Bunnos. Beef Loving Texans. Personalized videos to battle GDPR. Two minutes in the pool. And tens of millions of dollars in new pipeline. The 2018 Video in Business Awards had it all, and we’re thrilled to share the stories of this year’s Video Marketing winners so we can all learn from their video awesomeness.
Online video is changing the way that brands communicate with audiences. No longer is it a question of “why video,” but rather: how do we make most of it to connect with audiences in more engaging and impactful ways?
This year’s edition of the Video in Business Awards recognizes 12 marketing and sales teams using video in creative ways to deliver some incredible results. No budget? No problem! The results achieved by this year’s winners were a result of big ideas and impeccable execution, not big budgets.
Five finalists were selected for each category, the winners and runners-up were selected by celebrity judges Ann Handley, Jay Baer, Matt Heinz, Andrew Davis, Salma Jafri, and Linda West.
Without further ado, join us in congratulating—and getting inspiration from—the winners of the 2018 Video in Business Awards Marketing categories.
The Video Marketing Storyteller: PortoBay Hotels
First, we laughed. Then we cried. Then we subscribed for more. The Storyteller understands that the art of creative storytelling isn’t just for Hollywood. This exceptional marketing team writes masterful scripts that result in share-worthy videos that inspire action.
Winner: PortoBay Hotels
Runners-Up: Lucidchart, Thermo Fisher
Honorable Mentions: Contract Hound, Discoverorg
PortoBay Hotels was faced with a monumental challenge in May of 2018. With General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into effect in the European Union, they risked losing a sizeable portion of their addressable database if they couldn’t get individuals to opt-in for ongoing communications. While others sent utterly ignorable emails begging customers to give their permission, PortoBay Hotels took a different approach to ensure they would stand out and inspire their customers to act quickly.
They delivered an irresistible personalized video campaign with exceptional storytelling, resulting in a whopping 65% of their database opting in for future communications! Here’s an example of the video personalized for an individual named Marta Uceda (note that the video was personalized for each individual recipient to boost engagement):
The runners-up exhibited an incredible knack for storytelling in the B2B space. The LOL-worthy “Lucidchart Explains the Internet” series has garnered more than 170 million views and a massive ROI. These are possibly the best B2B software “ads” ever (do yourself a favor and binge watch).
And for an inspirational dose of customer storytelling, check out Thermo Fisher’s Keep Seeking video series where they tell the stories of their customers, modern scientists, through the lens of one of their greatest challenges: facing failure almost each and every day.
The Video Marketing Contender: No Lift Install System
These small businesses prove that video doesn’t have to be a big production to get big results. The Contender is a small business using video to stand out from competitors and punch above its weight class. This scrappy and resourceful team uses creative and authentic video to stand out, boost engagement, and generate big business on a small budget.
Winner: No Lift Install System
Runners-Up: River Pools, Synthio
Honorable Mentions: Leighton Interactive, Mango Languages
No Lift Install System provides a unique solution for countertop installation professionals that the written word just won’t do justice. This small business recognized that their product had to be seen to be appreciated, and that the human stories of their clients living healthier lives as a result of their solution had to be heard.
This resourceful team didn’t let a modest budget get in the way of creating dozens of powerfully authentic videos to showcase exactly what their product could do and what type of impact it was having on their clients. Check out the No Lift Install System YouTube channel to browse their full library of videos.
“The results have been amazing. We have sold out of all our inventory and are scrambling to keep up with the demand thanks to all the inquiries coming from our videos. Our videos have been shared all over and drove more business then we can currently produce. We have even had guys watch one video, pick up the phone, and buy one of the carts immediately.”
The runners-up have also used a wide range of video content to generate more inbound leads and improve the customer experience. River Pools’ library of over 100 educational videos has helped them more than double their annual flow of leads and increase the size of their dealer network by five times. Synthio is using in-house created videos to fuel the success of everything from inbound marketing to outbound sales to customer communications.
The Video Marketing Visionary: Loyola University Maryland
From syndicated video content series to brilliant hyper-personalized videos, to super authentic social video, these marketers are ahead of the pack and reaping the benefits of being first-to-market with creative video experiences that truly stand out. Recognizing that ‘good enough’ is no longer good enough, these marketers are creating exceptional video experiences that engage prospects and customers in unique and innovative ways.
Winner: Loyola University Maryland
Runners-Up: Drift, Texas Beef Council
Honorable Mentions: AT&T Business, Frontier Communications
After running a small personalized video campaign in 2017, Loyola University Maryland heard from a number of new students that their personalized video set them apart from other schools, playing a material factor in their enrollment.
The success of that campaign prompted them to do something bold and send out their admission decisions via personalized video to drive more students to accept their offer. Now that’s what we call ‘visionary’ for the education market! Here is an example of the video personalized for a prospective student named Carley:
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