Having worked with everyone from Virgin America to Secret to Excedrin, Tongal Hall of Famer Marshall Cook knows a thing or two about creating branded content. But, more than that, he knows how to create content that resonates in today’s changing video landscape. And the industry is taking note. His recent video featuring Mad TV alum Will Sasso was just named Vimeo’s Short of the Week.
So we sat down with Marshall to find out what advice he had for brands that are looking to make their mark with video.
Q: Brands are increasingly fighting to get people’s attention, particularly online. What advice do you have for brands, to help them develop creative that will breakthrough?
Marshall: The five-second rule has become an interesting challenge. Unless a viewer is getting locked-in to an ad that can't be skipped, we have roughly 5 seconds to effectively hook them with interesting visuals, music, an engagning story or a laugh... Anything to keep their finger hovered over the skip button without actually pressing it.
For example, with my "Gorilla Glue: Sticky Situations" spot, the first shot is a kid running/screaming for his life. In the first 5 seconds, he trips and falls and we see a stalker approaching. If I'm online looking for entertainment, I'll likely think, "Okay, fine, let's see what happens..."
If you're going for a different tone, look at the first 5 seconds of Lurpak's "Adventure Awaits." They draw you into a whole new work...inside your kitchen.
My advice to brands would be to push yourselves to be as interesting as possible. Viewers are no longer forced to watch your content, so you are now competing with the content they are seeking. Try to be as funny as that show or sketch, or as visually interesting as that trailer or music video. You are all creative and have it in you. And if you truly believe you don’t have it in you, then hire someone who does--whatever best services the brand.
Q: What are some of the creative challenges when producing video for social media platforms?
Marshall: Usually it comes down to time and money. We are trying to get the attention of someone who is likely on the move, or at least not cozy on the couch. So we need to grab their attention and pass along a message quickly. Sometimes that requires a level of time and effort that a brand is not willing to invest in because it’s “just for social media.” I’m a big believer in Stanhope’s, “whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” The "it's just for social media" mindset is a mistake (IMHO). Everything has to be good, no matter what it is or where it's going. There's too much noise and competition to think otherwise.
Q: In your opinion, what are the key qualities that make for a great branded video?
Marshall: I think a great branded video is something that operates on the same or higher level as the original content people are trying to watch. Obviously we all want to make spots that are shared, searched for, watched multiple times... But in order to acheive that, we need viewers to feel something... other than anger about your terrible commercial. Obviously this is all subjective, so there aren't specific ingredients necessarily, but if a brand understands its identify, knows its intended audience, and effectively connects with them on a human level in an engaging way, AND communications a resonating message in the prcoess... That's a great spot! Right?
Q: On what social platform would you like to see brands get more creative? And what advice would you give them to get started?
I'd say Facebook and YouTube. I would just advise brands really think about their identity and their intended audience, and then focus on making consistently good content. The audience will follow. I personally don't like it when a brand tries to pander or be everything to everyone. Not everyone gets "Old Spice," but enough people do. Oh, and if you're still trying to figure out your identity, there's this site called Tongal...
