Moving Pictures

The first movie was created to resolve a burning question of the times: When horses run at high speed, do all four feet lift off the ground simultaneously? In 1878, the eccentric photographer Eadweard James Muybridge offered proof. Stringing together 11 photo frames captured with an inventive set-up requiring as many cameras, he was able to capture a galloping horse in motion. Hence, the answer (yes) was revealed.

Since then, our appetite for moving pictures has yet to wane, culminating in today’s obsessive consumption on social media. Popularized by TikTok, competitive platforms like Instagram and Facebook followed suit, rewarding users’ video content with more opportunities to grow impressions, reach, and audience engagement.

According to a 2022 survey report from Sprout Social, social media audiences prefer video over static posts, especially videos that are one-minute in length or shorter; and 83 percent indicate a desire to view more video content. 

This is a win for brands willing to invest in content development for social media marketing. Compelling and informative videos will be their key to social media success in 2023. 

The two styles of video content described below offer ideas to consider for crafting a message.

In a mere 15 seconds, a short-form video posted to Instagram by the Ford Motor Company links still photography of the brand’s trucks—not unlike Muybridge and the horse photos—to a clever “last meal” premise. With the simple addition of captions, the brand is able to clearly convey the product’s key attribute: all-terrain capability.

The Paris-based trade show Maison&Object used a professional videographer to spotlight a trending theme for their January event. Posted as a reel to Instagram, the one-minute edited video includes a designer interview, the event details, and an important call to action for attendees to register.

So, what does your audience need to know about your brand’s products or services? What are their burning questions, and how will your video content deliver the answers they are looking for?

Take Action: Strategically align your content development with your business goals in 2023.

Reference:

https://historycooperative.org/first-movie-ever-made/

ALL THE THINGS: A recap of our best client projects in 2021

GO TEAM! A look back at a full year of helping our clients achieve their business goals through photo shoots, video content creation, writing projects, editorial submissions, media outreach, event bookings, strategic advertising placements, social media marketing and influencer campaigns.

Cheers and thanks from our team to our clients, partners and home furnishings industry media, and here’s to making more magic together in 2022!

In With The New

In 2015, the company I founded as Brand Communications, Inc. celebrated its 10th year in business.

What a long, strange and terrific trip it's been. There have been interesting clients, great products and services to promote, and lots of disruption along the way. Could business practices and the media landscape have changed more dramatically in this period?

I'm proud to say that we worked to remain nimble and learned to adapt along the way. We're still learning, in fact, and that's terrific, too.

Disruption or no, our mission is to help clients thrive. That's really at the heart of what we do. The rest is about maximizing what we can use from our marketing communications toolkit. 

Today, I'm especially proud to launch our new website and WorkTheBrand identity. (In case this is news to you, our clients are responsible for the rechristening, having co-opted what was once the agency's tagline. The name stuck, as they say.)

Here's to another New Year of growing and thriving. Let us know how we may help.

To Valley Ho We Go

This month, the annual Contemporary Design Group (CDG) Conference was held at the retro-chic Valley Ho resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Client Helen Brier of Toray Ultrasuede finds the yearly event is the best place to mix and mingle with retail partners like Boston-based Circle Furniture as well as her manufacturing customers such as Dallas-based American Leather.

While the diverse group gathers in the spirit of building business relationships and sharing best practices, there are always bits of fun thrown in. A new tradition - the business equivalent of speed dating - is a fast paced way to ensure that everyone attending gets face time and a chance to share what's new.

For Ultrasuede, that included our just christened retail sales training video, which we created in collaboration with Paper Bridge Productions of Greensboro, NC. It's an 8-minute primer on the luxurious, suede-like fabric. We designed the video to help retail sales associates explain to furniture shoppers why Ultrasuede is an ideal cover choice for upholstered furniture - and how it will additionally help them increase their ticket sales and profits.

Naturally, we threw in a few bits of fun, too.