Make room for authentic videos

Video content is an excellent way to showcase a company’s personality, present its various products, educate, strengthen relationship marketing, stand out from the competition and increase SEO. Considering that the average person watches 17 hours of online video every week, video campaigns should be prioritized in marketing tools for their high visibility and brand understanding. Given that over 2,500 videos are published on YouTube every second, it’s important to have a differentiating concept to ensure that our content reaches the desired target.

The common practice of making a big-budget video presenting a perfect reality, staged to the exact second, is no longer the strategy of choice. The trend is reversing towards genuine content. It’s all the more important to consider authenticity when reaching millennials, as 90% of them believe that sincerity is more important than a perfectly presented image.

The need for connection and association with brands justifies this type of content, which resonates more with the audience. A brand’s authenticity, the way it presents itself and the transparency it shares, enable consumers to truly understand its personality and support it in return. Today’s audiences expect brand content to have a natural and organic feel. They want to see the real side of a company. Adding a natural video campaign to your marketing plan is an excellent way of reaching your target audience. When the campaign is authentic, consumers are more likely to recommend a brand. In fact, according to a study by Cohn & Wolfe, 91% of consumers say they are willing to reward authentic brands in this way. To reach a target audience, then, it’s important to consider authenticity. Of course, this means presenting what already exists within the company.

Several methods can be used to create an authentic video, such as sharing information in the form of an educational video, presenting the company’s culture or gathering meaningful testimonials.

A testimonial campaign can be a concrete way of creating an authentic video while showcasing a brand’s products or services. Testimonials also bring a human touch to the campaign. The idea is to select satisfied customers who feel a sense of belonging to the brand. They’ll speak for themselves about the benefits of the company’s products and services, since they feel an attachment to the company. Heartfelt testimonials share a portrait of the brand’s personality and values.

The first 5 to 15 seconds of a video are crucial. They determine whether the viewer will continue to watch and whether his or her attention has been retained. This makes it all the more important to have content that resonates with the audience and grabs attention quickly. Encourage energetic transitions with an appropriate soundtrack, a question-provoking sentence, unusual images and more.

Incorporating differentiating elements characteristic of the organization attracts attention and increases brand association. This tactic is well illustrated in Lely’s "On se paye la traite" campaign, where the viewer follows the red chair across Quebec to discover the fascinating testimonials of dairy farmers who have adopted automatization. Placing a red couch in the barn or in the fields is out of the ordinary and allows the brand color to be incorporated into the videos. In a B2B context, testimonials and peer recommendations are the most reliable types of content for 97% of customers. In Lely’s case, vignettes add an important reference that provides a transparent statement of the impact of robotization on dairy production and on the quality of life for producers and animals. Testimonial videos are an excellent way of representing the brand and its values. Create your authentic video campagne now!