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The Rise of the “lifestyle” commercial

As consumers increasingly use a multitude of online platforms and devices for their daily errands, brands can find themselves in a hard spot, where ad dollars are stretched thin across a variety of options.

Video production is proven to be one of the most effective ways to engage an audience. But beyond merely producing video content, brands don’t always know which route to take to get the best out of their productions.

Unless the product you’re selling is completely redefining a category or so innovative that people’s mind are blown away by simply learning that it exists, features are rarely what closes a sale.

What sells is establishing a real human connection. And in that regards, lifestyle brands and lifestyle commercials have a proven track record for being effective.

“Lifestyle brands, […] differentiate based on subjective, hard to quantify things like design. Lifestyle brands are fundamentally vehicles for self-expression. They don’t play by the rules of old-school marketing. They don’t try to be all things to all people. They simply are what they are, and in a world in which we’re increasingly defined by the products we buy, they can be an important part of our lives.” (Source: Emerchant.com)

In the realm of video, lifestyle commercials can encompass a broad range of narratives and styles,  but a few features are common:

-A “realistic” shooting style that gives you the feeling of being part of the action.

-Talents that consumers can identify with.

-Scenes that reflects real-life situations

-A concept that is grounded into real world concerns.

Here is a couple examples taken from Helium Films’ portfolio:

Lifestyle Brands and lifestyle advertising has been around for decades now. Take Nike, Apple or Under armor for instance who literally became cultural phenomena thanks to their strong lifestyle positioning.

Recently however, we’ve witnessed uptick in lifestyle branding for product categories that used to advertise in a more traditional way, such as travel or technology companies.

“There are a lot of opportunities for lifestyle brands to grow in the coming years, including in new lifestyle categories such as housewares and home furnishings.” (Source: Forbes)

For these brands, using a lifestyle approach allows them to more clearly differentiate their products by focusing less on the specific features (which can be difficult to appreciate for the layman consumer) and more on the overall experience they offer. Thereby instigating a sense of recognition and, if the brands deliver on its promises, long lasting trust.

The reason why lifestyle commercials are so effective is that they create in consumers a sense of belonging. They relate to their self image and desire for self expression. If produced correctly, they can be a powerful tool to shape the perceived image of a brand into a cohesive set of symbolism, personality, and values.

Using visuals, and in particular video, is the best way to truly embody a brand’s culture and style. Video advertising can create a sense of recognition that will connect with consumers in a much more effective way than other types of marketing products.

A strong brand that conveys clear values and an image of authenticity is extremely important in today’s marketplace. It’s not enough anymore to simply push out a product, even if this product is the best on the market. What drives consumer to go out of their way to buy a new product is a feeling that the brand behind it represents their aspiration, needs, wants and that sporting their product will be a way to make a statement.

Ressources:

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/what-is-content-marketing/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2017/01/09/top-10-trends-that-will-transform-digital-marketing-in-2017/2/#1d73bca2713c

http://www.emerchant.com.au/blog/a-definition-of-lifestyle-marketing/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyle_brand

https://finchbrands.com/rwb54/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahweinswig/2016/04/01/are-lifestyle-brands-squeezing-out-luxury/2/#673c26112691

https://medium.com/@amalucky/the-rise-of-lifestyle-technology-brands-c9566ab8d3f4#.wn71kotc4

About Helium Films USA:

Helium Films USA is a San Diego Video production company. We’re a full service video production that services businesses and brands both locally and internationally. For more information about us, visit www.heliumfilms.us

To contact us for a quote, click here.

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Check out our blog for some more information about the video production industry. Or if you’re in the market for some really high-end TV commercial and broadcast video production, check out our sister company Ockham! With over 15 years of experience in the industry, they focus on creating cutting-edge commercials for epic brands and will take your projects from simple to unforgettable!

What To Look For In A San Diego Video Production Company.

If you are a marketing director or a business owner who lives in San Diego, and you are in need of video production services, then you might want to keep on reading to find out how you can find the best San Diego video production company. Producing a high-quality video can have a great impact on your business, such as an increase in traffic, and brand visibility in the digital marketing world.

What To Look For In A San Diego Video Production Company.

1. Experience.

Audiovisual content is not something that every video production company is experienced in. Therefore, make sure that the company you choose to work with is experienced in video production services. Check out the company’s portfolio, their past clients and references, which will help you determine how experienced the video production company is.

2. Structure And Video Production Process.

Most videographers and producers do not plan for their shooting session or have an artistic approach to filming. This results in poor visual and audio content, which cannot be of any benefit to your business. Because of this reason, you might want to work with a San Diego production company that has a wide set of skills and knowledge in video creation and storytelling process.

3. A Professional And Certified Team

Either you want to shoot a promotional video or a product demo you want to work with a team that is certified in their fields. This includes the directors, producer, animators, and even illustrators, all of them should be specialized in their field of work. Working with a professional team will increase your chances of producing high-quality content.

4. Good Communication Skills.

It is also important that you look for a company with good communication skills. Make sure that you understand each other perfectly. Lack of proper communication can lead to misunderstandings and waste of time. Because of this reason, it is crucial that you hire a video production company that not only has good communication skills but also customer oriented. That means be able to guide you and update you on the video production process.

5. Experienced In Digital Marketing.

The business vendor you choose to work with should also be experienced and up to date with the latest digital marketing trends. With such knowledge, it would be easy for the production company to market your content through distribution on various digital marketing platforms. However, you need to be aware of the fact that some companies may charge you an extra fee for such a package.

6. Licensing And Cost Production.

The only way you can be sure that you are dealing with a legit video production company is by finding out whether the company you choose to work with is licensed by the state or not. If the company you choose to work with is certified to deliver video production services, then find out how much the company is charging for these services. if the company quotes an exaggerated rate then, you can look for a company that is offering similar quality services at a cost that is within your budget.

Conclusion

There are many San Diego video production companies that are established today, but not all of them have the ability to deliver quality services. However, with the help of this content, you should be able to choose the best video production company for your next filming project.

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About Helium Films USA:
Helium Films USA is a San Diego Video production company. We’re a full service video production that services businesses and brands both locally and internationally.
If you need help with your video production, feel free to reach out. We’d be happy to take a look at your market and come up with cost-effective quality ideas for you!
For more information about us, visit www.heliumfilms.us
We are recognized as a top Video Production Company on DesignRush
To contact us for a quote, click here.

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Check out our blog for some more information about the video production industry. Or if you’re in the market for some really high-end TV commercial and broadcast video production, check out our sister company Ockham! With over 15 years of experience in the industry, they focus on creating cutting-edge commercials for epic brands and will take your projects from simple to unforgettable!

OurPact: Bring Back the Moments that Matter

Earlier this year, we had the pleasure to work on a new commercial for OurPact. Nowadays, we know how much we all get easily absorbed by our different technological devices. We struggle turning them off, and are constantly finding excuses to check our various apps. When as adults we find ways of disconnecting, Our Pact’s mission is to empower parents to guide their children through the balanced use of technology.

OurPactShootingDay1_FB-64

OurPactShootingDay1_FB-91

To tell the story of this new app, we casted two families, and picked two different locations around San Diego. We shot three scenes per family so they would represent the multiple uses of this app: during a family dinner, at bedtime, while doing school work, or even in the car.

OurPactShootingDay2_FB-96

OurPactShootingDay2_FB-57

OurPactShootingDay1_FB-83

OurPact is a leading parental control app for iPhones, iPads, and iPods that makes it easy for you to set limits on how much time your children are spending on their mobile devices. Create schedules, block all internet and app use at a moment’s notice, or reward them with the allowance feature. Parents have the ability to download the OurPact app from the App Store or sign up with the OurPact Web App for free.

OurPactShootingDay2_FB-39

OurPactShootingDay2_FB-42

It was a fun a project, and we discovered some new talented young kids from Bensimon Models, who totally understood the necessity of shutting down their devices… after a few tries… 😉

Photo credits: Shaan Couture.

Use Product Videos To Improve Conversion Rates [PODCAST]

People won’t buy your product if they don’t understand it. Using only text and images, even if they’re well designed, only communicates a certain amount of information. Using product videos to demonstrate your products enables visitors to learn so much more, faster and leads to great conversion results on your site. (HelpFlow)

Our CEO Thierry Denis was recently featured in this episode of eCommerceScale.com, where he shares details on how to create product videos including a done-for-you streamlined service he’s built for eCommerce stores.

Listen to the podcast and get tons of useful information and action items RIGHT HERE.

And of course, for any specifics on our Product Videos services, visit H1 Product Videos.

 

Happy holiday video !

Each passing year brings a new set of change and challenges. For us, 2015 was full of exciting projects, a new location, and some great additions to our team.

You will find below a short 1-min holiday video that we crafted to thank you, and introduce some of our most prized team members (trust me you’ll love them!) as well as our new offices in Mission Valley. Check it out!

Enjoy the holidays, and we look forward to seeing you in 2016!

The Helium Films USA team.

How to make your B2B brand stand out with video

The rate of change that is happening is quite high. Which means that the people who are keeping up with the change — or forcing the change and making it happen — will likely be in a really good position.”
Robert Kyncl – Chief Business Officer YouTube.

B2B organizations have a very specific set of challenges.

Where B2C businesses strive in creating content that appeal to a very broad audience, B2B sales executives usually have very narrow and specific decision maker they need to target.

Identifying and engaging the right decision maker is key. And unlike with B2C corporations, finding and selling to this one person can dramatically impact your bottom line. 
  
When it comes to leads, B2B companies therefore have to focus heavily on quality over quantity and marketing material should be catered specifically to these qualified leads. With customers being 174% more likely to buy your product after watching a video, your chances to lend this big contract are much higher if you just put this presentation/sales pitch/demo in moving images and sound!
  
Here are a couple of ways B2B companies can use videos along their sales funnel to ensure a stronger engagement and higher sales:
 

1) Homepage videos:

Getting warm leads to your online platform is already a great feat, but converting those visitors into paying customers is obviously a plus. A well crafted, short homepage video is a great way to explain what you are about in a timely manner. No one wants to scroll through your entire website in the hopes to understand what you do or sell. In fact, while 20% of web visitors will read the content of a website, a whooping 80% will watch the same content in a video
Getting all of your sales pitch and product description in a video under 2min is therefore a great way to ensure that prospective leads will contact you to chat some more. 
  

Mir3
https://vimeo.com/126197830


2) Demo videos:

Sometimes a little bit more detailed than a typical homepage video, demo videos are a great support to an in-person sales pitch. Using this carefully-produced material, your sales team can focus on the details of the sale, rather than having to explain your entire business. By streamlining your sales meeting with a strong video that already answers most of your client’s questions, half of the work is done. Please bring me a pen to sign this contract!
 

H1 Video explainer
https://vimeo.com/123229795


3) Blog and PR videos:

Giving back and helping your peers is often a great way to engage customers and improve brand recognition. By creating video content that answers industry-wide questions and that are posted on well known forums, send in newsletter, or blogged on, B2B organizations can ensure to be seen as leaders who can provide useful solutions to their key target demographic. Here again, the numbers speak for themselves, with an increase of 13% in open rate of emails that includes videos.
  

How to teach us
https://vimeo.com/131026264


4) Webinars / Training videos:

Once sold on a product or service, getting a customer to do repeat business with you is key to your growth. Webinars or training videos are a great way to do that. By providing with new information and/or by ensuring that the new functions or capabilities of your product/service are known by your current clients, you can improve brand awareness, recognition and insure that your customers come back for their next big project. 
  

Office of Emergency Services San Diego
https://vimeo.com/140101798


Not convinced yet? A recent study by Cisco is predicting that video will account for 80% of ALL web traffic by 2019, most of it being on mobile. So if you haven’t yet, jump on the bandwagon and create your next big B2B video campaign!
   

For more information or questions, contact us at Helium Films USA

The Future of Education [Video]

Educating future generations is a huge challenge. Fortunately, some great minds are putting all of their time and effort in making the best of it, every day. Whether they are teachers, educators, or researchers, they are creating the basis on which tomorrow’s education system will grow.

We were really fortunate to work recently with one of the leading organization in this space. High tech high, a project-based school out of San Diego, contacted us to create a series of mini-docs aiming at introducing one of the leading education framework: Learning Mindsets.

Those pieces are now live on a free 3 week online course available on Coursera and are set to reach thousands of people across the world.

So whether you are an education professional or just a parent/student willing to learn more about the possibilities offered by 21st century education, sign up here!

It’s FREE and full of great content and insights.

Or, if you just want to check out our mini docs, here they are below.

Enjoy!

LEARNING MINDSETS EXPLAINED
https://vimeo.com/142589223

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING MINDSETS
https://vimeo.com/142589224

REFLEXION AND DIALOGUE
https://vimeo.com/142589225

Produced by Helium Films USA

E-Commerce: What’s Missing?

We’re in 2015, and who doesn’t buy online, at least from time to time? Clothing, electronics, furniture, toys, packaged goods, and the list goes on. We all go online to find the best deals, a larger choice of product, or simply take advantage of the convenience of ordering something from your couch without having to deal with lines and parking.

Those new habits tend to improve our lives for the better but also, sometimes, for the worse. Probably the number one complain from online consumers is the discrepancy between what they think they are buying, and what they actually receive.

What you see and what you get can often be disappointing...

What you see and what you get can often be disappointing…

A whole host of features such as stars, votes, reviews, FAQs or pictures from various angles, try to assess this recurrent and frustrating problem, but don’t necessarily succeed at giving buyers a good sense of what they’re about to invest in. Additionally, with the attention span of the average internet consumer getting shorter and shorter, it is absolutely imperative for sellers to convey this host of information on the product sold in a record time. Having to look around a busy page to find information on a product just does not cut it.

Bad reviews for a bag

As video production professionals, we’ve witnessed first hand how videos address these issues (here are a few that we have done). Product videos are great to understand what a product is about, what it looks like and how it is going to feel when we actually receive it, but additionally they are a proven way to increase conversion.

E-Commerce Numbers

2ProductVideosNumbers

Marketers know these numbers and it’s not a surprise that the amount of videos produced to sell products in 2015 has exploded.

But quality video production tends to be expensive. And marketers, with a limited budget to play with, tend to focus their efforts on just a few of their top-seller products, making great and effective videos for those, but resorting to the old ways (photos and extensive descriptions) for the rest of their catalog. The idea behind this strategy being that by growing those top-sellers, a trickle down effect will take place and the rest of the catalogue will benefit from it.

This strategy is great to create brand awareness and recognition, but from a purely growth standpoint may sometime seem counter-intuitive. Why focus all of your marketing efforts on products that you know are already going to be a hit and will just marginally increase their sells thanks to your marketing effort? Why not keep some of your marketing budget for other weaker products, where growth potential or margins are stronger?

Again, the answer is most often cost of video production and delivery, along with the prejudice that producing a video has to be a lengthy creative process that could not match the organic and day-to-day evolution of an entire product line.

Animoto

Our answer to this is H1 Product Videos, a new service we created specifically to produce premium product videos at a price point that allows brands to afford it for their entire catalog AND with a format that makes it super efficient to produce and deliver.

H1 product videos’ goal is to revolutionize e-commerce by helping consumers truly understand the shapes, material or features of any products, in seconds. Using videos for each of your product will therefore ensure that your customers’ purchase decision is made quickly and without 2nd thoughts, and will minimize returns and calls to your customer service. Unlike regular photos, ROI is much stronger with videos and will allow you to grow your entire catalog while making the overall buying experience much more pleasant.

The H1 process is simple and designed with e-retailers in mind. Just pick one of our packages then send us your products and specs, so we can bring them to life with premium videos. Once we’ve shot your product, we will send you the video files, and, if you choose our embed option, monthly analytic reports on views, localization, and sales. All of this done in a matter of days.

Not convinced yet? Let’s cut down the reading since we just discussed how video is so much more efficient: here is  H1 presentation video. If you have any question, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, we will be glad to assist you for all your product video projects.

*H1 Product Videos: http://h1productvideos.com/