Planning Your Content Strategy – How to Align Your Video Content with your Brand #VCS12 Meyar Sheik CEO, Certona Anthony Bucci Co-Founder, RevZilla.com Devon Alessi , Women’s Chuck Hawley Ecommerce Copywriter, Vice President of Product Under Armour Information, West Marine #VCS12 Intro Revzilla content strategy Under Armour content strategy West Marine content strategy Panel Discussion Audience Q&A #VCS12 #VCS12 • Multi-Brand Specialty Retailer • Apparel, Accessories, Parts • 35-55 Male Demo’ • Emotionally Driven, Expensive & Technical Products Why Video for RevZilla? • 2009 - Scale Customer Experience • 2010 - Brand & Differentiate • 2011 - Become an Authority • 2012 – Further Scale Production 2009 No Budget • 1700+ Videos • 7mm+ Views • 14,000+ Subs 2012 Pro Budget • Video Integrated On-site • Lift on all Metrics 1. Right Content 1. Right Product(s) 2. Right Information 3. Right Timing 4. Magic 2. Right Result 1. Conversion Lift 2. Brand Loyalty & Trust 3. Community Engagement Guide The Commute 85% In-Depth Product Review 10% Brief / Graphic Overview 3% Gear Guide / Size Guide Monthly Promotional Videos < 1% Opinion Review < 1% Lifestyle Video Shoot Strategy & Pre-Pro Timeline 2009 – C+ • 2010 15-30 Video Per Month Peak 2010 – B• 30-60 Video Per Month Peak 2011 – B+ • 120 Video Per Month Peak 2012 – A • Talent Bottleneck (200+ VPM peak) Video Drivers • • • • Merchandising Plan Product Release Schedule Video Reshoot Queue Promotions: Seasonal & Monthly Project Management is the Key • • • Asana PM, Google Docs Minimum 2-4 Weeks Out Clearly Defined Roles / Ownership Good vs. Good Enough? Tips for maximizing “Bang for the Buck” #odd-two-shot Value First, Polish Second! Great Content is King “Sexy Videos” are Icing on Cake Use Internal Talent, Leverage Brand & Expertise Pre-Production is the Production, Plan, Plan, Plan more. #sad-flip-cam #fail      #fail Think at Scale Start With “Why?” Perform Pre & Post Mortem Set Goals vs Cost Don’t be Afraid to Fail Within Brand Boundaries #montage We Measure Success By: • Views, Comments and Engagement • Community & Subscription Growth • Rating, Reviews & Loyalty • Site Usage Metrics • CS & Returns Metrics • Conversion Lift • Production Time / Output Our Toolkit • GA + Event Tracking • Monetate • YouTube Analytics • Adwords for Video • Extensive bullet points #no-more-guides Shot of me on floor #moral Contact: Anthony Bucci, [email protected] www.revzilla.com | youtube.com/revzillatv Under Armour® was built for those who have to sweat everyday. Yep, even the ladies. It was the realization of a dream, a vision, a nagging notion that there had to be something better out there. Something that performed just as hard as athletes do. Something that could standup to the toughest training sessions, the balmiest Bikram classes, and the fiercest on-field face-offs the game has ever seen. And that’s what our gear does. It elevates your game. It breaks stereotypes. It bends convention. ( ) At the core, our brand is a not-so-gentle reminder that you can achieve anything. Be anything. It’s that gut-check growl that pushes you just an inch farther and a second faster. Reminding you that you don’t always have to be the star to be the hero. You just have to be willing to walk up to the line and ask, Then give it your all to try and break it. Why is video a fit for Under Armour®? Simple answer…it’s dynamic. It brings action to a highly action-oriented product. It’s hard to sell the benefits of a performance-based hoody or hunting boot without showing any of their performance features. Video allows us to bring a little more life to the lifeblood of our gear. <Insert 1221905_CC_Storm_Fleece_Hoody.mp4> <Insert 1226089_Caliber.mp4> And it’s especially beneficial for women. While our men love to see technology showcased, our women really appreciate seeing the fit and the movement of the garment. It helps allay any fears before buying. And that is the most common barrier with e-Comm customers—their inability to interact with the product before purchase. Without truly knowing how it fits and feels, many people are hesitant to buy online. Videos allow us a platform to demonstrate these things on a more tangible level. <Insert 1222246_Hero_Capri.mp4> Our introduction to video included our Top 50 Best Selling Products, but that has evolved over time…and continues to, actually. Currently, we focus our energy on the “big stories” for each season—new products that need a proper introduction into the market. We also include our more technical and pricier products— things that would need a little extra explanation in order to complete the sale successfully. We have come up with a Video Tracking Scale to test our theories. We are still working out the exact metrics, but we believe Complexity, Price Point, and Big Product Launches are the programs that benefit the most from video in our company. Video Type Page Name Descriptor Style # Product Type Product Always Always Always Fit Always Always Sometimes Sometimes Always Gearline Always Always Sometimes Sometimes Technology Always Always Sometimes Sometimes Brand Always Always Rarely Rarely Price Point Always Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Rarely Gearline Always Class Always Gender Fit End Use Always Always Always Sometimes Sometimes Always Always Sometimes Always Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Rarely Sometimes Rarely Rarely Sometimes Complexity Always Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Rarely • First, our Merch team outlines the products we’ll be focusing on. • I meet with the PLMs (Product Line Managers) to get all the juicy details about each of the styles, making sure to note each of the features and their benefits. • I take my newly found knowledge and craft scripts for our voiceover talent. These scripts are also used as a guideline for creative direction during the shoot—making sure to get both a wide and detailed close-ups of each of the features mentioned. • We usually book talent that have modeled for our still photography, so they are familiar with both the products and the feel of the site. • We also started using a video crew that is part of a company we use for stills, so they are familiar with the brand standards as well. • All we have to do then is book time and use it wisely. • As acting creative director on the shoots, I use my knowledge of the brand and the products to ensure our shots, movements, voice, and music are all authentic and brand right. When video was first introduced, we were given a teeny tiny budget, and it was treated as more of a test. We commandeered a spare, equally tiny room, bought incredibly intuitive editing software, brought in a local communications company to film it, asked some in-house employees to model, and set out to make movies. Keeping things in-house is always a simple way to save on costs. By doing the directing and editing myself, as well as having in-house models and filming space, we not only saved money, we maintained full control of the final result. Although incredibly time consuming, I would recommend this to anyone. It’s a tremendous learning opportunity. Going forward, we plan to test unscripted shoots to cut down on costs as well as time. Plus, I think we can make them more powerful with simple overlays that call out the features and technologies rather than pricy VOs. This is a pain point for me. I have grand plans for the future of our videos, but it’s going to take some legwork. Personally, I don’t think you need to curb creativity to stay “brand right.” It’s all about finding the happy medium. And frankly, that takes the most creativity of all. Concessions have to be made, but I don’t believe that has to compromise the quality. It may even make them better. As our videos evolve, and as we do more market research, we find that most companies don’t actually incorporate VOs into their product selling videos. Although something we have included since inception, do we really need them? Do they add anything? Can we get the message across in some other way? A better way even? I believe we can. Here’s where the creativity comes in. We ditch the professional voiceovers (read: save thousands of dollars), dial up the visuals (read: what everyone is looking for anyway), feature just the facts, lay in some tension, build-up, and payoff with a stellar soundtrack, and then fade to black (not before flashing the logo once more, of course). Cheaper, more dynamic, and hopefully better all around ROI. <Insert UA_Football_Promo_Final_LG.mp4> Video is evaluated on many different levels.  The scripts are written then reviewed by both the merchandizers and the PLMs to ensure accuracy.  A shot list is created then reviewed by the entire team to make sure we have all our bases covered.  Shooting Day(s) make sure everything on the shot list is checked off, as well as some extra fill footage just in case.  The videos are edited per the script and shot list, then the VO is laid in.  The edited videos are then uploaded to ConceptShare, a communal file share and editing platform.  We review individually, making notes in the program, then our Video Task Force meets to discuss the changes—evaluating everything from content, to lighting, to talent.  Requests are passed along, edits are made, final videos are uploaded to LiveClicker, and then the analytics begin.  Products  For the Boat - Core Boating Equipment  For the Boater - Performance and Casual Apparel  Customers  Retail – Focus on Larger Boats, generally on the coasts  Wholesale – Commercial Businesses (served by Port Supply)  Brand Promise  Trusted Advisor to the Boating Community  Products for boats and the boating lifestyle • 85% Male • Wealthy Demographic • Strong Commitment to Boating Lifestyle Over 320 stores in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico * 1 Store in Hawaii and 2 in Alaska West Marine stores provide a unique experience  Broad selections  Interactive environment  Product demonstrations  Knowledgeable staff 81,000 online, 6-30,000 in a Store across 24 Categories Apparel Electronics Fishing Boats and Motors • • • • • Hosted on YouTube, westmarineinc Channel is 4 years old 2,700,000 views 1,200 subscribers 579 videos, 90% of them are home grown – 2628 SKUs have an associated video What’s popular? 1. Garmin 2. Boats 3. Projects` • Shoot 12-20 products in an afternoon • Follow the buyer’s guide questions for categories that have them • Use the local harbor and local boats for color and authenticity • No scripts or teleprompters • More content, less MTV or ESPN • Relatively low volume per product – Need to keep cost per SKU reasonable – $250 per video • Building reputation of “Trusted Advisor to the Boating Community” • Vendor videos are (frequently) terrible • We don’t have an accurate way to determine the value of our videos • • • • • Have not figured out SEO for videos (yet) Have not maximized YouTube channel Poor metrics from YouTube We need a female spokesperson Minimal investment in hardware, backup, studio space, talent… #VCS12 & #VCS12