Video marketing is the “it” girl of the moment, and by far the most popular media content type out there. It’s nothing new for food and beverage brands; once upon a time they were known as “commercials.”  Today, video content and marketing make up over 75% of all traffic on the Internet.     

What Is Video Marketing?

By definition, video marketing is any moving visuals you create—live-action or animated—that educate and inform your buyers about your brand. Approximately  87% of online marketers today are using it to reach consumers. Scrolling through Facebook, consumers can find an eyeful of engaging and educational videos that are relevant to their needs.

Videos that showcase your company and brand can go a long way in creating the connections you want with both current and potential customers. Short videos featuring your buyers, employees, or even your pets can garner positive attention. Even a video series about your brand’s mission or a tour of your manufacturing facilities can help cement those important customer relationships.

Why Video Marketing?

It’s simple:  because people like to watch videos. In fact, consumers watch over 1 billion hours of videos each day, just on YouTube.  That doesn’t count Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Over 500 million peoplewatch Facebook videos every day and 82% of Twitter users consume video content. That’s a lot of eyes that can be focused on your brand.

According to Wyzowl’s fourth annual State of Video Marketing Survey, 81% of individuals have purchased a product or service after watching a video. Aside from user statistics, there are other compelling reasons to use video for your food and beverage or CPG marketing efforts. For instance, video can increase conversions by up to 80% on a landing page.

Then, of course, there’s the psychological reason: Consumers tend to remember the content from videos more than written content.

According to the Social Science Research Network, 65% of people are visual learners. When people hear information, they’ll only remember about 10% of it. When that information includes visuals, they’ll retain 65% of what they learned three days later.

What Works?

Recipe videos and how-to posts are gaining a lot of traction with engagement, follows, and shares.  When consumers are looking for recipes and new foods and drinks to try, they are no longer flipping through magazines and recipe books. They’re watching  Delishand Tastyvideos, or going to Pinterest or Google where reviews help them decide whether to try a recipe or new product.

This is multiplied several times over when you work with influencers who share their own videos and messages about your brand with their followers.

Most importantly, if you want to capture your customers’ attention and give them something to remember, focus on telling them a great story.

Remember those heartwarming Folger’s commercials during the holidays when you were a kid? Or P&G’s “Thank You, Mom” commercials during the Olympics? Some fantastic examples of great brand storytellers are out there, so take a page out of their books.

For instance, this Facebook video from Swiffer tells one woman’s story of adopting a rescue dog and dealing with the shedding fur. It’s a situation every pet owner recognizes, so consumers can see themselves throughout the story. But the focus is really on the dog; nearly everyone wants to watch a cute dog video. Even better: It’s a series, so buyers can keep watching sweet stories about dogs finding forever homes, and Swiffer can keep marketing.

Another example is this social experiment video from Heineken, which puts strangers with opposing viewpoints together in the same room to solve a problem. An international beer brand reminds us to keep an open mind and overcome barriers in a polarized world.

Immersive storytelling sticks with consumers, and they’ll remember your brand when opening their wallets at the store or online.

A well-crafted video marketing strategy should play an important role in marketing food and beverage or CPG brands in order to successfully drive bottom-line results. For more information on how to craft a successful video marketing campaign, don’t hesitate to give us a call.