In this episode of “Death to the Corporate Video,” we’re spilling our biggest secret: how to make a game-changing video ad for your B2B brand. 

The process doesn’t start with a video shoot, and it doesn’t even start with coming up with an idea. The way to make a video ad that will be most effective for your brand is to start with a detailed strategy. Once you have that, you can move into concepting.

Throughout the episode, Guy and Hope give advice for marketers on everything from:

• How to run an effective brainstorming session
• The important of hiring the right copywriter for your video script
• Why you shouldn’t skip the storyboarding step
• The best places in the process for a snack break

Recommended resources include Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide.

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com

When releasing marketing videos, especially in B2B, we all need to have realistic expectations of our audience. They are generally not approaching your video with the same mindset that you are. Keeping these realistic expectations in the back of your mind as you create content will help you make videos that are more likely to be watched and thus more effective.

The 5 realistic expectations to have of your B2B audience

1. They don’t care about you or your competition as much as you do.
2. They don’t pick up on subtlety or nuance
3. They’re satisficing. They are not on a journey for ultimate truth or knowledge. 
4. In the absence of your marketing, they will default to safety.
5. The odds of them watching a whole video are low. 

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com

The website needs to be updated. The product isn’t ready. Leadership wants to wait until Q2. 

What excuses have you heard or made for why a video or marketing campaign wasn’t launched? In this episode we discuss the root of why many marketers hold on to completed projects (hint: it’s fear of failure), how to identify the problem, and what you can do to overcome it.

Correction: In this episode we talk about a controversial Pepsi ad and say it starred Kylie Jenner. It was actually Kendall Jenner. We were correct to say it should never have been released.

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com

When starting a new creative project, marketers may worry about making a mistake by overpaying or choosing the wrong agency.

However, the biggest mistake that we see clients making has nothing to do with the RFP. The biggest mistake is when clients start a new creative project with the final idea and creative solve already baked in their minds.

What are some issues that arise when you’ve already settled on your creative idea before the project even starts?

1. If you already have the idea finalized in your head, you may be resistant to the agency’s suggestions. 
2. You may contort a strategy to fit the creative idea, rather than going where the strategy takes you. You end up using a flawed strategy to justify what you were going to do anyway (which defeats the point of a strategy!).
3. If you got project approval based on an idea rather than an outcome, you may have trouble with stakeholders. They may be resistant to the agency’s suggestions, or they may blame you if the result is ineffective.
4. If the idea is good, then skip the creative agency entirely! Go to a production company or a designer to execute your vision. It’ll save you time and money.

For more on each side effect, listen to the episode or read the transcript below.

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com

One of the most common requests we get as a B2B video agency is: We need a video that explains what we do. Great! But then too many of these videos become two and a half minutes of software screens with droning voiceover. And at the end of it, viewers still don’t know exactly what it is you do.

On this episode of “Death to the Corporate Video,” Guy and Hope discuss the problems with the way most B2B companies explain what they do in video, and provide two alternate frameworks for creating something helpful and engaging for your audience.

Resources and videos mentioned in this episode

HPE IT monster ad

Umault’s “What we do” spot

Synchronized Planning & Fulfillment use case video

Previous episode: Using video throughout the sales funnel

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com

New platforms like MNTN are making it easier than ever to advertise on streaming TV networks like Hulu. With competitive pricing and supposed precise targeting, is now the time for B2B companies to join in?

Advertising on streaming platforms, known as OTT advertising, could be the perfect way for B2B companies to increase brand awareness. Or it could result in a lot of wasted views on the wrong audience. 

On this episode of “Death to the Corporate Video,” Guy and Hope discuss what B2B companies should consider when weighing the pros and cons of OTT advertising.

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com

We recently declared the end of the one-size-fits-all video in B2B marketing. What should B2B companies do instead?

In this episode of “Death to the Corporate Video,” we break down the three videos every B2B company needs to create a full video marketing funnel. 

These three videos are perfect for brands just starting out with video marketing, or those looking to refresh that brand film from 2014. 

The three videos every B2B company needs

1. An awareness ad for social and paid media that introduces the problem you solve.
2. A consideration video that explains what the product or service is and how it benefits the customer.
3. A decision video that reassures buyers that your product is a safe bet.

Resources

How to video throughout the sales funnel

Our testimonial video episode

Why you shouldn’t make just one video

How to allocate your video marketing budget

Why you should consider a “year of ads” strategy

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com

We’re just over halfway through the year, and we’ve been noticing some common trends in B2B ads in 2022. Guy and Hope sat down to discuss four trends that you can jump on for 2022, and one that’s played out.

Top 5 B2B ad trends for 2022

1. “Not boring” B2B advertising is the new normal.
2. B2B brands are starting to use more celebrities in their ads.
3. The word of the year for B2B ads in 2022 is “brand.”
4. The one-size-fits-all B2B video is dead. RIP.
5. Using history to explain web3 and Industry 4.0 products is played out.

To learn more about each trend, listen to the episode or read the transcript. The “2030 B2B Trends: Contrarian Ideas For The Next Decade” report from the B2B Institute is available here.

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com

In a recent LinkedIn poll, 64% of respondents said their favorite commercials were funny. So why are so few B2B video ads funny? 

Some people are scared. Others don’t want to take the risk. But lots of marketers likely don’t know where to start.

On this episode of “Death to the Corporate Video,” Guy and Hope share six tips for using humor in B2B advertising. Read the tips below and listen to the episode to hear more.

How to use humor in B2B advertising

1. Understand that humor is fugu — poisonous in the wrong hands.
2. If you want to make something funny, work with people (writers, directors, agencies) who know how to do humor.
3. Don’t try to be funny.
4. A funny premise isn’t enough.
5. Avoid jumping on bandwagons or memes.
6. Keep it short.

Examples of funny B2B ads

PremiumBeat - The voice of PremiumBeat

Umault - The Stalking

Gong.io - Super Bowl commercial

Dissolve - This is a generic brand video

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com

When the Umault team is preparing to pitch creative to a client, one of the questions we have to answer is “What’s pizza about this?” Answering this question will help you create better and more effective B2B content. 

The pizza question was inspired by a revelation years ago about what content most resonated with readers of a company intranet. The answer, unsurprisingly, was pizza. Turns out everyone loves pizza. 

In this episode, Guy and Hope break down why your B2B content needs to be more like pizza, and how you can get there.

Learn more about Guy, Hope and Umault at umault.com