Marketing firm using low-cost video to tell story of its unique approach.
PROVIDENCE, RI – APRIL 22, 2010
It’s a problem facing many marketers today. How do you get an attention-deficient and time pressed public to quickly learn enough about the key benefits you offer?
TribalVision, a new firm with a paradigm-breaking approach to providing outsource marketing solutions, decided to produce an engaging illustrated video to provide a thematic framework for its overall website experience. The two-minute video quickly takes the viewer through the key pain points a target prospect would have – while communicating the big-picture philosophy behind the company.
“The new age of marketing is all about telling stories,” says Chris Ciunci, TribalVision founder and CEO. “So our first goal was to tell a story that business owners could relate to. We actually established the business owner as the main character of our story, which unfolds through a sequence of animated illustrations. We thought it was a great solution for promoting our brand in a memorable and telegraphic way.”
“This is really the kind of thing we strive to do for all our clients,” Ciunci continues. “A typical prospect is going to visit 5 to 10 websites before he/she decides which firms to engage with. So more than ever, you need to establish some wow factor to cut through the clutter. A memorable story can do just that.”
The second goal of the video was to create a visual narrative that reinforces the TribalVision brand – while creating a corporate identity that can be leveraged across all marketing mediums. The unifying element is a stick-figure with a red tie that represents the typical small business owner.
“The video isn’t a singular tactic,” Ciunci explains, “but part of the wider marketing strategy we’ve charted. It’s also a good example of our overall value-add as a marketing department for hire: The way we provide an overarching vision to each client’s marketing effort, instead of working within tactic-driven silos.”
The third goal of the video is to demonstrate TribalVision’s capabilities as a cost-effective resource for potential clients – particularly the firm’s ability to assemble virtual teams of seasoned pros to fit the needs of a particular client, campaign or project.
Tapping into a nationwide network of talent, TribalVision sourced an animator in New York by scouring online animation forums – and invited him to bid on the project. The voiceover was sourced in a similar way using voices.com, a unique Web 2.0 tool for pre-production. The scriptwriting was handled in-house.
“It’s a level of expertise and coordination that most small to mid-size companies don’t think they can afford,” Ciunci says, “and it’s a direct result of our open-architecture, Web 2.0-driven business model. We were able to produce a high-quality product on a relatively modest budget. The total cost of the video was in the thousands, as opposed to the tens of thousands it would have cost through a typical ad agency.”
TribalVision is now leveraging the impact of its video through multiple marketing channels, including its company blog, email marketing campaigns and social media initiatives. “Our knowledge of cost-conscious Web 2.0 tools isn’t something we just use as a selling point,” Ciunci concludes, “it’s something we utilize in a major way – even for ourselves. If we want clients to buy into our approach, it’s imperative to walk the walk, and to practice what we preach.”