📽️Video branding → a more powerful force than you realize

Humpday means just one day away from the real Tournament games tipping off. Plus, those stranded space peeps are finally on their way home. As for us, we’ll roll on with today’s Feature Story that covers the power video now has to build a brand (or damage a brand like our example will reveal).

After we hash that out, you can rummage through the following sections: 

• The Knowledge Base  

• Self Help (hackless)  

• Facts & Stats (influencer boom)

• Get Hacking (forgotten brands & content) 

Appetizer: Which TV series featured this fictional brand’s logo? Answer here.

Now, let’s get into today’s Feature Story…

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Video Branding (a case study in reverse)

I’m gonna give you all kinds of insights and statistics on how insanely powerful video branding is today. Yet, if this first example doesn’t paint the perfect picture, I’m not sure what would.

Back in 2014, a star NFL running back named Ray Rice had been suspended for knocking his girlfriend unconscious in an elevator. Fans were obviously disgusted after the news reports came out. However…

His suspension was light. Only two or three games, from my recollection. Then something happened that changed everything. 

Not only how fans viewed this one NFL player. It changed the national perspective on all the players, the NFL commissioner, and the hallowed league itself.

What happened?

The video of the assault came out. It laid bare exactly what happened in that elevator. Sure, the written description of a 225-pound elite football player striking a 115-pound woman in the face was a painful read. It was not the same as seeing it in “motion pictures,” frame by frame, though. 

The video produced way more outrage than the original written report. The NFL commissioner had to change Rice’s short suspension to an indefinite suspension due to public pressure (no doubt in my mind, the commish had seen the video already, though). 

In this case, video told a story that words couldn’t do justice. A still photo, audio description, or infographic wouldn’t have told the full story either. 

This video branded the NFL as barbaric. Then, the hot spotlight showed more and more players acting violently off the field. People saw the commissioner as a liar, who let a star player off the hook because the commish never imagined the video would be leaked to the public (TMZ is good for something).

A 2-Minute Video Did Real Damage to the NFL’s Prestigious Brand

The most disturbing parts of the video were only five or six seconds long, but resulted in calls for the commissioner to be removed. And some fans vowed to never watch the NFL again.

Does that paint a clear picture of how much video matters to a brand? In the Ray Rice case, it shows the difference between having a video and not having a video. 

Without video, people would’ve forgotten the case in a couple of months. The event wasn’t quite tangible in the public’s mind. With the video, we’re still talking about it eleven years later. It’s one of the worst PR hits the NFL’s ever taken (it's got a long list).

Now, let’s dig into video branding insights (plus, a threat you can fend off with video marketing).

Video Branding Is More Important Than Ever

Video branding is one of the most tangible things you can do without being face-to-face with your audience. 

Shooting video takes work and planning, but the pay-off is impossible to ignore, as you can see below:

• Social videos generate 1,200% more shares than text and images combined (Vidico)

• 88% of marketers say video marketing has helped users grasp their offerings more effectively (WebFX)

• Including a video on a landing page can increase conversions by up to 80% (Vidico)

I’m a word guy. Even I can’t ignore how easy it is to consume videos versus text, though. Everyone has the energy to watch a video clip. But try reading a 2,000-word article when you’re brain’s fried after a grueling work day.

Not to mention that with video, you get to use all the effective micro-expressions humans have developed over thousands of years (again, not as good as face-to-face).

So, at the very least, it’s wise to combine video branding with written branding efforts. 

It’s easier than ever to create a TikTok or YT Short that lays out key points from a long article.

Make it a “behind-the-scenes” video to skip all the fancy production value that takes up valuable time (aka, shoot a quick video while holding a crappy mic). 

This non-polished style can help you with the threat I hinted at too…

Using Video Branding to Battle AI Problems 

One last point on the rising value of video branding. Whether you love or hate AI, the fact is that there are tons of threats that have arrived with artificial intelligence…

• Umm, it’s artificial (aka inauthentic)

• Scams are becoming easier, faster, and scalable

• Lacks human connection

• AI can only copy storytelling because a bot has had ZERO experiences to talk about

Using the power of flesh-n-blood human videos can fend off the litany of issues AI is presenting. 

Real videos with real people give your brand credibility, for being authentically human, if nothing else.

AI isn’t great at writing, but it can toss up 2,000 words pretty dang quick. It cannot toss up a 30-minute video quickly. And even a five-minute AI-generated video is expensive to make. Plus, parts of it will look awkward or downright ridiculous.

On that note, we’ll close the Feature with the following impressive insight on video branding.

Personalized After-Sales Videos can increase customer lifetime value (CLV) by 306% by creating an emotional connection with customers.

Self-Help

Hacks are overrated.

That’s not only this dum-dum’s opinion. Lots of smart people think so.

Positive, boring, repetitive habits and routines we do ad nauseam are what help us achieve what we want to achieve.

At worst, slow-built, non-hacky habits help us avoid miserable outcomes.

And if you take time to look around, avoiding misery is well worth investing your time in.

Extra: Feed your kids this if you want them to be friendlier.

Facts & Stats

Bonus: Roughly 50% of US adults are likely to cut back on spending at dining out if tariffs lead to higher prices. ___% said they don’t plan to cut back on any spending category. Answer at end of email.

Get Hacking

A specific strategy to implement today

Ever see a YouTube video pop up from a channel you used to love to watch, but you forgot all about it? 

We forget about channels and brands more than we realize. Some of them, we never see again and don’t even notice (busy world)! Let that sink in - about your brand.

Being subscribed to a YouTube channel doesn’t guarantee subscribers will see the channel’s new videos. The algorithm (on all social platforms) has a mind of its own.

You don’t want your brand or content to be forgotten, right? Then don’t rely on algorithms. Use email marketing to - at the very least - remind your audience you’re still putting out content. 

Your fans won’t open all your emails. But the emails they do see will remind them to intentionally go look for your content. 

Back in the day, I would’ve never missed an episode of Seinfeld. Same night, same channel, same time, no second screen to distract me. That time’s over. I need an email to remind me when a new video is coming out. Just a nudge (like Peter Santenello sends me). A sign-up form like Peter’s below is nice, but ask for sign-ups during your videos too.

Thanks for reading Inbox Hacking. Please share it with your peeps - it’s sugar-free but stings a bit.

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin

Bonus answer from Facts & Stats section: 24% of American adults say they don’t plan on cutting back on any spending category if tariffs cause price hikes (CivicScience).

“You're much better off creating positive rewards, complimenting people for acting correctly, rather than punishing them when they act incorrectly.” ~Charles Duhigg