Here at AT8 we are regularly visiting clients, giving presentations about market trends, analysing the paper mountain that is the FSA and attempting to give good advice and guidance.
As we mentioned in an earlier blog (Sociable IFAs), one of our presentations contains some stunning statistics about social media, a topic that we’re being asked about more and more.
Now one area that particularly interests us is video – a massively powerful medium, very under utilised in our space – if you look at the majority of broadcast TV financial services advertising, it’s mainly about brand, very little to do with product and can be crushingly dull. YouTube has the potential to change the dynamic; at five years’ old this week, it is delivering 2 billion views per day – the BBC News website ran a very good piece last Monday – see here
There are a few video evangelists in the distributor space who have conceived and produced some absolutely stunning material – take a look at this video from North Financial Management LLP, an Ulster-based IFA who uses new media very effectively:
Here’s another from Serenity Financial Planning:
With ‘new-age’ consumers creating, handling and uploading more and more video material, the more traditional players in the market really need to wake up to the opportunities this type of media offers. There are some pitfalls, however – most people want ‘broadcast’ quality (or thereabouts) – it’s no good, grabbing the nearest video device, pointing it at a man in a suit and asking him to talk. There needs to be a coherent storyline, creative composition and, potentially, snappy music – but watch out for copyright, performing rights issues, etc. The video service providers are really clamping down on copyright abuse.
Another emerging use of video, is interactivity – with the newer tools, it is possible to create complex menu systems and provide a variable route through the presentation.
Anyway, we at AT8 are still struggling with the concept of producing a video of Mark Loosmore that doesn’t make him look like a twelve year old – but I suspect it’s only a matter of time where we’ll see video as a key part of communicating with our respective audiences.
