“Faster-Better-Cheaper” For A New Generation

 

I remember in the mid-nineties when JPL launched the Mars Rover and it successfully completed its mission. It was heralded as a new era for space exploration because of its low cost compared to other unmanned space missions to Mars.  A new phrase was coined, “Faster-Better-Cheaper.”  I was recently reading a relevant article in The New York Times (Yes, an actual physical newspaper, not the Kindle Version, iPad version, or digital on-line pay version) and stumbled onto a great article.  I tweeted about it earlier this week and if you want to read it you can go here.

The article, written by Kermit Pattison, is called “Online Video Offers Low-Cost Marketing For Your Company.”  Pattison writes that, “online video is becoming a first stop for many customers. It is akin to what the Web page was a decade ago — something that can give early adopters an edge over competitors. It gives them a channel to talk directly to customers in ways previously accessible only to large companies that could afford TV advertisements.” In other words, “Faster-Better-Cheaper”!

The state we are in reminds me of the height of Cable TV before DVRs, when a small business could target their local area on popular national shows through cable advertising with a local commercial they filmed. However, with the recession, people fast forwarding through advertising, and the availability of most content on-line, more eyeballs are on-line than ever before.  Instead of making a “commercial,” many companies are entering into a visual dialogue with their consumers and audience.

In the glory days of cable, if your company had a particular political-bent, you bought ads on CNN or Fox.  And if it was a restaurant you could buy time on The Food Network.  Today, the Internet is following that path with video messages shaped for a more narrow field of customers.  With tools like Google Ad-Words and Re-Targeter, companies are able to target, with pinpoint precision, their consumers far better than they could in the cable days and at a lower cost!  Plus one can send a link to a home-brew video to an unlimited opt-in emailing list through services like Constant Contact, Mailchimp.com or icontact.com

I wanted to highlight two of my videos I have been involved with that I feel highlight this ethos, “Faster-Better-Cheaper,” for a new generation!

There are a lot of positive things to be said for inexpensive viral videos.  But there will continue to be a place for well-written, well-produced, artfully shot and edited video to present your company’s products, services and personality.  The goal of both video approaches is to present your message in a memorable way that offers solutions to your customer’s needs and desires.

Tags: digital vido, economical videos, new york times