strategy is predicated on followers, then you're chasing popularity, or as its better known 'vanity metrics.'
Building a Brand Narrative: One Project, Many Storylines for Maximum Content
Delivering maximum quality content is all about planning and efficiency.
If all you do is plan your entire project, your entire process around one deliverable, you're missing out on many content opportunities that allow you to work smarter, not harder.
Getting Started with Personal Branding.
"What IS Personal Branding and how do I even get started?” Personal branding is essentially marketing yourself from a personal or professional perspective, and sometimes both. You have value, you have knowledge to share, your input is welcome in conversations. Whether you're brand new to an industry or a seasoned veteran, you bring value to others. Both in the written word and through videos.
Create Maximum Impact In Your Story By Working Backward
To tell an impactful story, work backward from a singular goal. When your audience is done reading or watching your story, what should be the first thing they think or do? When you understand that, we can develop a story, storyline, multiple storylines or an entire campaign around that singular goal.
What IS Branded Storytelling?
A recurring question I receive is "What IS Branded Storytelling?" Is it just a commercial but more cinematic? Does it mean I don't talk about my brand directly?
Branded storytelling is all about making a connection to your potential customer. It's usually a long game, you don't make one video, tell one story and magically you've connected to an entirely new audience. One story might get that initial interest, but a body of stories can form an emotional connection to your brand and your product. Multiple storylines can attract multiple demographics.
Branded Storytelling: Hiring Your First Creative Team
Branding today is all about storytelling. And there's no better way to tell your story than through video.
With social media, you want to be putting out content every single day. Especially if you're a consumer product. But if you've never built a Creative Team or an Internal Creative Agency and you're thinking about starting one, well where do you begin? You start with Two.
Music Licensing and You.
My response to the Peloton Interactive lawsuit by the music industry has garnered a lot of interest with some of the responses mirroring what I've seen from creative clients. Basically "I understand going after the big companies, but why would they care about the little guys and small companies? What is that going to hurt?"
It could hurt the music industry dearly.
I'm not a lawyer and it would take pages and pages to explain all of the legalities, but here's a basic primer on what you need to know and understand about music licensing.
Branding Videos - Start with Audio.
Almost every time someone asks me for advice on getting started with video they always lead with 'what camera should I use?' or 'how do I make my smartphone camera look better.' Not one person has ever asked me how to make their audio sound better and that's honestly the most important aspect of creating good videos.
Building Your Brand Narrative: Just Start Writing
Building your brand narrative is not a ‘one size fits all’ type of deal. This article can’t tell you exactly what you need to do. What I CAN do is give you food for thought allowing you to find your own path to that brand narrative. “What’s your swim lane?” That’s a great question from Joe Mullings, CEO of The Mullings Group. In other words, what topic or topics can you offer value to your audience? What can you write about or speak on intelligently? What topics and areas are you comfortable engaging in discussion with others? That’s your swim lane. That’s your comfort zone where you can share quality knowledge and have an educated discussion with those who engage with you.
Branded Storytelling: Sell Without Selling
The power of digital media is that it opens up a direct pipeline between you, the brand and… well pretty much the entire world. If you’ve built your destination correctly as described in the previous three chapters and have begun thinking about edutainment as the driving model for your content, now it’s time to think about what does that content actually look like? How does edutainment apply to my brand?
Branded Storytelling: Inform, Educate and Entertain.
Can you tell me how to get, how to get to… I don’t even have to finish that sentence. Most of you already know how that sentence goes. I’m betting at this moment you’re thinking back to some of your favorite Sesame Street moments.
Branded Storytelling: Build Your Destination
Now that you’ve got their attention and they’ve stopped the car, the last thing you want to do is set up a tourist trap. Lots of color and flash, but no substance. Cheap, chintzy trinkets are fun for a few minutes and maybe some selfies to post to your friends, but not someplace you want to visit again. That’s going for the quick buck, not long-term audience engagement. You’ll need to continually lure a new audience to make the tourist trap work. To do that you need a connection.