Six Lists that Make You More Productive

moms-to-do-list-no-do-listHere is some great advice from Fast Company on making those all-important To Do Lists.

Your brain is for thinking, not for storing a long list of random things you need to do.

“When you’re juggling a lot of tasks, things will fall through the cracks, and lists are amazing for keeping yourself on target and getting things done,” says Paula Rizzo, author of Listful Thinking: Using Lists to Be More Productive, Highly Successful, and Less Stressed.

As senior health producer at Fox News, Rizzo was used to creating checklists of questions and shots to get. When she started to look for an apartment in New York, she realized how important lists can be in all situations—but only if they’re used correctly.

“A lot of people want to be list makers, but they aren’t sure how to create lists that actually help,” she says. “The key is making the right lists and being strategic in how they’re used.”

Here are six lists that Rizzo says are helpful to business leaders, and how you can use them to be more productive:

1. A SPECIFIC AND TARGETED DAILY TO-DO LIST
While a to-do list seems like a no-brainer, Rizzo says too many people fail to set theirs up for success: “A daily to-do list needs to be specific and targeted,” she says. “You should only put things on a to-do list that you have the time and resources to achieve. And big goals and projects should be broken down into actionable tasks.”

The first step is to pay attention to timing: Write your list at the end of the day before you leave your desk. “Look ahead to following day and determine everything that needs to happen,” she says. “Identify phone calls to make, emails to send, and appointments you have. When you come to work in the morning, you’ll have a road map and can hit the ground running.”

When tackling the tasks on your to-do list, it helps to match the action with your productivity levels, says Rizzo. She takes care of tasks that require more focus, such as writing, at the beginning of the day when she’s fresh. Smaller things, like phone calls or emails, are put at the bottom of the list, to be completed after lunch when her mind is more fatigued. When distractions pop up during the day that could throw you off of your game, refer to your to-do list, and reset your intention for day.

If something doesn’t get done, reevaluate the task at the end of the day. “Ask yourself, ‘Did that belong on the list for today? Do I have the appropriate time and resources? Or can I give the task somebody else?’” Rizzo says. “Leaving items undone can feel like you failed, but don’t be too hard on yourself. If it’s still important, put the task on tomorrow’s list.”

2. AN OUTSOURCE LIST
Successful leaders and entrepreneurs often complete tasks they could have delegated because it will just take a minute, but just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should, says Rizzo.

“Menial tasks, such as uploading a blog post to WordPress or making travel arrangements, aren’t always the best use of your time and talent,” she says. “Look at everything on your to-do list and ask yourself, ‘Am I the only person who can do this?’”

LOOK AT EVERYTHING ON YOUR TO-DO LIST AND ASK YOURSELF, “AM I THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN DO THIS?”
Anything that can be given to someone else should be put on an outsource list. While outsourcing takes extra time upfront to train someone else on the task, it saves you time later, which can be used to focus on the things you do have to do. The outsource list will become someone else’s to-do list.

3.  A LONG TERM GOALS LIST

Writing a list of long-term goals and dreams can help you achieve more, says Rizzo. “Even if you think it’s too big of a dream but it’s something you want, write it down anyway,” she says. “When you write something down, studies say you’ll be 33% more likely to do it because it sets an intention and puts a goal into action.  Create a long-term goals list for yourself and your company. Then create a reminder to review and re-evaluate it periodically.

“I set a recurring meeting on the calendar in my phone and review my list,” says Rizzo. “I cross off the things that have happened, add new goals, or delete things I no longer want to do. It’s a good exercise for achieving the things you want.”

4.  A PROS AND CONS LIST

When you’re making an important decision, such as forming a partnership or entering a new business venture, create a list of pros and cons. “This list makes you dig down deep,” says Rizzo. “And just because there are more pros than cons, it doesn’t mean your decision should be a definite yes.”

The best way to use this list is to write it down and leave it alone. “Come back to it the next day when your perspective is fresh,” says Rizzo. “It can also help to share your list with someone else or ask a friend or partner to help brainstorm more pros and cons. This list gives you the clarity you need to make good decisions.”

5. A PROJECT LIST
When you are working on a project with others, create project lists that detail tasks and assign responsibilities.

“This helps you avoid micromanaging,” says Rizzo, who suggests using online project management software, such as Asana or Basecamp. Projects can be broken down into actionable tasks and assigned to team members. Everyone can view everyone else’s progress, as everyone has access to all team members’ to-do lists.

“This eliminates the need for numerous emails that can become confusing, and everything about a project is contained in one location,” says Rizzo.

6. A TALKING-POINTS LIST
If you have an upcoming meeting or important phone call, create a list of things you want to discuss, so you don’t risk forgetting something. Keep this list handy on your desk, so when things pop in your mind you can jot them down.

“A talking points list makes meetings more efficient, because you can be sure to address everything you need at once,” says Rizzo.

 

 

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Sharon Brawner puts the Fame in the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum

Sharon Brawner 2015_headshot 2_DM_2_23A8432Sharon Burns Brawner is Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum where she has day-to-day oversight of the museum’s traditional revenue-producing areas including ticket sales, restaurant/catering, and retail.  Oh, and there’s the fabulous Hatch Show Print and Historic RCA Studio B.  Over the course of 13+ years at the museum, she has made a significant impact on many fronts. Under her direction, ticket sales revenues have increased over 111% since 2003. From 2003 to 2014, revenue for special events have increased from over $677,400 to upwards of $11.7 million. From 2006 to 2014, Brawner has overseen a 102% increase in retail sales and has grown their retail presence in the museum from one store to three, in addition to an art gallery.

1.  How has marketing for the Country Music Hall of Fame changed over the years?

I have been with Country Music Hall of Fame  for 14 years, starting as the director of sales for group sales and events.  We have exploded in all the earned income of ticket sales, retail, special events and licensing and product development.  We now have 17 different businesses under one roof.   In 2003, we started a rotating exhibition program that started with one and now is up to a dozen in a year.  Repeat visitation has not risen to a big number but we are appealing to a much larger, diversified overall audience.  We now have a marketing team of 23 folks divided into four teams – PR, Digital, Creative and Marketing Services.

2.  Has the newfound popularity of Nashville contributed to the popularity of the Country Music Hall of Fame?

I thank the good Lord everyday for the blessings that have happened to our wonderful city.  In 1991, I came from Dallas, Texas and it has been wonderful to see the growth.  A lot of credit goes to our mayors, governors, and convention and visitors.  The museum has been positioned as part of Nashville’s Triple Crown – the Ryman, Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame.  We have partnered with the Ryman and the Opry.  They were leading the pack at the time and now we are seen as a trio.  We also work a lot with the Frist and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.  We work hard to be viewed as a community asset. The new Music City Center campus has done so much to make us a great convention destination.   So much of the new convention space is new event space bringing more social events, more weddings, more fundraisers.

3. What is the typical target audience for the Country Music Hall of Fame?  Are women a significant part of your target audience?  Are you seeing many of the bachelorette groups coming to Nashville?

Yes, women are very important.  About 65-70% of our target audience is female.  The majority of the women are the decision makers of what the groups of visitors are going to do.  The bachelorette groups come to Nashville for the party scene, but weddings are part of our business.  Weddings have grown because of the beautiful spaces we have for ceremonies and receptions.

On the business side, there is something I do appreciate about the museum.  In our Senior leadership, we have 3 senior vice presidents that are women.

 4.  We understand Rosanne Cash is the current Artist-in-Residence.  How do strong women like Rosanne and Emmy Lou contribute to the country music landscape?

Rosanne is so great, so humble.  She is only the second woman accepted as Artist-in-Residence.  It is a very high honor given to an artist that has a canon of work very deep and broad.  Rosanne followed Connie Smith.  She asked her friend Emmy Lou and Lucinda Williams to make guest appearances.  They were  magical and commanded the room.  She is well revered and a great and brilliant songwriter and performer.

 5.  What are some of the challenges you face in marketing next year?

Kyle Young , our Director and Chief Executive Officer, has talked about it.  The city of Nashville has to be very careful not to lose our authenticity. We appreciate and respect every tourist. We can’t let the brand get so big so fast that we forget why the tourists came here.   We need to take advantage of  serving our new guests but as we build, we need to keep our roots.  All music has a home here and that’s why we call it Music City.  We don’t want to lose site of  our values.  At the Country Music Hall of Fame, we have to keep waving the flag of our history.  We think we are an anchor to staying authentic.

 6.  What has been your favorite moment at Country Music Hall of Fame?  

I am a huge fan of this music.  It is why I came here.  One of my favorite moments was being there when George Strait was inducted into the Hall of Fame.  I have a dual role as both a fan and a professional woman now working with country music.  I started watching him in college and now it is part of my job to keep his legacy alive.

 7.  What’s going on for the holidays this year? 

Every year we do Deck the Hall.  We have a treelighting in the lobby.  It’s the day after Thanksgiving and it’s the first in the city.  We also have a free concert.  Last year it was Brenda Lee.

 

 

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Gender Insights on Marketing: Jen Drexler, Insight Strategy Group

Jen-Drexler-HeadshotJen Drexler is warm, funny and engaging.  She is also a powerhouse in spotting trends, uncovering truths about women, and developing poignant brand solutions.  Her knowledge of gender drivers had made her a frequent speaker and writer on gender marketing.  Jen is a fabulous spokesperson on gender related consumer insights. Jen’s uncanny business acumen and knowledge of gender drivers has been the anchor of several groundbreaking projects at Insight Strategy Group (e.g., Comedy Central, Mondelēz International, Maidenform, and Kellogg’s). Previously, Jen Drexler co-founded Just Ask a Woman, a women’s marketing consultancy and co-authored “What She’s Not Telling You: Why Women Hide the Whole Truth and What Marketers Can Do About It.”
We spent some time together and talked about some of her relevant insights.

1.  I have heard you say that “men get the point, women get the picture”.  What does that mean?

Neuroscience proves that women use their brains a bit more holistically and consider the context of situations more than just the linear takeaway.  Example: Man: I like to drive  Woman: I like to drive because it means I’m in control of my day and it makes me feel successful when I pick my friends up to go out.

2. Do you feel that marketing is beginning to understand how to appeal to women?

I think marketing is just getting smarter overall. I’m not certain that brands have succeeded by appealing to women as much as they have by being better at being gender agnostic and not turning women off.

3. What are your top tips for talking to today’s women?

Remember that women want brands to laugh with them, not at them (stereotypes of women as overly emotional and stressed out aren’t funny).  Also remember that women are multidimensional and switch the roles that they play fluidly – from friend to mom to employee – in the same 5 minute period.  It is tone deaf to only speak to one of her identities at a time.

4. What are some brands that you feel are getting it right?

Some brands I am following now are Amazon Prime, Lane Bryant #imnoangelcampaign, Stitchfix and American Express.

5. What are some things that women aren’t telling us in research? Are there techniques to get at the what they really want?

Women tell things to people they trust and in research it is crucial to build that trust quickly. Some of the ways to do that include getting rid of the two- way mirror and using a more casual setting.  Some focus groups look and feel like witness interrogation.  Ask questions that eliminate posturing or one word answers and feel comfortable going off book to let the conversation evolve naturally.

Bonus: What do you ask people interviewing with you wanting to be in research? 

I always ask people if they talk to strangers or what they do if strangers talk to them. If you aren’t a stranger magnet, then qualitative research might not be right for you.

 

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Three Women Launch Girls to the Moon

GTTM_Logo_ColorThree Nashville women came together last fall to launch a social enterprise company called Girls to the Moon. Knight Stivender, Courtenay Rogers and Courtney Seiter are all friends working in technology with a passion for their community and for empowering young girls. Girls to the Moon is about surrounding the next generation of girls with truth and education on topics ranging from creative writing and coding to healthy relationships and sex.

“We want to be a catalyst for conversation about how girls should love themselves, feel comfortable in their own skin and ultimately guide them to be the best humans they can be,” said Courtenay Rogers, the COO. “This is a community for smart girls to meet other smart girls and for parents, specifically mothers, to learn the best way to connect and communicate with these girls.”

Amanda Valentine, two-time Project Runway contestant and award-winning Nashville fashion designer, will tell her personal story during an afternoon keynote address.  The day will begin with a morning musical performance by Nashville Symphony Chorus Director Kelly Corcoran and a trio of musicians performing contemporary pop songs with classical instruments.  At the end of the day, Girls Up Loud camp leaders Fleming McWilliams and Laura Donahue will direct a short musical performance together with Sarah Bandy, founder of Southern Girls Rock Camp.

Session speakers are:
Neeti Agarwal, engineer and owner of local franchise of Engineering For Kids
Sandy Brainard, certified peer recovery specialist
Jeni Lind Brinkman, Regional Director for External Affairs for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
Emi Canahuati, sexuality educator and founder of Nashville Alliance for Sexual Health
Krystal Clark, Associate Director for Student Leadership Development at Vanderbilt University
Tiana Clark, Pushcart Prize Nominee and poet who serves on the board for The Porch Writers’ Collective
Sarah Hays Coomer, health writer, personal trainer, and nutrition / wellness coach
Mignon Francois, owner of The Cupcake Collection
Kia Jarmon, owner of MEPR agency
Laurie Kalmanson, lead user experience designer for Qualifacts
Rachel Layton, Director of Marketing for A Marshall Family Foods; former professional radio talent and newscaster
Dr. Sharon Y. Moore-Caldwell, M.D. specializing in pediatrics
Dr. Juli Oyer, principal of Fairview High School in Williamson County
Rebecca Price, founder of Chick History, Inc.
Dr. Kristin Rager, MD, is a Nashville pediatrician in private practice
Kayla Weber, former Army Intelligence Sergeant deployed to Afghanistan

 

The inaugural Girls to the Moon “Campference” is on Saturday, September 26th at Nossi College of Art from 10-4. There are four tracks of learning: Relationships/Creativity and Innovation/Health and Wellness/Caregivers. Girls aged 814 are encouraged to come and check out all of the sessions ranging from “How to Deal with Mean Girls” to “Engineering Careers for Girls” to “How to Say No: Tips for Standing up for Oneself”. While the girls are engaged in hands on sessions, their caregivers have their own sessions focusing on how to talk to their girls about topics ranging from social media to understanding the value of money.

Tickets are on sale now at www.girlstothemoon.com and volunteers are needed for the day of the event. Want to get involved?  Email girlstothemoon@gmail.com Follow them on Twitter @girlstothemoon and find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/girlstothemoon

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Don’t Just Wear a Designer Brand, Be One

Google's Marissa Mayer Named Yahoo CEOWomen have been slow to recognize the importance of personal branding.  But not Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo.  The 40-year-old executive was the 20th employee of Google and the first female engineer.   She quickly became known as the woman who made Google successful.  Not everyone has worked as hard to develop their brand.

According to a Forbes survey, only 15% of employees have truly defined their brand, and only 5% are living their brand every day at the workplace.

Why is that important, you might ask?  Well, having a personal brand has become essential for most people today because of new trends in the workforce.  The average tenure of a U. S. employee is 4.6 years and for those aged 25-34, it is only three years.  And now one out of three U. S. workers are now freelancers. 

A more flexible workforce has been created out of the recession with companies seeking to lower their employee costs.  Additionally the online marketplace created by companies like TaskRabbit and Get A Guru and the rise of shared economy employers like Uber and AirBnB have allowed workers more flexibility for employment.   Added on top of these trends, mobile technology now allows more people to work when and where they choose.

These factors set up an environment where we are constantly preparing for our next role, whether in our current company, at our next employer or possibly as a freelancer or an entrepreneur.  And we need a personal brand.

A personal brand allows us to stand out from the crowd and to create mindshare for ourselves.  Some of the benefits of a personal brand include new business introductions, rewarding partnerships, leadership opportunities, recognition, added credibility and a higher perceived value.

Is building a personal brand shameless self-promotion?  It isn’t but some women may feel challenged in creating a personal brand.  Psychologists say men are encouraged from childhood to talk about their accomplishments, while women learn self-deprecation.  However, true personal branding is about authenticity and values.  Women with positive brands are giving value, sharing knowledge, acknowledging others, nurturing relationships, showering praise and expressing gratitude.  There are even professionals today helping women learn to talk about themselves.  One leadership coach hosts “Brag Parties” where women practice talking about themselves.

It’s not to late to start working on your brand.  Start working on your differentiation and elevator speech today.

 

 

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A Conference to Teach Agencies How to Brand Themselves?

Michael-Gass-Portrait-325x400Fuel Lines New Business Conference, a new business conference for advertising, digital, media and PR agencies is coming to Nashville October 8-9. The conference will shake up some pre-conceived notions about agencies in today’s world.  Most agencies sell brand positioning to their clients but have none themselves.  Michael Gass, leading new business consultant, has put together some great thinkers on the subject.  We will be speaking there and we even have a discount for you.

New business has historically been a problem for agencies.

Most small to midsize agencies have no positioning and no point of differentiation. They look and sound the same.
They are often treated as vendors because they lack a positioning of expertise.
Most don’t have a target audience thus, no focus for business development efforts.
They are their own worst clients, the cobbler’s children with no shoes.
No appeal beyond their local market.
Forced to use interruption tactics to build awareness.
But, with all of these problems, new business is now much more difficult. It’s made worse by the paradigm shift in business development due to The Great Recession and the empowerment of prospects through social media. Interruptive type tactics such as cold calls, email blasts and direct mail have become ineffective and inefficient. Rainmakers who were good at new business in the past are struggling today.The Fuel Lines New Business Conference will provide 20 top-notch sessions, with inspiring insights from the best and brightest new business thought leaders, who will provide their expertise on the new drivers of business development.  To find out more, click here.  If you are interested in a early bird discount for Brand Wise friends, email us at Jamie@JamieDunham.com.

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Gigi Butler Stirs Up A Recipe for Cupcake Success

Gigi Butler 2014Gigi Butler, founder and Chief Brand Officer of Gigi’s Cupcakes, turned family recipes into the largest cupcake franchise company in the nation, with more than 100 stores.  This year Gigi was given the opportunity to appear on CBS’ “Undercover Boss” where millions of people were exposed to the successful cupcake chain.  Gigi talked to us about the Undercover Boss experience, challenges to growing the business, and what it means to be the face of a brand. And of course we had a cupcake, or two.

Q:  Have you always wanted to be in business for yourself?  

Yes!  I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs.  My dad was an entrepreneur and my aunts and great aunts owned and operated bakeries.  I started a cleaning business at the age of 15 so that I could have flexibility.   When I moved to Nashville in 1994, to pursue a country music career, I operated my small cleaning business during the day and would sing at the clubs downtown at night.   I’ve always worked for myself and I don’t know any other way.

Q:  What was the impetus to begin a cupcake business?  

My entire family loved to cook and bake, so I grew up around it.  My Aunt Bennie owned a bakery and catering business and I would spend summers with her. I’d help her bake, cater events, and read her cake decorating books. I loved to bake and had a passion for it at an early age, but my dream was to be a country singer.

In my early thirties, I realized that my music career was unlikely to take off so I decided to focus entirely on my cleaning business.  A few years went by and then my brother called me while I was cleaning a home and told me that he had waited in line at a cupcake bakery in New York for hours. He said, “Your cupcakes are better than these. You should open up a bakery.” I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and decided to go for it.

I opened my first cupcake shop in February 2008 with only $33 left in my bank account. Now, seven years later and against the odds, Gigi’s Cupcakes has grown to be the largest cupcake franchise company in the nation. We just opened our first international location in early 2015 in South Korea and hope to continue to expand in other countries.

I think back fondly on those summer afternoons with Aunt Bennie, who is now part of the Gigi’s team, and consults on product development in the kitchen with me. We have over 300 recipes at Gigi’s Cupcakes and many of them have a rich personal family history originating from my grandmother, great aunts, my mother and other relatives, many of whom are bakers.

Q:  How many cupcakes do you sell daily? 

The average store sells about 500 cupcakes a day.  Here are some other fun facts that you might be interested in.  In 2014, we estimate that all of our stores used:

1.8 Million Pounds of Powdered Sugar

965,000 Pounds of Butter

600,000 Pounds of Flour

63,000 Pints of Vanilla

67,000 Pounds of Cocoa

33,000 Pounds of Cream Cheese

 Q:  Your Undercover Boss episode is ran again this month on CBS.    How did you make the decision to participate in Undercover Boss?

It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I just couldn’t turn it down.  We were one of the few small companies that they have ever highlighted.  I had to do it and I’m so glad I did.

Q:  What was the most surprising thing you learned from your Undercover Boss experience?

Filming Undercover Boss was an amazing experience that I will always be grateful for.  Two things that surprised me during this experience were:  1) I was surprised by how many passionate and wonderful people work for us.  It’s not just a job to them, they truly care about the business and the brand.  2)  I was also surprised that we were consistently inconsistent.  We didn’t have the exact same procedures from one store to the next.  I knew we needed to address that immediately.

Q:  Did the experience benefit your business?

Yes, the experience greatly benefited us!   We learned a lot during my journey and we haven’t been the same since.

Q:  What has been the biggest marketing challenge in growing your business?

Staying relevant and continuing to think outside the box.  We don’t just do cupcakes, we have a lot of products. While we’re best known for our signature swirl – icing piled high on top of a freshly baked cupcake, we strive to have a diversified product line that not only includes 300 cupcake flavors, but also stuffed cookies, bread loaves, muffins, cakes, cheesecakes, pies and specialty coffee.

Q:  What have you learned from your role as the face of the brand?  

It’s only been fairly recently that I’ve truly had to make a transition from behind-the-scenes to being the public face of the company.  Sure, it’s always been Gigi’s, but as we’ve grown, my role as the spokesperson for the brand has also grown.   It doesn’t allow me as much time working diligently behind the scenes as I’m accustomed to, so I’ve had to adjust and find appropriate balance.  We have a great team of people working for us, and I have learned to let go (at least I’m working on that) and allow our seasoned veterans to do what they do best.   I’ve also learned that people like knowing that there is authenticity to our brand and that there is actually a real person named Gigi that started the company.

 Q:  Where do the new cupcake ideas come from? 

I used to wake up in the middle of the night with song ideas and lyrics.  Now I wake up thinking about new cupcake flavors.  I still use my creative spirit, just in a different way.  Our new summer menu includes Bubble Gum and Cotton Candy because we wanted to focus on summer fun flavors.  I remember going to the state fair as a kid and eating cotton candy.  It was one of my favorite things.   We wanted these flavors to bring back those childhood memories as soon as you taste them.   It’s like tasting a memory.

 Q:  What do you want your daughter to learn from your experience as a female business owner?

I want to leave a legacy of love for my daughter.  I want her to know the power of hard work.  I also want her to know that there is strength and a sense of community when you give back to people.  That’s what’s most important.

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Liz Denning is Shaking Up the World of Video Content

Liz serious twoAs co-owner of Gamma Blast, Liz Denning is producing consumer-centric videos that live in a place between advertising and programming. It allows her firm to produce web series like the Nashville Predators “Beneath the Ice” that brings 50,000-75,000 people to the Predator’s website to get to know their players better.  She is helping brands like HGTV and the Food Network understand how to appeal to consumers passions in a totally authentic and engaging way.  We asked Liz to tell us a little about her views on video.

1.  How are advertisers using video content to enhance their brand and  what results they are seeing?

Smart brands have pivoted to understand that the customer is now in the driver’s seat when it comes to whether to consume media. These companies are creating media that starts with the interests and passions of the consumer and then figures out how the company’s message can fit into the consumer’s world in an authentic way. Red Bull, GE and, of course, Lego are masters of authentic, branded content.

We produce regular content for HGTV and Food Network, who are keeping viewers interested when programming ends because it focuses on people’s interests, not a sales message. Another example is our web series with the Nashville Predators, “Beneath the Ice”. It includes sponsor integration and is bringing 50,000-75,000 people to the Preds’ site for every episode.

 2.  You often say that you are in the storytelling business.  How do you help brands find their story?

We use time-tested storytelling techniques to keep people interested because people are more distracted than ever. To help companies find their story, we ask them a lot of questions about their brand and their audience in our creative briefing process and, if needed, conduct informal focus groups. For brands who need a lot of help and additional research, we partner with smart folks like you, Jamie!

3.  Give us an idea of how video content is growing online and why it should be part of a brand’s marketing.

With YouTube ranking as the second largest search engine and video viewership making up one-third of online activity (according to Digital Sherpa), these are just two of the many indicators to show online video has exploded. Brands can’t ignore people’s interest in video when it comes to marketing.

4.  How does video impact social media today?

Every brand wants to be shared. The social media content that is most often shared makes people laugh, smile, feel joy or gives a sense of awe (according to Buzzsumo). Video’s combination of sight and sound taps into these emotions like nothing else.

5.  What are some of the important things brands need to keep in mind about video production?

  • It’s about the viewer.
  • Only the new and different ideas break through.
  • There are ways to create consistent video content for your brand that is high quality and reasonably priced.

6.  Where do you go for new ideas and learning?

Digiday

NAMA (Nashville American Marketing Association)

Content Marketing Institute

Smart folks in and out of town

8.  What are your passions outside of work?

Besides my husband and two boys, one of my big causes is arts education for kids. Being a Board Member of the Nashville Children’s Theatre, I’m continually amazed at the production quality and education they’re able to provide, on a shoestring budget, for children at all socio-economic levels.

Liz Denning is Co-Owner and Marketing Director for Gamma Blast, a firm that specializes in creating entertaining and compelling branded entertainment, programming, commercials and web and social content. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Gamma Blast serves national clients from mid-size to Fortune 100 companies such as Nissan, The Grand Ole Opry, the Nashville Predators NHL hockey team and HGTV.  

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Video is the NOW of Brand Marketing

The past week we have been completing online video campaigns for clients and somewhere along the week, we hit pause to better understand how video is changing marketing.  YouTube reports that the number of hours that people are watching on YouTube is up 50% year over year.

In 2013 video consumed 66% of internet traffic and by 2017, video is estimated by Cisco to account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic.   Looking at the marketing side of the equation, 64% of marketers told Nielsen they expected video to dominate their strategies in the near future.

The real strength of video is the ability to capture the emotional resonance of a brand.  Axonn Research found seven in 10 people view brands in a more positive light after watching interesting video content from them.  Examples like Chipotle’s Farm Campaign, Kmart “Ship My Pants” and Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches all appeal to our emotional side, whether it is our social consciousness, our funny bone or our self-esteem.

Probably the most interesting example of the power of emotion is the most viewed video advertising campaign from 2014 that racked up 156 million views.  The black and white First Kiss video by LA fashion house Wren showed twenty complete strangers kissing.  The fact that it was wasn’t obviously a video advertising campaign may have contributed to its 77.8 million views, 1,392,296 Facebook shares, and 68,740 Twitter shares in just 31 days.   The brand reports the video amassed 14,000% more web traffic for the brand and increased sales 13,000%.    Of course, it didn’t hurt that the people were pretty cool and attractive.

Another type of brand video from Johnnie Walker video clearly sets the tone for the brand relevance of enjoying the finer things in life.

https://youtu.be/kQ7kWpTrtJw

We all love video.  We remember it because of those emotional triggers and because we choose to click to play for subjects that have meaning for us.  In a sea of advertising, we still get some control.  In an Online Publishers Association report, 80% of Internet users remember watching a video ad in the past 30 days, with 46% of viewers taking some action after viewing the ad.

So is video just for consumer brands like fashion, entertainment, beauty products and restaurants?  No, in the B2B world,  Forbes says 75% of executives will watch work-related videos at least once a week.   And, 65% visit the marketer’s website after viewing the video. Additionally, the 2014 B2B Demand Generation Benchmark Survey by Software Advice (a company that gives free advice on marketing software), revealed that not only are videos the most-used type of content, they also produce the highest volume of leads.

All videos should employ the best in storytelling.  Research has shown that your audience is 69% more likely to remember a story over anything else you communicate because stories put their brain to work and connect on an emotional level. Beyond brand videos like Johnnie Walker, marketers need to look into the following types of videos:

About Videos.  Short 60-90 second videos that explain who, what and how.  These may tell what your company does or explain how to use your product.

Case Studies.  Short introductions to your real-life customers telling their impression of your company or product are genuine and relate to your target audience.

Demonstrations.  These little videos are life-savers.  They can show you how to do something quicker than you can read the instructions.

Slice of Life.  These videos help impart something of your culture, your customers, your management.  These slice of life at your company help viewers relate to your company and give a preview of it.

Video doesn’t have to be expensive or involve complex production.  We all walk around with video recorders in our pockets today.

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