It’s a slam-dunk! Digital set to kick ahead of traditional advertising

Digital is the way forwardThe traditional way to promote a brand or product has been via advertising on all manner of platforms including radio and television, newspaper and magazine, brochures and catalogues or point of sale and packaging. We’ve all seen it, all our lives. Whilst all of those tactics are still valuable in their own right, they are fast being overtaken by the power of online video. A recent study by Adap.tv, a global online video advertising service provider, said more than 90% of agencies have reported some type of increased ad spend in video. On top of that, in 2013 brands have spent on average a massive 65% more on video advertising than they did in 2012. Reports like this make it even more apparent, for those brands that get it right, that there is no better cost effective, powerful tool than the use of shareable online video to tell a brand or product story.

The celebrity ambassadorAnd, if you can include a celebrity or athlete ambassador in the story telling process, then even better. Turkish Airlines did an awesome job last year when they used all-world footballer Lionel Messi and LA Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant in a video that pitted the two megastars in a battle for the attention of a young boy on board a flight. It’s tagline was The best fly with Europe’s best airline and it’s hashtag was #kobevmessi. The content of the video was great and it has now been viewed by well over one million people on YouTube and no doubt countless others on other platforms. Put simply Turkish Airline kicked the biggest of all goals.

#kobevmessi2

That’s perhaps until now and the second instalment of #kobevmessi that was released last week and has already been seen almost 70 million times. The new video shows the pair travelling the world taking ‘selfies’ from exotic locations around the world that, of course, the airline flies to. Watch as one of the protagonists visit Red Square, the Great Wall of China, the Maldives, Bangkok and Mount Kilimanjaro. In the video’s final scene, Messi takes a selfie in Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, only to be photobombed by Kobe.

The benchmark

Not only is this another great piece of content with a good, clear storyline, the use of two of 2013’s most used pop culture actions – the taking of a ‘selfie’ and the ‘photobombing’ of said selfie is ingenious. Almost everyone can relate because almost everyone does it. Another #kobevmessi slam-dunk and the benchmark for celebrity starred online content has been set.

How to get in the gameSports Communication Australia is in the business of sport so we will stick to this athlete ambassador model but the same principals remain if you are using a blockbuster movie star, a stadium-filling musician or a TV chef. So how do you get on the video advertising court with an athlete-celeb? Here are some thoughts to get started: • Start by looking at someone that matches your brand attributes and fits with your marketing

message• How can you engage the athlete? Do they have a manager?• What is your budget for the ambassador / storyteller? Can you afford your target or do you

need to look at a smaller fish? • Can they tell your brand story and can you create some good content with them? If they don’t

tick both of these boxes maybe look elsewhere. • Can the partnership add value to their brand too or is it just a bulge in their bank account?

You want their buy in too!

Have a go!

Once you have answered those questions and you still want to dive in, come up with a creative concept. You’ll want that when you pitch to the athlete and their manager because they will not want to hitch their wagon to a bad or incompatible story.

If you’re happy with your idea, then go on, have a go. You might just be surprised at the end result!

What if I don’t have deep pockets?

Unfortunately, not every brand can afford the services of the multi-million dollar enterprises that are Messrs Messi and Bryant….BUT you don’t need a huge budget to effectively tell your story and have it go viral. Video can work whether you’re big or small. This clever low budget video is not celebrity related and uses a company employee (or an actor playing the company employee) to deliver the message with amazing success.

You can play, just be creative

Many brands think they can't afford to do video when really they can, they just need some creativity. And if having a celebrity brand ambassador is not for you, stick to the basics and make sure you have good content. And make sure to be sure that you are using it to tell your story in an online video.