5 Great Examples Of University Videos

Every businss needs an explainer video.
Universities are no different. In fact, probably more so.

Think about it. You might only have a few choices of company to pick from normally... but when choosing a uni? The whole of the country, if not the world, is on offer. The 'customers' are making insanely emotional, life changing and expensive decisions and they begin remotely, miles from what you have to offer. So for a university, the video 'first impression' is key.

Here I share five of my favourite key marketing videos for universities. What I mean by that: all universities have huge numbers of videos, but if you could pick just one video to be an overview for a whole educational establishment, this would be a great one.
 

University of Sussex

What I like:
- short: just a minute long
- cool look: this is made in a really fresh, modern 'stop-motion' style that will appeal to its audience
- cool sound: the music, again suits the target audience
- text: you can watch this with the sound off and still get the message (crucial when sharing on social media or for your audience watching on a mobile device)
 

Oddly, I can't find them using this on Facebook or Twitter and it's not the 'feature' video for their YouTube channel either. Crazy. Maybe they're holding it back to launch as part of some big marketing campaign. Hope so, as this video should not be buried.

There's another very good example in a similar style from University of Oxford. They make great use of their video. As you can see below, it has a good position on their actual website (someting universities often seem to struggle to do), pride of place as 'feature' video on the YouTube Channel and nice and clear on their Facebook page too. Full marks.

University of Leeds

What I like:
- cool - both the style of edit and music align with their target audience
- testimonials - it has voices of students talking about Leeds, but because we don't see them it doesn't slow the video down
- student life - we actually get a sense of what it might be like to be a student
- more films at end - this is part of a series of films and we're encouraged to view them at the end
 

Below, you can see how they encourage you to keep exploring. It's a fun way of keeping people watching. If all of this content was in one film it would be too long, it would deter viewers, but lots of short form pieces one after another, you probably will. Using the in-built YouTube facility to click the screen to view is smart - there's no temptation to watch anything else until you've seen all of these.

University of Bristol

What I like:
- tour - we get to see a LOT of the uni and city
- pace - whilst it's not that short (3 min), it does have great pace, keeping our interest
- authentic - this isn't a polished advert like so many others, this is very much real
- call to action - the whole video acts as a call to action, to sign up to an open day, see it for yourself
- voices - real opinions from current students and potential ones (and unfortunately, parents - I think they'd have been best sticking to students - cooler)
- passion - there's a lot of passion that comes across from those involved, it's infectious
 

The quote from a visitor, "Bristol's website is good but seeing it in real life's a lot better" sums this video up.

Cleveland Institute of art

This example is nearly 10 years old, but is exceptional and well worth a view.

What I like:
- knows its audience - they're an art institute and the whole concept embraces that
- creative - it's a totally fresh way of showing the detail (keep in mind, this was 2007)
- tone - the way this speaks to its student audience is perfect

It's remarkable that a video this long (5m 30) is so captivating. Yes, it's a bit too long, certainly by today's standards and please please please don't all copy this and start doing the modern day version of 'white board video animation'. PLEASE no. But, what can you do that perfectly encapsulates what your institute is about and talks to your audience in their voice?

Which leads on to...

Imperial College London

If you have a niche educational establishment, like CIA above, you really are in luck.
From the States, to the UK. From art... to science.

What I like:
- knows its audience - people who want to change the world through science
- inspiring - it intrigues and excites those it's targeting
- making a difference - the last quarter where it shows the actual difference their students/work make in the world is brilliantly done

I wouldn't normally suggest being so over-the-top in the 'inspirational' video style and music stakes. But you have to admit it totally suits the institution and who they're appealing to. It doesn't feel over the top. You're not going to this uni to have a laugh at the bar (though I'm sure you could), you're going to make a difference in the world; there's nothing wrong with being serious.

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So there you have it: 5 videos that universities can be inspired by when inspiring students. 

Here, I've only covered what I consider to be the main event. Uni's have plenty more options available: testmimonials, course specifics, campus and accomodation tours, student union, the town/city/area and so on. But just as every business should have an explainer video, every university must have a key, central piece of video marketing from which these others can spin off and orbit around. They make a world of difference.

Want to make a difference with your own explainer video? Get in touch!

Live Q&A videos for your business

I'm hungry. Got a hankering for turkey. And mince pies.

I've just finished watching Jamie Oliver's first Christmas LIVE Q&A - streamed on YouTube (his FoodTube channel) and Facebook.

In it he spoke directly to his audience, interacting with their messages (as has proved so popular with Periscope streaming), answering their questions, even controlling his own camera...

Yes. He's Jamie Oliver. Yes. He has a huge media team... but the reason this works well is because actually it's done on the cheap: it's raw, live, personal, authentic and there's no reason why you couldn't do it too. Read on to find out why you should bother.

I've embedded the video below, I clearly don't expect you to watch it all, so basically it runs likethis: hello - fun - wait for enough viewers to join - start answering questions - end with a plug for his magazine, TV show and upcoming live streams like this about Christmas.

Christmas Q&A: Turkey and showstopper centrepieces

Posted by Jamie Oliver on Monday, 23 November 2015

WHAT YOU CAN DO

The recipe for Jamie's success is pretty simple. Get ready to share your knowledge, give tips, do short demos. Let's face it, this is really a cooler version of a webinar right? No powerpoint in sight.

It still helps if you have a theme or a topic (so here it was 'christmas showstoppers') to focus the video and inspire your audience.

WHY YOU SHOULD BOTHER

- You help build that connection with your audience: they're your customers/potential customers; engage with them.

- You show the human side to your business, literally, if you're friendly and knowledgable chances are we'll want to buy from you.

- In receiving questions you'll get an insight into what your audience actually wants to know; whilst you might not answer all of them live, you'll end up with a stack of content ideas for future videos or blog posts; it's like a collective brainstorm meeting.

- You will end up with answers/facts that you can use in further social activity and blog posts, either as text or shorter excerpts of the video, like this:

REMEMBER

It doesn't have to be perfect. This is Jamie Oliver, seasoned pro and it's not perfect, in fact it'd be boring if it was. So don't stress about it. Have a bit of a rehearsal so you know how the gear works and figure out how you'll filter questions, maybe have a few already lined up in case the interaction starts off slow.

If you don't try this, you'll never know.
Want help getting started? Get in touch. Especially if you've got some mince pies.

Personalised Video from Tesco

Okay. Let me share with you my latest Clubcard statement.
No, wait! Really. Watch this.

 

Hell yeah! 9 coupons. Living the dream.

The fact is I have numerous 'loyalty' cards. I get sent numerous postal statements and emails from them... and do I really read them? Here, Tesco have found a way to bring a stale, all-too-regular communication back to life. They're reminding me what I can do with all their perks and for that matter what their store looks like (minus the screaming kids).

How did Tesco do it?

Okay, so from a technical point you might be saying 'Hello Stephen! How have Tesco made their Personalised Clubcard Statement video?'

They're using Idomoo - a video marketing service that can mix video with a company's CRM data to create incredibly personalised videos in real time.

What does that mean? There's various versions of this technique where coding meets video, but basically Tesco filmed a live action video and put in it some 'placeholders' for text to be generated from data in their Clubcard CRM. One of the placeholders is even audio so the man says my name (although no one calls me Stephen unless I'm being told off so I thought the man was going to rebuke me for using more than 5 items in the quick-checkout).

It really could get even more personal that it has done. After all they know my eating habits and because it's done in real-time they know what the weather's like where I am (they know exactly where I am)... so they could have made a video where the man subtly walked past a load of Ben & Jerry's on offer or said 'on a day like today, we thought you might fancy our freshly baked mince pies and hot chocolate, come on fatty!' etc

What does THIS MEAN for your business?

The key thing to take away here is this:

Online video is NOT a TV advert. It's not a billboard. It doesn't need to be generic to a mass audience. It's being watched by one person on one device.
A PERSON... so talk to them.

There's no reason why you can't be more 'Personalised' in your approach to making videos. You might not think you have the resources to do what Tesco have done with Idomoo but that doesn't mean you can't get personal with your videos just by making different edits combined with targeted email marketing.

This will definitely set you apart from your competition. Not that many brands are doing it.
So think about it.

No really. Think about it. What do you offer? What do you know about your customers?

Depending on your CRM, I bet there's a lot you can do.

Let's say you're a car dealership. You know I bought an estate car 2 years ago. Instead of bombarding me with texts and emails and post telling me there's a Sale event on... why not send me a video saying you hope I'm still enjoying my estate... but have I considered upgrading to this 4x4 and SHOWING me a family enjoying it, followed by a link to easily book a test drive?!

Okay - what about an optician? You know I bought a pair of glasses 3 years ago. You know they were a desinger brand. How about showing me a video of men (yep, not women) wearing cool designer brand glasses that are new in store? Quick link to book an appointment.

I work with a big B2B corporate who have the vision to make individual videos for use in their pitches. So they appeal directly to that particular client they're trying to win. It's a lot of effort, but it works for them and the value in return is huge.

I could go on. But really, use your imagination because I've got a 9 coupon spending spree to be getting on with.

Of course if you'd like to bounce ideas off each other over cake and/or ice cream, please do get in touch! Call me Steve though, not Stephen.

Design Cuts - Making Your Team Human with video

Happy Birthday Design Cuts!

I love the way these guys have made their customers feel part of a community, made them connect with the passion behind the Design Cuts team and part of that is by using video.

Video when you sign up.
Video when you buy one of their products.
Video when... they celebrate their 2nd birthday:

It's always this very personable, straight to camera feel.
It makes their online company feel instantly human. As a customer I feel connected, I warm to them and I want to come back and see what else they're up to. I want to support what they do, not just buy a product.

And that's a powerful thing.

That video above was used on their site, but also crucially to their Facebook community (where video stands a far higher chance of appearing in their fan's feeds). They also started the day by launching their birthday deals live via Periscope.

And they're not actors, nor presenters, they're just people who work at a company right?
They're real.

Here's what you see on their homepage before you've ever signed up. Notice how they use the Wistia (video marketing host) system to capture your email at the end too. Smart.

The digital world doesn't need to be remote.
A digital company doesn't need to be all code, pixels and PayPal.

You know why people love a farmer's market? Because it feels like the human on the other side of the stall is passionate about what they're doing, are invested in it and are right there in front of you. Let that human side of your company shine and you'll celebrate with your customers for years to come.

UPDATE:
How did they respond to me writing this piece?
Within 5 minutes (genuinely) I got this...

@SFolland pic.twitter.com/8PafIFd5iZ

— Design Cuts (@designcutsdeals) October 20, 2015

UPDATE - DEC 2015
Add to this their Christmas effort: which is a lot more sophisticated editing wise, but shows the brand's humour, the sense of design.. and of course the people.
Ho Ho Hope they keep these coming in 2016.
 

 

Why do you need Product Videos?

When we buy a product online, we need extra reassurance. We can't pick it up, try it on, feel it, squeeze it, jump on it (I'm a nightmare in a green grocer's).... But we can watch a video.

If you're selling products online you really should try product videos. Think about it, this isn't 'advertising', this is giving people extra inspiration and affirmation that they're making the right choice just when they're already with you, on the point of purchasing.

Take a look. Who would you rather buy a floor tile from?

This store:

Or this one:

When Topps Tiles made that video they didn't just sell us the dimensions or advantages of the product, they didn't just show what more than one of them looked like in a house... they sold us a story: this could be your house, look how lovely your house and your life will be with this tile.

How about this coat? Which would you rather buy for your kids?
The first store, a big brand but with just images... or the second store?

Again, other than seeing the coat in action, seeing the fit, the functionality... Muddy Puddles are selling us a story: don't you want your kids to be the ones in the great outdoors, connected with nature. living life to the full instead of indoors writing blogs about videos?

You don't have to sell a story. How about a 'How To'?

Luxy Hair (clip-in extensions) basically grew their whole brand by creating YouTube videos teaching women how to do every hair style under the sun. The actual 'product' is so very subtle within the video.

When you shop online to buy extensions they have a handy 'how to pick your shade' video that's showing off the product but doing it in a useful way.

Products videos can be used to help the customer feel confident they'll know what do with it, not just the benefits. Like these I produced for cosmeceutical beauty brand Medik8.

And here's an added benefit. See how the title of the Medik8 video is 'How to get rid of wrinkles with retinol...' - If you Google that, this video could show up in results, letting potential customers discover your brand that way.

But where do you start?

I get it, if you have hundreds or even thousands of products the thought of doing this will be overwhelming. So start with your most popular products or new ones you feel most excited about.
Then, if you are having product shots done in the future, why not make the video part of the product shoot?

You can do this simply at the same time like Xupes do...

(notice the very specific searchable title on that video too)

Xupes have simply had their photographer shoot some footage at the same time. Simple.

Or even make the videos show the photographic shoot actually happening in a behind the scenes style like Made do so well. I love their product videos.

Also, do you see what Made have done?

Yep, apart from the 'story' selling again of kids having fun in a cool house that could be our house...

They've not just shot a video for the a bunk bed, they've included the whole range and accessories. Can you do this too? It's something clothes stores always do so well. Someone comes in looking for a dress and leaves with new shoes and clutch bag as well. (And I look amazing with all three). Can you bring multiple products together? It not only reduces production time/costs but can up sell/cross sell as well. You can see that Medik8 and Muddy Puddles have both done it above in a nice subtle way where it doesn't feel like 'selling'.

Online product videos are a great way to sell products, reinforce your brand and bring joy to the users' experience when shopping online with you - they'll be more likely to return and to recommend. Make it easy for someone to share the video on their social media of choice (be it Facebook,Twitter or Pinterest) and who knows where one shopper browsing will take you?

The best product videos don't sell, they show. 'Selling' videos are more like having an annoying shop assistant in your face the moment you walk in a store, but showing videos can be like taking the product home for a test drive. Remember, these aren't adverts: the shopper is already on your product page; they just need to be softly encouraged to click 'buy'.

It's not hard to get started. Need some thoughts on what your business could do? Get in touch!

TransferWise masterclass in a Facebook Advert

Faceboook video is a hugely valuable marketing tool.
This video in my feed today really made me stop and...
well actually, that's the amazing thing right?
It made me stop... Stop scrolling and watch. I even took in the company's message.
Yeah, you heard me. It worked.

So what can a woman being hit in the face with a fish tell us?
Other than that she needs a pay rise.

Shock Roulette

Fish to the face, electric shock, mustard attack. Watch these people get hit with the unexpected. Luckily, you can send money abroad without the shock of hidden fees: TransferWise.com/phew

Posted by TransferWise on Monday, 10 August 2015

What makes this TransferWise ad so effective on Facebook?

1. It catches attention immediately
Scroll, scroll, scroll.. woman, screaming, being hit in the face with a fish?! Stop.

2. It works without sound
If anything, it's even better without the music.
Facebook video auto-plays without sound, so it's essential your video works with no audio.

3. It has a clear, uncluttered message
It's so easy to see and read the text; to get the message of the ad.

4. It has a clear call to action
If that button gets people signing up, what a clear return on investment.
Still, if it had said 'find out more' I might have actually clicked.

5. It's fun and shareable
If I 'like' or comment on this video, it will start to appear in my friends' feeds too.
Share it? Even more so. Thousands of people already have.

I'm not saying I find it hilarious, I'm not saying you should copy it; but it's incredibly effective and it's worth considering why and what you can do to tick these boxes with your own Facebook videos, ads or not.

Just as you're about to stop watching.... screamy-fish-girl gets squirted with hotdog sauces and suddenly your attention is back again wondering what might happen next.
And what might happen next? You might just click 'like', 'share' or 'sign up'. Shocker.

Want to figure out how to make Facebook video work for your business? Get in touch!

Below: How the video appeared in my Facebook feed.

Apple Watch Proves The Power Of Video Marketing

When it comes to marketing, the folk at Apple know what they're doing.

And with the launch of Apple Watch they put a whole lot of love into a video marketing strategy, take a look:

Check out the Apple Watch videos for yourself.

Like I say, you can do this too. Pair up a strong strategic email campaign with video and you're on to a winner. Want to chat about it? Get in touch.

PS. Notice how they remade the Aluminium one with the UK spelling and voiceover? They're good.

How can people watch your video... if they can't find it?!

Okay, so sometimes it's best to just 'show' what the heck you're talking about, so click play...

As as promised, here's their video... once you find it:

As I mentioned, I think Bewilderwood looks like an awesome place to visit with the kids and they are doing SO much right with their site, business and social... I'm not picking on them as such, just using them as an example of something that so many companies get wrong.

If you've made a great video, let people see it!

Want to make a great video? Get in touch!

(NOTE: In August 2015 I finally went to Bewilderwood. It really is a magical place to take kids. In fact, we returned in August '16 too. So great that an independent business (you know, not part of the big tourist attraction magnates) can be so imaginative and create a place without the need for any technology-based 'rides', just encouraging the joy of playing outdoors... Head to Norfolk with the kids and enjoy!)

#HIBERNOT

“Land Rover aren’t just selling us the car.
They’re selling us the story.”

Hibernate? No Chance. #Hibernot

That was the brilliant message Land Rover ran, or drove, with all winter long.

Don't sit indoors. Get out there and enjoy life. Especially if it's in a Land Rover.

This was an epic cross media marketing strategy powered by a) a LOT of money and b) several agencies working to make it happen. But that doesn't mean there aren't lessons any business can pull from it.

Video was a major tool in the campaign and at the heart of it all was the #HIBERNOT family. Taking a 'real family' and making them trade their sofa for a week exploring and having fun together (in a Discovery Sport).

What's key here, is Land Rover aren't just selling us the car. They're selling us the story.
7 days of adventure for them to share. 7 videos for us to share.

“7 days of adventure for them to share.
7 videos for us to share.”

'Look at how this car brings the family together and lets them bond and live life in the way we all dream of, look Dad, you're not a loser in a xmas hat, you're a real man!' it says.

This could be your life too! Well, almost. Even if you could afford a Discovery Sport, it'd be an even bigger stretch to book Ray Mears to hang out with you for the day (genuinely - Day 3, Dad rather handily had to utilise the extra hidden seats in the boot to make way for their foraging hitch hiker).

This was a great campaign. Reclaiming 4x4s from the school run image they've gained over recent years and using great storytelling to sell us the lifestyle of a family united.

Honestly, #HIBERNOT is so immense in its ambition that I could talk about examples of what it did well for far too long. The best thing to do, if you're interested, is check out their site that has brought together all of the material.

The final day of Land Rover's Winter, was celebrated with this video:

So how can your business learn from #HIBERNOT?

Just think hard about this question:
How can you tell the story of what your product/service can do for real people?

Don't just sell a product. Sell a lifestyle. Sell a better version of me. I want to buy that change.

Show me how that's happened to someone else. Let me see the change.

It doesn't have to be 'sexy' like cars. It doesn't need a celebrity with a handy knack for surviving without matches. I'm not going to pretend it doesn't take vision, nor for that matter, a healthy budget, but it will set you apart from your competition if done right. It's about moving beyond an 'About' video and a 'How To' video and creating something special, sharing a story that shows just how awesome my life could be if I had your 'product' in it.

Osmo - Play the video - Play the Product

“Perfect storytelling.
This doesn’t feel like an advert, it feels like an experience.”

A big hit on Christmas Day 2014 was the arrival of Osmo in our house.

Not a new Sesame Street character, but an ingenious toy that enables kids to play 'beyond the screen' with their iPads.

But what made me buy it?

Their video:

It's great. The way it tells the story of the product: the parental set up, the boxed games, the collaboration between kids (though mine would fight a litlle more I'm sure, it's almost like these kids are actors!), the emotions: pride in solving puzzles, the 'woah' cool nature of the dinosaur section... all shot in a stark white studio that reflects their brand and fits perfectly on their site.

And notice, there's not a single word of voiceover, nor on screen graphic overlays. This doesn't feel like an advert, it feels like an experience. I'm sold on the story, I'm sold on the product. Sometimes it pays to strip it back and keep it simple.

As a footnote from a marketing perspective: the way I discovered the video was by its continued appearance in my Facebook stream, so hey, that worked too.

Podcast Sponsorship

“You don’t have to be the one creating the content...”

Like much of the world, I was a Serial addict.

Gripped by a podcast that became a global phenomenon in the latter stages of 2014, picking up an audience of millions in just a couple of months as it followed the investigation of a real life convicted murderer and a possible miscarriage of justice.

Why mention it?

1. You really should listen. It’s a sublime piece of audio production and storytelling.

2. There’s a lesson here on what businesses can do, because no Serial listener could fail to tell you which company sponsored it from the beginning: MailChimp.

And as Serial's popularity went through the roof suddenly audible, Squarespace (incidentally a web company I only know about because of their long time sponsorship of the Answer Me This podcast) and others lined up to be associated with it.

Yes, sponsorship is a marketing tactic as old as time, but that's because it really is effective.

This could be you too.

I mean, sure if you’re after a global digital audience, this could literally be you - contact the makers of Serial, sign the cheque for series 2.

But what I mean is… you don’t have to be the one that is creating the content.

Just like Mailchimp, you can capitalise on sponsoring somebody else’s.

“Find a podcast whose audience is your audience”

Find a podcast whose audience is your audience.
There is pretty much a podcast for every industry and every interest on iTunes and it doesn’t matter if the podcast isn’t huge audience wise, what matters is that it’s a good fit.

Have a listen and if you enjoy the podcast and like what they’re doing, why not support it? Contact the producers… you won’t pay a huge amount for a podcast that isn’t raking in a huge audience, most will be glad to have your interest if they’re currently unsponsored.

Podcasts can provide reliable audience data (unlike TV, radio and press): it may be a smaller audience, but it'll be engaged and it'll be targeted.

Podcasts tend to be listened to without 'fast forwarding' through the ads (unlike TV and press): your message will be heard, no doubt about it. But remember, it's all about brand awareness.

Don't expect a massive spike in profits immediately you jump on board and above all, stick with it - the best effect is drawn from repetition.

Everyone who has heard Serial from the beginning will tell you Mailchimp’s name, in fact they’ll doubtless know their tagline 'Send Better Email' and be able to lip-sync the voices that say the company’s name at the start of each episode.

Rather aptly, for a post was inspired by Serial, I think sponsoring a podcast has got to be a marketing technique worth investigating for any business.

---

Upddate - February 2016

Since writing this piece podcasts have the sponsorship of them have boomed. Sponsoring a podcast you'll find companies from small ambitious start ups to the might of Ford.

And I too have my own podcast sponsored. The particular company I chose to go with contacted me, liking the quality of the show and recognising that my audience was also their intended audience.

So, who's your audience?