makes purple blog

12 reasons to start shooting video today

March 21, 2011

B2C marketers are not alone in jumping aboard the video marketing bandwagon. If YouTube is any indication, B2B marketers are increasingly utilizing online videos to inform and engage, and to take advantage of the increasing numbers of Internet users with high-speed connection.

It’s no wonder of course that B2B marketers are embracing video given the outsize demand for it. A 2010 survey published by video ad company YuMe, for example, revealed that 49 percent of respondents shared they are watching videos daily. More than 66 percent of respondents said they watched more online video now than they did 12 months ago and 48 % expected they would continue to watch more online videos in the future.

If you’re still on the sidelines, consider this stat from Forrester Research: Video increases the chance of a front page Google result by 53 times. You got that. You are 53 times more likely to land on the front page of Google with a video than basic text. Forrester also reports that adding video in to e-mails increases click-through rates by two to three times,” says Keith Smiley, a freelance B2B copywriter in Indianapolis, Ind.

Smiley says that B2B marketer’s use videos in a variety of ways, including:
* visually demonstrating how a product or service works,
* communicating a specific message or company news
* as a lead generation tool
* case studies
* executive summaries and video versions of white papers

Smiley says other video uses can include:
* Sharing content from webinars
*Interviewing partners at a trade show
* Holding a Q & A session with an expert within your company
* Giving a sneak peek at product releases.

Sean Randles, owner of webVM and U.K. Partner at FLIMP Media in Manchester, United Kingdom, echoes Smiley in some of the uses for video marketing. He shares that his Web video company creates video versions of .PDF case studies, which he says are “very powerful lead generation tools.” Some other ways to use video, according to Randles, include: product visualizations, elevator pitch videos and video brochures. In addition, “B2B videos can also be used for direct video marketing campaigns using www.flimp.net, which enables real time tracking of views and response by e-mail address.”

Read the rest of this blog, written by Wendy Marx, a member of Fast Company’s expert blogging community, here.

Tagged:
By Sara | Posted in Marketing | Leave a comment

Brands & Facebook – Just because you can…

February 28, 2011

This is a great infographic showing why people “unlike” brands on Facebook. Good food for thought, it reinforces one of my favourite sayings – “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” And if you do, make sure you understand your customers and what they want from the experience.


One of the statistics, “I only ‘liked’ the company to take advantage of a one-time offer – 26%” has particular resonance for me, having recently taken advantage of a discount offer from a brand’s Facebook page for the first time. I had seen a bag in the window of a department store. When I got home I googled the brand name and went through to the brand’s online store to purchase it. I knew how much it cost (a lot!) as it was in the window and I was quite happy to pay it, all I wanted to do was purchase it. On arriving at the brand’s homepage I was greeted by a HUGE banner telling me to get my discount code from their Facebook page. So off I duly trotted to Facebook, got my hands on the code and got £30.00 discount. Nice for me, admittedly (it did numb the pain somewhat!) but it didn’t encourage any affinity with the brand (in fact the opposite), won’t encourage me to visit them on Facebook again, and didn’t tip me over the edge in terms of making a purchase decision. Instead, it ‘lost’ them £30.00.

We all want our clients to be able to engage with their customers in a more regular and meaningful way, and sometimes that is trial and error, but I wonder when the numbers are being crunched how many stories like mine are being overlooked in the ROI equation?

Source: http://mediaczar.posterous.com/why-people-un-like-your-facebook-page-via-lem

Tagged: , , , , ,
By Sara | Posted in Digital, Marketing | Leave a comment

Using digital tools to facilitate transition

February 23, 2011

The adoption of technology for process improvement and to facilitate change is a no-brainer for those that understand the transformational impact that technology can have.

This article from Fast Company shows how that insight and knowledge is being imparted in a political and social context, following the recent uprisings in Eqypt.

By E.B. Boyd, Fast Company

“The key for us is to help them understand what the tools are and then for them to adopt and adapt them for their own purposes,” Alec Ross, Hillary Clinton’s senior advisor for innovation, tells us.

Now that the euphoria of revolution is waning in Egypt, the hard work has begun to figure out what comes next. Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the U.S. is setting aside $150 million to help Egypt with that process. Now Alec Ross, Clinton’s senior advisor for innovation, tells Fast Company that a portion of that money will probably go towards helping Egyptians learn about and use digital tools to facilitate the process of transition.

In the coming months, Ross says, the State Department will likely devote some of the $150 million to helping Egyptian organizations and individuals learn about digital tools and practices they can use to help their country move through the transition. How much money might be allocated and what exactly it would be used for is currently undecided. Two State Department officials traveled to Egypt this week to assess the best use of the funds.

“It’s reasonable to assume there could be a role for technology within that,” Ross says. “The key for us is to help them understand what the tools are and then for them to adopt and adapt them for their own purposes.”

For a little more than a year, the State Department has pursued a policy called “Civil Society 2.0,” designed to help build the digital capabilities of grassroots organizations around the world working for democracy, human rights, and economic development. The digital activism that led to the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt embodied the principles of that policy, in that everyday people used technology to organize and advocate for what they wanted.

It’s unchartered territory. A country has never been toppled as quickly and as bloodlessly as Egypt was. There is no clear road map about what to do next. In this environment, the State Department plans some good old-fashioned experimentation to discover best practices. There will probably even be an opportunity for reverse learning. “[The Egyptians] are sophisticated themselves,” Ross says. “Given the tools and resources, the Egyptian people can make the highest and best use of them.”

Tagged: , , , , , ,
By Sara | Posted in Digital | Leave a comment

Do women play more games than men?

February 23, 2011

By Matthew Lynley at venturebeat.com

Women now play games more than men, according to a report by mobile app analytics provider Flurry. At least that’s true in the realm of mobile and mobile social games, where the likes of Zynga’s FarmVille and Popcap’s Plants vs. Zombies are at the forefront.

More than half of all mobile and mobile social gamers — 53 percent, to be exact — are women, bucking the stereotype that gaming is typically a male-dominated form of entertainment, according to the report. Only 40 percent of “traditional” gamers are women, according to the report.

The report found that women social gamers were typically older than their male counterparts — as women outnumbered men in the 26 to 65 age range. Men barely outnumbered women in the 18 to 24 age range. Just about a third of all mobile and social gamers were also in that same age range — 18 to 24 — while about half of mobile and social gamers fell in the 26 to 44 age range.

A majority of mobile and social gamers also appear to come from middle-class origins and make between $50,000 and $80,000 yearly, according to the report. Mobile and social gamers typically earn 50 percent more than the average American and are twice as likely to have a college bachelor’s degree. The majority of mobile and social gamers — about 65 percent — are white, as well.

Flurry detected more than 250 million devices running Apple’s iPhone operating system and Google’s Android mobile operating system, and detects around 750,000 new activations across both operating systems each day, according to the report. Flurry tracks around 26 million unique users that play social games for an average of about 25 minutes each day.

By Sara | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Partner recognised for innovation

February 10, 2011

We are delighted that our creative partners Fresh01 have been recognised for their ground-breaking eLearning work.

Fresh01, together with their client Maxwell Lucas won the CSR category of the Business Travel & Meetings Show Innovation Awards. These awards recognise those business travel & meetings suppliers who create highly innovative products, services and processes for business travellers and bookers, buyers and arrangers of travel & meetings. Not content with winning their category, they were also presented with the overall ‘Gold Innovation Award’.

Digital and creative agency Fresh01 have carved out a niche in the security and defence sector for their eLearning projects and Makes Purple are proud to be working with them on a new project for a global security giant which is due to launch later this year.

You can see more of Fresh’s eLearning work here: http://fresh01.com/elearning-work

Tagged: , , ,
By Sara | Posted in Marketing | Leave a comment

American politics embraces digital

January 26, 2011

As a lover of The West Wing, I know January is ‘State of the Union time’.  This interesting article, “State of the Union, the Digital Party” from Fast Company shows how yesterday’s SOTU address was delivered, embracing far more channels than just the traditional TV route, engaging audiences in two-way dialogue and embracing social media channels.

By Sara | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Doing business with China?

October 15, 2010

Makes Purple was recently appointed by long-term live communication partner UpStage to help them develop and deliver communications strategies for their financial and professional services clients targeting China. UpStage are fast consolidating their position as the go-to communications agency for business in and with China and Makes Purple are delighted to partner with them once again.

Tagged: , , , , ,
By Sara | Posted in Marketing | Leave a comment

Things we love #4

September 27, 2010

Its been way too long since we shared what we love.  #4 (and these are in no particular order) is The West Wing.

What a phenomenal television series. I can’t believe I missed a whole seven seasons – and more than 150 episodes – when it was transmitted. I may have been late to the party but I’m in full swing now! Having been recomended by a friend, I used my ‘Things we love #2′ – Lovefilm subscription – to get me started.  I am now though the proud owner of a complete season 1-7 box set. What a beautiful thing it is too.

Why do I love The West Wing? It’s intelligent, witty, engaging, has an amazing cast (how on earth do they learn those lines?) and I love the cameraderie of these colleagues in their day-to-day working lives.

I’m only on season 2 but I’m already wondering what I’m going to fill the void with when its all over.

Sara

By Sara | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A change is as good as a rest …

July 14, 2010

Makes Purple is delighted to have been appointed by top accountancy practice Mazars to help them deliver a change management programme within their in-house design and print function which services 15 UK offices. With remit to engage and upskill the already talented team of six, review brand execution and consider process and client service improvements, this is a long-term contract. Our appointment, working closely with the UK Head of Communications, reinforces Mazars’ commitment to developing its people.

Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
By Sara | Posted in Operations, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

eLearning win

June 28, 2010

Makes Purple love the opportunity to partner with their great friends, the creative geniuses that are Fresh01.

This time, we have been called upon to help deliver a ground-breaking eLearning project for a global giant. Alas we’re not allowed to tell you who it’s for – not yet anyway!  Our role was to help write the response to the RFP, up against some very tough – and much larger – competition and, having won the work, manage its delivery. Needless to say, its complex and challenging, but that’s when we work best.

If you’d like help defining and delivering large eLearning projects – or any communications projects for that matter – do get in touch.

Tagged: , , , , , , , ,
By Sara | Posted in Marketing | Leave a comment