As we continue exploring the idea that “The Audience is Creator” begun in our last chapter the medium is video whether it is created from the “top down” by a brand or by the audience.
Let’s just begin at the beginning: If you are a brand and you do not have a video budget you are literally asleep at the wheel. The idea of appointment TV is still with us but online video is truly 24 hours a day. The U-Tube platform is driving most of this material created by both independent creators and brands.The power of social media is a powerful driver for the video. But social media platforms can play portions of your long form video and the art of making a short-version of your brand message has entered the annals of advertising history. The video today is part of an overall brand strategy that can be “delivered” to your target audiences and they take if from there. Everyone loves to pass along funny cat videos, so if your product gets that much traction you are in the top 10 most shared videos on the web. Advertisers dream of the numbers a good “Kitty Kat” video can generate. Humans share things; its part of our DNA so while “top down” creators are dreaming of the perfect expression of their story, independent creators are hoping for extensive views and to build their audiences.
The best videos are those with a “beginning” a “middle” and an “END” to engage the audience. One of my favorite channels for artistic videos part of a luxury brand strategy is the NOWNESS platform (nowness.com). If you are addicted to stylish luxury (and video) this is the place to see the latest in unique content that pioneers our understanding of story, form with a product or idea. NOWNESS created the mold that brand storytellers engage in; they were the first to show a luxury product in a context that had no resemblance to anything commercial; it was pure art. Pure story and exposition of a sort that introduced a luxury product to a world of artistic expression.
They continue to promote the idea of video content as art, exploration, brand storytelling and more. In their own words…
“A NOWNESS film is”…
“Something that can’t be seen anywhere else online.
“Made in a way we haven’t seen before.”
“A story that moves the audience”.
This is a good set of goals to aspire to when creating your brand video content along with your marketing strategy (and data) that tells you who you are reaching and the ideals, goals and aspirations of your brand. Take a moment to go to NOWNESS and be inspired because in the world of luxury videos this platform is the originator of what we would consider the innovators in the field.
When you experience what NOWNESS has to offer your state of mind you can see what the medium has to offer; what you can do to expand on it; what audiences respond to; what a brand does to engage with it as a storytelling tool. There are going to be more and more ways to engage with a piece of video content in the future; the future is already here.
ARTIFICE Atelier 