Thursday, January 04, 2007
Special Report: B-to-B Manufacturing --
Strategy #3. Don’t rule out video and other “consumer” media
As printed in Marketing Sherpa
While video isn’t widely used yet on B-to-B sites, Dave Larson, Director Account Planning for Ovation, says it’s something suppliers need to address. Given that buyers want application information in addition to technical specs, video is the ideal method for showing their products in action, without the expense of a sales call or trade-show booth.
One agency, Performance Communications Group, is using video and rich media in industry-specific Web sites on behalf of their B-to-B clients.
“Let’s face it,” says Scott Madlener, EVP of PCG’s Interactive Marketing group, “Many manufacturers don’t have exciting products. What you get is a lot of ‘junk in the trunk’ collateral that lists technical specs but doesn’t really get the message across in a visual way.”
The agency created a new site for homebuilders that uses video to sell Georgia Pacific’s mold-inhibiting drywall. “The video and accompanying text allows prospects to engage at a level that hasn’t been done too well or at all,” he says.
Because the site launched only a few weeks ago, data is limited, but PCG is already seeing higher-than-expected user interaction time. Other findings:
- Average screen time for the entire site is more than 1.5 minutes per viewer per screen.
- Screens with multimedia and video (typically 30 seconds) average 30% longer engagement per viewer per screen.
- So far, data suggest original video holds viewer interest twice as long as repurposed TV commercials.
- Screens with multimedia training and educational content sustain video interest longer than call to action or awareness media.
As printed in Marketing Sherpa
While video isn’t widely used yet on B-to-B sites, Dave Larson, Director Account Planning for Ovation, says it’s something suppliers need to address. Given that buyers want application information in addition to technical specs, video is the ideal method for showing their products in action, without the expense of a sales call or trade-show booth.
One agency, Performance Communications Group, is using video and rich media in industry-specific Web sites on behalf of their B-to-B clients.
“Let’s face it,” says Scott Madlener, EVP of PCG’s Interactive Marketing group, “Many manufacturers don’t have exciting products. What you get is a lot of ‘junk in the trunk’ collateral that lists technical specs but doesn’t really get the message across in a visual way.”
The agency created a new site for homebuilders that uses video to sell Georgia Pacific’s mold-inhibiting drywall. “The video and accompanying text allows prospects to engage at a level that hasn’t been done too well or at all,” he says.
Because the site launched only a few weeks ago, data is limited, but PCG is already seeing higher-than-expected user interaction time. Other findings:
- Average screen time for the entire site is more than 1.5 minutes per viewer per screen.
- Screens with multimedia and video (typically 30 seconds) average 30% longer engagement per viewer per screen.
- So far, data suggest original video holds viewer interest twice as long as repurposed TV commercials.
- Screens with multimedia training and educational content sustain video interest longer than call to action or awareness media.
