If you can’t see this video, click here, or watch it directly on Vimeo.
My wife shared this video with me yesterday, so I assume it’s doing the rounds. But watch it to the end and there is a masterstroke of salesmanship.
So go watch it.
Done? Now, here’s what I think:
The credits are the two guys in the video quirkily thanking the individuals who did each part, and asking you to subscribe to their channels. Of course, having watched 4 minutes or so of stop-motion mastery with these guys, their facial expressions and creativity creating an emotional bond, you trust them. You like them. And you want to be a part of the community that they are a part of.
It’s like an the end of the theatre – as the actors bow, I want to go and have drinks with them because I’ve shared an emotional 3 hours with them. We’ve been part of the same story, of which they were the story tellers.
Then these two guys let me know that I can have a deeper part of the story – I can buy one of the t-shirts that they wore. It’s memorabilia – and in the experience economy, memorabilia is what extends the experience through creating a physical touch point for the emotion experienced in a fixed event. By buying the memorabilia, I’m becoming part of the story.
No doubt if you go to buy the T, they’ve sold out. So now there’s demand for products which will only spread the video further and further.
All of this through an experience of 4 minutes.
Why Do I Think This Is A Big Deal?
People keep telling us ‘tell stories’ but they often don’t say how and they also don’t say how you monetise it. I think this is an exceptional example of how to do it.
Furthermore, as the experience economy becomes more and more prevalent in the digital world, this is also an exceptional value of how to create a digital experience (I’m not talking about flashy websites, but emotional experience.)
I’d highly recommend in fact that you read Pine and Gilmore’s The Experience Economy (affiliate link) if you haven’t by now, and you’ll see how good an example this video is, and how you can do likewise.
Your Leading Thoughts
- How do you think you can do a similar thing with your business and your products? Get specific, and as a community, let’s share some advice with each other and help one another out.
Archived Comments
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http://twitter.com/GaryDayEllison
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http://radsmarts.com
Thanks, Scott. Very entertaining.
Several thoughts came up for me:
1) From the time it took me to get from watching the video to writing this post, I can remember that it was about T-shirts, but can’t remember the brand or link. This is probably because there was no direct url to take an immediate jump (or was there?);
2) It would be interesting to see the profitability of this exercise – time/effort vs. net profit derived from shirt sales. The grand assumption is that free-seekers who share entertaining videos virally will buy/sell these shirts. At no point did I feel compelled to buy a shirt, nor that I was being asked to buy a shirt – or get my friends or colleagues to buy a shirt. Hmm.
It was long – entertaining – but long, and left me just a little confused about what to do – what action to take. Sure it suggested a bunch of things, but they were ‘sprayed’ at me in a rather rushed way at the end.
As I say, the truth will be in the bankable metrics. If the technique delivers ROI, then that’s excellent.
Just wanted to throw some thoughts into the mix.
Robin
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See response above
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See response above
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http://www.rosagarriga.net
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http://www.rosagarriga.net
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http://radsmarts.com
Interesting way to reply to comments
I still don’t understand the assumption that says mass volume views/subscribers = profitable, sustainable revenue. Free-seekers are free-seekers. The idea that if we get enough of them they will buy, and it will deliver ROI metrics, makes several intuitive and risky commercial leaps.
The judgment that I was less emotionally engaged is based on what? My comment is purely commercial. Much of my day is spent searching for the net returns in great ideas. If emotional engagement can then deliver the numbers, bring it on.
If all the T-shirts have sold out and they are still generating demand, do they have a supply-chain issue? Again, I find it all a bit confusing from a commercial perspective.
Love the creative. Had a big laugh. Fully engaged me emotionally. Yes. Unfortunately, where I bank, none of those things have a place on their deposit slips.
Love the discussion. Your blog is generating some great dialog.
Well done, Scott.
Robin
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http://catherinewhite.wordpress.com
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http://www.sytaylor.net
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