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Strap on your seatbelts. Put on your self-lacing shoes. Grab your hoverboard. Let’s do this.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Remember when Marty McFly catapulted into the year 2015 in “Back to the Future Part 2”?
Neither did I.
I remembered lots of other things about the movie; the crazy post-apocalyptic outfits, the flying skateboards (hoverboards, I think they called them?) and a whole lot of Huey Lewis and the News. Wait … that was part 1.
But I’d completely forgotten that the year they supposedly traveled to in “Part 2, ” the “Future,” was 2015.
2015: Whoa, hold up. That’s now. The “Future” is now![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][image_with_animation image_url=”1730″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]If BTTFP2 taught us anything, it’s that predictions aren’t always accurate: In the real 2015, we’re not all rehydrating pizzas and running around with metal bowls on our heads. But that’s not going to stop the folks here at RUHM from prognosticating because we, like most people, harbor a natural, perpetual need to break out the crystal ball. Plus, if there is something else this great movie taught us, it’s that 2015 can be really fun.
In that spirit, we’re dusting off the Flux Capacitor and donning our brightest orange puffer vests to list five pretty solid predictions for the marketing world in the coming months (We know: We’re a little late to the prediction game but hey … deadlines. We promise it’ll be worth the wait.) So strap on your seatbelts. Pull on your self-lacing shoes. Grab your hoverboard. Let’s do this.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
1. More companies will embrace video, for better or worse.
[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”30″][image_with_animation image_url=”1804″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_column_text]By now, we all know that video is an important marketing tool. But in case you need convincing:
In 2013, about 90 percent of marketers surveyed used video as a top source for content marketing (second only to the “about us” or “contact us” page), according to a 2014 Eloqua report.
That trend isn’t likely to reverse:
By 2017, 74 percent of all Internet traffic will be video, according to Cisco.
We also know that video affects consumer choice in a major way:
“Shoppers who view video are 1.81x more likely to purchase than non-viewers,” according to Invodo.
The Takeaway:
Because of its continued growth in popularity, video has grown so ubiquitous that production quality is set to vary even more greatly in the future than it does now. The consequence: In a time when anybody can film just about anything they want and put it on YouTube, Vimeo and the like, production quality will become that much more important as serious marketers continue to attempt to separate themselves, visually, from the pack.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
2. 360-degree video will deepen the user experience.
Sure, you can pan around with your own camera and give viewers a more comprehensive view of the scene. But they’ll only be able to see what you want them to see at any given moment.
By contrast, video filmed in 360 captures every moment from all angles so the viewer can move around within the shot, dictating what they see within the video, and when.
Not quite getting it? Try spinning around in a moving F1 race car. This video from Red Bull allows you to use the arrow keys on your computer to do it. Just make sure you take your Dramamine first.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_column_text]The Takeaway:
We’ve barely scratched the surface with what 360 video can do, and we’re not quite sure how users will capitalize on the technology. But, with YouTube’s announcement that it will begin supporting 360 video “in the coming weeks,” it’s safe to say more than a few forward-thinking marketers will spend the rest of 2015 trying to figure it out.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
3. Brand building through storytelling will become even more important.
Now more than ever, buyers expect brands to offer more than a product: They must also convey a belief system and employ a unique storytelling voice. Video is the perfect medium for getting such messages across. Some popular brands have employed this technique with great success in recent years. Need proof?
Consider this ad from the 2014 Super Bowl for Dodge Ram Trucks, extolling the grit and quiet, yet important, work of the American farmer:[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMpZ0TGjbWE”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_column_text]Or this ad from TD Bank where an automated cash machine dispenses heartfelt thank-yous:[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUkN7g_bEAI”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_column_text]And we’re still buzzing about what happened when Always asked a wide range of participants to run, throw, and fight like a girl.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_column_text]The Takeaway:
Aside from being great entertainment in its own right, narrative video is an important component for brand involvement. Thus, effectively produced narrative video will continue to hook the right potential buyer and edge out the competition. Seth Godin touched on this very idea in a recent blog post. However, in an increasingly vast sea of underwhelming video marketers will have to work even harder, and more creatively, to make meaningful brand connections.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
4. High-quality content will continue to trump traditional advertising.
Rather than paying for straight-up advertising space, clients will continue to favor sophisticated content-marketing packages.
Case in point: According to a recent article in the Columbia Journalism Review, “Coca-Cola now reportedly spends more money creating its own content than it does on television advertising.” Check out this innovative campaign involving coke machines, an airport and the flag of Denmark:
[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9XOfUGmHM8″][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_column_text]The Takeaway:
Custom-designed websites, thought-leader content, high-quality editorial, expertly produced video and more will gain even more traction as sellers continue to realize the value of producing original work that’s beautiful, useful, truthful and lasting.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
5. Customers will insist on measurable results.
Sellers are getting smarter. Not only do they want meaningful marketing, but they’re also insisting, now more than ever, on measurable results. Beyond the beautiful package lies the inevitable cold, hard directive: “Show me the numbers.”[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][image_with_animation image_url=”1802″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”45″][vc_column_text]The Takeaway:
Be prepared to demonstrate how quickly, and at what price, comparable products have sold using your marketing. Be able to show, through analytics, how much reach your marketing has online (through social channels such as Facebook and Twitter, through blogs, on YouTube, and everywhere else).
And remember: It’s not just about social. Sellers, in greater numbers, will also want to know who you know. They’ll be interested in your professional network and how you can effectively and responsibly use your connections to market their products.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Sabra Morris is Senior Copywriter at RUHM Luxury Marketing and a monster Huey Lewis fan from way, way back. Contact her with your prognostications, musings, comments … whatever at sabra@wordpress-1173240-4329943.cloudwaysapps.com.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
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