In a consumer environment inundated with content, the key to successfully penetrating the White Noise Fortress is novelty.
Users will share something that emotional connects with them, either through an element of surprise or through the novelty of something new and unexpected.
Candy Glass Productions used their home base of Toronto to showcase just how innovative techniques can be used to great effect - especially when it comes to documenting real world landmarks that define much of the travel experience.
The video actually points out two fundamental ways in which businesses can use multimedia to acheive marketing objectives.
1) The video, which we've embedded below, has already logged over 100,000 views in just one month. This fact alone should prod anyone considering sharing their knowledge on video into action. While there's no direct way to tell how many leads were generated for the company, the profile, press coverage and inbound links are worthwhile on their own.
Take some time to consider what your business could be sharing on video, and how you might be able to explore different techniques in your particular field of knowledge that might increase profile, boost business, and most importantly, crystallize the knowledge organization-wide.
2) The video employs a technique that is not commonly seen, and while it requires a deft touch and creative software knowledge, it offers a perspective of Toronto that most will find novel and captivating.
By spending some time to consider how such a video might help achieve current marketing objectives - especially related to inspiring travelers to book or visit a destination - marketers can actually gain insight into other potential avenues for promoting their brand.
The steps are as follows:
- Pick your focal point. The taller the better, as you need to be able to see the point-of-interest at each point on the radius circle.
- Get on Google Maps, take a screenshot and mark out a set radius from your focal point using Photoshop. If you'd like to use an online tool to overlay the radius on Google Maps, there's one available here.
- Mark a series of points on the circle, and print it out - these will be where you take the photos to eventually stitch together. This will take some time, as you'll need to refer back to Google Maps to find specific spots to photograph from. Some of your desired points might be obstructed, or not available to foot traffic - so try to stay as true to the radius as possible.
- At each point, take 2 photos: one about 20 feet from the other (make sure to walk in the same direction around your radius circle so the shot goes in one direction!). This will help differentiate each image's perspective once their stitched together.
- Composite the photos together using Photoshop - this is where you might want to employ an Adobe jockey to help!
- Line up each image so that the center stays consistent, and add a bit of Motion Blur to bring it all together.
- Publish, share, distribute and market away!
Another great tip, which applies to planning any type of photography project, is to always seek out the Golden Hour - that time when the sun is at its lowest, reducing shadows and providing a glowing light that photographs well. A handy tool for that is available online at http://www.golden-hour.com/.
If you're inspired to do this for your own business or city, please submit your composited videos
here! Tnooz will compile all the videos to share with readers.