Category Archives: Food and Drink

In the ever-evolving landscape of health and wellness products, Symprove has emerged as a shining star, not just for its groundbreaking probiotic formula but also for its exceptional marketing success. This UK company, founded in 2002, has managed to carve a niche for itself in a competitive market and build a loyal tribe of fans of consumers worldwide. In this blog post, the Small Films team delve into the reasons behind Symprove’s fantastic marketing success, exploring in particular how they’ve used video content to help achieve their growth. 

Showcasing their Scientific Credibility

Symprove’s marketing success begins with the foundation of scientific credibility. Unlike many health products that rely heavily on anecdotal evidence, Symprove has invested significantly in scientific research. And they clearly communicate this across their website. From videos with scientists on why gut health matters through to interviewing neuroscientists on how to rejuvenate the body and mind – they’ve placed a significant emphasis on science-backed content. 

Educational Content

Symprove doesn’t just sell a product; it sells knowledge and understanding. The company invests in creating educational content that explains the science behind its probiotic formulation and the benefits it offers. From blog posts and articles to webinars and infographics, Symprove ensures that consumers are well-informed about gut health and the role of its product. By positioning itself as an authority in the field, Symprove engages its audience and establishes a deeper connection beyond a transactional relationship.

User Testimonials and Success Stories

The power of storytelling is not lost on Symprove’s marketing team. Real-life testimonials and success stories from users who have experienced positive results after using Symprove are prominently featured in their marketing – especially on their social media channels. This not only serves as social proof but also resonates with potential customers on a personal level. Knowing that others have benefited from the product creates a sense of trust and confidence, influencing purchasing decisions.

Strategic Partnerships (especially influencers)

Symprove has strategically formed partnerships with health and wellness influencers, nutritionists, and medical professionals. These collaborations not only enhance the credibility of the brand but also expand its reach to a broader audience. By associating with experts in the field, Symprove positions itself as a go-to solution for gut health, leveraging the influence and trust that these professionals have built with their followers.

Engaging Social Media Presence

In the digital age, a robust social media presence is crucial for any successful marketing strategy. Symprove excels in this aspect by maintaining active and engaging profiles across various platforms. From sharing informative content to responding promptly to customer queries, the brand uses social media not just as a promotional tool but as a means to connect with its audience on a personal level. Regular recipes, behind-the-scenes, and user-generated content further contribute to the vibrant online community surrounding Symprove.

Symprove's instagram screenshot

Customer-Centric Approach

Symprove places a strong emphasis on its customers, and this customer-centric approach is reflected in its marketing strategy. The company actively seeks and values customer feedback, using it to improve its products and services continuously. By prioritising the customer experience, Symprove fosters loyalty and positive word-of-mouth marketing, turning satisfied customers into brand advocates.

Symprove’s marketing success is a result of a carefully crafted strategy that combines scientific integrity, educational initiatives, strategic partnerships, and a strong online presence. Symprove has not only conquered the competitive health and wellness market but has also established itself as a trusted leader in the realm of gut health. As the company continues to innovate and adapt to evolving consumer needs, its marketing success is likely to endure, making Symprove a noteworthy case study for businesses in the health and wellness sector.

Small Films are specialists in video content for FMCG brands. We’ve created unforgettable films for the likes of Mallow & Marsh, Lucky Saint and Charlie Bighams and more. If you’d like to discuss your next video marketing project, then do get in touch with one of the team. We’d love to help. 

In the fast-paced world of FMCG marketing, creating a meaningful impact on your website is crucial. Video is a dynamic and engaging medium that has the ability to convey information quickly and effectively, along with its capacity to evoke emotions – making it an invaluable tool for increasing conversions on your website. The team at Small Films details how you can use video to better convert on your site. 

Improve Engagement

Video captures your audience’s attention more effectively than text or static images. When consumers engage with video content, they tend to spend more time on your website, increasing the likelihood of conversion. This also supports your SEO strategy, with engagement rate as a key ranking factor. 

Showcase your Products

Video allows you to showcase your products in a way that highlights their key features and benefits. Whether it’s the perfect pour of a beverage, the crispness of a snack, or the feel of a personal care product, video can communicate these aspects vividly.

Storytelling

Video is an excellent medium for telling compelling brand stories. It allows you to connect with your audience emotionally, which is crucial in the FMCG industry where brand loyalty is essential. You can create videos that showcase the brand’s history, values, and commitment to quality.

A video showreel for the events agency Onepointfive

Educational Content

Video can serve as an educational tool, helping consumers understand how to use your products effectively. Whether it’s cooking tutorials for food products or skincare routines for personal care items, video can provide valuable information that aids in the decision-making process.

Social Media Integration

Videos can be seamlessly integrated into your social media marketing efforts, reaching a broader audience and driving traffic to your website.

A fun promotional video from Mallow & Marsh from the Small Films team

Product Demonstrations and How-To Videos

In the FMCG industry, demonstrating how to use your products can be a game-changer. Consider creating short, engaging videos that show your products in action. For instance, if your company produces cooking ingredients, create videos demonstrating mouthwatering recipes that use your products. This not only showcases the product but also provides value to the consumer.

Customer Testimonials

Customer testimonials are a powerful form of social proof. By creating video testimonials, you can humanise your brand and build trust with potential customers. Interview satisfied customers who can speak to their positive experiences with your products. Their authentic stories can help persuade visitors to make a purchase.

A customer testimonial with Rex London from the Small Films team

Behind-the-Scenes Content

Take your audience behind the scenes of your FMCG company. Show them the manufacturing process, quality control procedures, and the dedication of your team. Transparency is vital in the FMCG sector, where consumers are increasingly concerned about product origins and quality.

Interactive Product Tours

An interactive product tour can be an excellent way to engage potential customers. Create videos that allow viewers to explore your products in detail. Use clickable links to take them to specific product pages, where they can learn more or make a purchase.

User-Generated Content

Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your products through video content. User-generated videos can provide authentic reviews and endorsements, boosting the credibility of your brand. You can run contests or campaigns to motivate users to create and share videos.

Live Streaming Events

Consider hosting live-streaming events on your website. This can be particularly effective for product launches, promotions, or behind-the-scenes tours. Live events create a sense of urgency and excitement, encouraging visitors to take immediate action.

Optimise Video for SEO

To ensure that your videos are discoverable, optimise them for search engines. This includes using relevant keywords in video titles, descriptions, and tags. Additionally, create a video sitemap and submit it to search engines to improve video search visibility.

An SEO video for Gressingham Duck from the Small Films team

Mobile Optimisation

In the FMCG industry, a significant portion of your audience is likely to be accessing your website from mobile devices. Ensure that your videos are mobile-friendly, with responsive designs that adapt to different screen sizes and orientations. Slow-loading videos can deter potential customers, so optimise for speed as well.

CTAs and Video End Screens

Every video should have a clear call to action (CTA). Whether it’s encouraging viewers to visit your product page, subscribe to your newsletter, or follow your social media accounts, a well-placed CTA can guide visitors toward conversion. Additionally, use end screens to suggest related videos or products, increasing the chances of further engagement.

A/B Testing

Don’t be afraid to experiment. A/B testing different video placements, lengths, and content types can help you refine your approach for better results. Continuously analyse the data to understand what works best for your specific audience.

Data Analytics and Conversion Tracking

Implement robust analytics to track the performance of your videos. Understand how long users engage with your videos, where they drop off, and what actions they take afterwards. This data can inform your video strategy and help you make data-driven decisions.

 

Harnessing the power of video content is a strategic move that can significantly improve your website’s conversion rates. From product demonstrations and customer testimonials to interactive tours and live events, video offers a versatile range of tools to engage and persuade your audience. If you’d like support with creating video content for your website, then do get in touch with the Small Films team.

Across the past few years, there has been an explosion of gin brands in the UK. And it’s not stopping any time soon. Distilleries are popping up across the land, and we’re not only seeing new tasty spirits appearing but some awesome marketing to boot. Imaginative branding, purposeful collaborations and Instragrammable pop-ups are just a few of the activities going on, but which gin brands do the Small Films team think are truly nailing their marketing right now? Let’s check them out. 

58 Gin

row of gin bottles

58 Gin is a slick operation. Just one sniff around their website, and you can see they have been featured in GQ, won multiple awards and are running a highly successful gin school in Haggerston. Positioning themselves as an eco-conscious brand, they produce gins out of the apples too wonky to be sold in the supermarket and sloes that have been foraged for their seasonal sloe gin. They also market a ‘make your own gin’ offering – a great way to build brand advocates.  

 

Silent Pool

blue and orange gin and candles

With its instantly recognisable bottle, Silent Pool is a citrusy gin made in Surrey. They are absolutely nailing their email marketing strategy with engaging ways to build their email list (a downloadable cocktail book, plus offers and promotions). This gin brand knows how to put its name out there. Whether they’re creating a Silent Pool bar, virtual cocktail classes, tasting tours or pop-up gin bars at events – there’s a bit of something for everyone. 

One Gin

gin bottles in a row

One of the most beautiful bottle designs on the market, One Gin, is based in the leafy Richmond-upon-Thames. Set up by the team behind One Brand (known for One Water who fund clean water projects), One Gin is their first step into the world of spirits. Donating 10% of their profits to sustainable water programmes in poor communities, this is a brand with a great story and a bigger purpose. Their social feeds have a great mix of brand collaborations, cocktail recipe ideas and behind the scenes content (including a stint on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen), whilst also highlighting the importance of their clean water programmes. 

>> If you’re looking for a video production company in London who can support you with video content for your brand marketing, do get in touch. 

Jarrold’s Gin

gin against a purple background
Image via 365magazine.co.uk

Another gin which you’d almost buy just for the bottle, Jarrold’s, is a London dry gin distilled in West Sussex. Persian limes, which are a quintessential flavour of the Iranian kitchen, are a key component of this gin, giving it its citrusy punch without bitterness. Their social media does a great job of behind the scenes content, so you really understand that this is small-batch gin made with love. No large-scale faceless factory set-up here.  Their branding is on point, from the labels on their bottles, right through to their website design.  

>>  Looking for a food videographer? Here at Small Films, we’ve got you covered. Just drop us a line, we’d love to help. 

Twisted Nose

You know you’re onto a good thing when you land on the Twisted Nose website. Full of all the trust signals that this is a rocking gin (awards, customer reviews and an excellent return policy), you can’t help but want to buy a bottle (especially when it has a World’s Best Gin Design trophy). Their social media is an excellent mix of G&T snaps, cocktail recipes, competitions and discounts. Across the years they’ve also done some notable brand collaborations with the likes of Tunworth cheese, Coates & Seeley and luxury hotel, Lainston House. 

East London Gin

East London Gin has nailed their fun and cheeky tone of voice to a tee. Having gone through a rebrand in late 2020, they’ve taken their look from one which was fairly traditional, to one with packets of personality. Their recent collab with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a stroke of genius. Celebrating the botanicals and the bees that make this gin what it is, this is a collaboration with a story behind it. Head over to their Instagram and you’ll see a carefully curated grid, packed full of beautiful product photography and their brand’s personality shining through. 

Hayman’s Gin

This gin is steeped in tradition, with a story that goes back to 1863. Run by the Hayman family in Balham, the distillery is an impressive space, where you can take part in tours, masterclasses and, one that we’d love to attend, the ‘ginema’. Everything about how Hayman’s Gin positions its brand oozes quality and experience, from the beautifully laid out website to the perfectly thought out design of their bottle. The marketing of the gin flavour combos is excellent – who wouldn’t want to try a peach & rose gin slushie with pink lemonade!

We’re not just gin lovers at Small Films, we also make pretty cool films. We’ve shot videos for the likes of Aldi, Charlie Bigham’s and Lucky Saint beer and so we know a thing or two about what makes people salivate over your food or drink product. We’re always at the end of the phone so just give us a shout if you’d like us to help with your next food videography project.  

 

There’s no doubt this summer will be another big one as we continue to enjoy face-to-face interactions, and travel restrictions start to lift across the globe.  Food and drink brands will therefore need to stand out in what’s likely to be a cluttered marketplace, so check out our top summer marketing campaign ideas on how you can use video to get ahead in summer 2022.

Create a summer focused brand collaboration


Image via BBC

The collaboration from Heinz and Weetabix which caused a Twitter storm is a genius example of a brand collab at its best.  Identify your summer campaign goal and a brand partner that is the right fit for your values and create punchy video content that can tap into both your audiences. 

>> Are you a food or drink brand looking for a video production company? We’ve got a cracking team of food videographers, animators and editors who can help you create a wide range of content. Drop us a line to say hi. 

Highlight your awesome restaurant/pub
garden open this summer

Restaurants and pubs with alfresco dining will be the hot spots this summer so don’t let your establishment go by unnoticed if you’re one of them. Shoot a video highlighting the outdoor space, capturing your food and drinks menu and create messaging around what you offer, whether that’s DJs on a Friday night or your best Sunday roast in the neighbourhood. 

Market your fresh off the press
summer flavours or recipes

Are you releasing a new refreshing elderflower tipple this summer, or perhaps you’ve created a sizzlingly flavoursome BBQ food range? Video is one of the best ways to whet your audience’s appetite.  Create a product video that features all the best bits of these summer flavours and push out via all your digital channels.

Create a teaser video for your summer event

What better way to entice people to your event than a teaser video. Maybe you’re hosting a summer pop-up dining experience or a foodie festival, if so the way to draw the crowds is by enticing them with the emotion of how they will feel at your event and what to expect. Video is a great answer to this. Try using stock footage and motion graphics to bring this to life.

Promote an awesome summer giveaway

The right summer giveaway can be an excellent way to position your brand, build your audience and drive more sales of your product. Choose a product giveaway that will give value to your audience and make them want to engage with your brand. Create a video about that product and then promote it across all your social media.

Leverage key summer events

Across the summer there are lots of events to give your video marketing a spin. Ace your videos with a tennis twist during Wimbledon or give them a footie edge when the Euros are on. You don’t have to be an “official sponsor” to create short, snappy videos with a particular theme. Just make sure not to use any of the official event logos in your communications or you could be infringing copyright.

Tap into summer trends

The food and drink industry is never short of trends whether that’s the rise of craft vodka, Filipino food or meatless meat. Get ahead by discovering them early and leverage them in your video content to create a buzz around your brand. Could you create your own recipe videos for TikTok? Short adverts for Facebook? Or some how-to videos for YouTube?

If you are looking for a video production company in London for your summer marketing campaigns, drop us a line – we’d love to help.

Summer is a really important time for many FMCG brands – it’s a happy time filled with a lot of fun and excitement, good weather, holidays and late night sunsets, and is therefore a massive selling point for both businesses and consumers. Some brands depend solely on their summer campaigns and will spend the whole year working towards the months of July, August and September, where they release new products, run promotions and do big advertising online and out of home. For food and drink brands especially summer is a massive highlight of the year, it’s when all of the big food shows roll around like Taste and Lunch, and when consumers are more eager to be out and about, which unsurprisingly means they eat on-the-go a lot more. In fact, consumers are prepared to spend more on things like food in the summer because they spend more time outside and last year we saw a 5% rise in consumer spending during the summer holidays (Barclays). Because of that, the months of “summer”  are some of the best times to be making video content and getting your brand as much attention and exposure as you possibly can, so that when your customers are out and about, they will spend their extra cash on your products. 

 

Digital marketing during the summer can be very loud, fun and exciting, and your content can be as colourful and summery as you like. Using a season to help promote your brand is an easy and effective way at engaging customers and reaching new audiences And making video is an even better strategy as it can be cheaper, more versatile and a lot more engaging. Consumers already prefer watching video to static imagery and text and during seasons of fun like the summer holidays they are even more receptive to adverts that reflect the positive and happy vibes they are trying to achieve during the summer months. Here are some examples of videos your food or drink brand can make this summer…

 

Social Media Videos

You can go really basic with Instagram video ads like this one from Costa Coffee – Iced Coffee Range. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Sr9x6FEBw/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Really simple but yet very engaging; they’ve made the coffee and the foam look like the ocean and placed it in front of a blue “sky” background. It’s eye catching because it looks like the beach and reminds you of summer holidays, vacations and calming times spent looking at blue skies  It instantly gives you a positive feeling.

These Instagram videos from Holland and Barrett work well at promoting products using a happy and summery vibe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxanpcYhxK7/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxalW-CB2pF/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

 

Summer Campaign Video

The great thing about a summer campaign is that they can be as extravagant or as simple as you like. They can range from a massive stunt in Waterloo Station, to a pop up shop on Oxford Street, to a simple out of home billboard or online advertisement. Either way if your food or drink brand has anything planned this summer you’d be a fool not to film it. If you’re attending an event then you should film it, if you’re handing out samples then you should film it. Even if you’re going on a work outing to the Zoo, you should film it! We did a summer campaign video last month for UpBeat Drinks for the launch of their new juicy protein water products and to promote their new re-brand. The video was a 22 second social media advert and a 6 second cut down version for YouTube pre-roll as well as a 15 second version for out of home digital display.

 

 

Filming your street sampling is one of the quickest, easiest and most effective ways at getting great customer feedback, market research and providing audiences with a first hand, genuine account of what people think of your product! We created this video for Emily Crisps last year to promote their Whole Foods front window display on Kensington High Street! 

 

 

Promotional videos

Promotional videos are a really effective way at targeting and engaging consumers and work really well across all forms of social media and online advertising. These can be as short as 6 seconds and can advertise your products online to target audiences that you really want to market to. They can be short and snappy and therefore really eye catching, like this promotional advert by McDonalds which is promoting their iced coffee range.

 

 

It’s striking and definitely takes you into a summer hypnotism. Really cheaply, you could film your cold drink bottles close up with water slipping down the side – its eye catching and reminds you of summer – great for an instagram video.

 

Video adverts

So, Boot’s isn’t exactly a food and drink brand but they do stock and promote a lot of food and drink products. This advert they’ve recently released called “Summer” created by marketing agency Ogilvy is a great example of the types of promotional video adverts you could make online. Whilst this had significant budget behind it, you can still take aspects of this video advert and utilise in your own video marketing on a much smaller budget. This is a montage of a child’s summer experience, from the school summer dresses to watering the plants in the garden. A food and drink brand could make short video content for online advertising that shows a child in the garden playing with water and mum calls them in for a snack. Or, people in a park playing frisbee and reaching for your product.

 

https://youtu.be/wR1TRKYdZFs

 

Event videos

If you are exhibiting at an event this summer then 100% make sure to film it and make sure to create some promotional content around it. Exhibitions are the perfect place to get video content for your social media pages, online advertising and even for your brand film, because you have first hand footage of consumers sampling and trying your products. Event videos make great case studies and customer testimonials. Don’t be afraid to ask the visitors what they think of your product and film their reactions. It’s great to show your audience that you are out there, attending events, making the most of your summer and keeping them in the loop. Event videos work well at developing your brand identity and personality. You can live stream these events, take videos for your instagram and facebook story or you can get a professional to film it and get interviews.

 

Be creative this summer with video and get your brand out there, show off your fun personality and engage with as many audiences and customers as you can. Summer is a huge promotional attraction to any brand, influencer and consumer, so regardless of the budget just make sure you’ve got a lot of summer related posts and videos going up onto socials, through your stories and feeds. This way you can effectively stay at the front of people’s minds and slot into their news feeds with relevant content.

 

 

Of all the brands nailing content marketing right now, arguably, Red Bull is the undisputed leader. These guys have transcended from being a single product energy drink brand into a world-renowned and globally acknowledged publisher of media, TV, print and film. From their up-to-date YouTube channel to their television broadcasting, sponsorship of some of the world’s most famous sporting events and having their own Sky Channel, magazine publications, journalism, radio channels and lastly, creating high-end documentary films. They are doing it all, and they have us gripped. But how?! And what’s the secret to their success?

Red Bull was launched in Austria back in 1987 by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz after a visit to Thailand where he found the energy drink Krating Daeng. At that point, the idea of a carbonated energy drink in Europe had not been heard of nor thought about. The launch of Red Bull signified the beginning of a new product and the beginning of a whole new drinks category. Now, Red Bull has the highest market share of any energy drink product in the world and sells almost 7.9 billion cans every year worldwide (wiki).

How do I hear you say? Red Bull found their audience and customers very early on. In 1988 Red Bull sponsored their first-ever sporting event, “The Red Bull Dolomitenmann”, one of the most challenging relays on the planet. They discovered that the extreme sporting industry depended a lot on the adrenaline, energy and excitement of all people involved and that their product was perfectly suited for this type of audience, thus finding their “niche” and their ideal customers.

They then began to market the absolute sh*t out of it, making a name for themselves in the extreme sporting industry and soon becoming the thrilling epitome of youth and sporting culture that we know them as today. Red Bull got their logo out wherever they could, on TV and at extreme sporting events, and promoted their energy drink to sporting athletes who would then promote the Red Bull brand. Not long after inception, Red Bull had lift-off. They already had 100% market share because no other energy drink had been launched in Europe at that time, so they were very exclusive and therefore very desirable. Soon, they were not just seen as a drinks brand but as a culture and lifestyle brand.

Red Bull now own multiple sports teams across the world in Europe, USA and Brazil. They sponsor incredible sporting events from Formula 1 to the Snowboarding Olympics, work with hundreds of famous athletes. They have their own Red Bull sporting businesses like Red Bull Cliff Diving and, own two F1 Teams. They even have their own track racing game on PlayStation 3. It’s safe to say that they have killed it! People follow them for their content and updates on their activities, like a subscription to a streaming service. They have 10.2 million subscribers on YouTube, 14.9 million Instagram followers, 48 million likes on Facebook and 2 million followers on Twitter. Their videos on YouTube get ½ million views, with their most viewed videos standing at 155 million, 92 million and 47 million.

The secret strategy? Well, let’s start with Red Bull’s audience. They know their audience intimately and consistently put them first. Quite simply, from start to finish, Red Bull has always put their customers at the heart of their business and focused on making content that they know their customers will enjoy. It’s not just about filming, sponsoring or hosting sporting events. For Red Bull, it’s about creating moments and experiences they can share with their unique audience. They film TV content like Red Bull Rampage 2021, host events like these every year, and make them accessible to everyone and anyone.

They also film documentaries for their YouTube channel like “The Fearless Swedish Free-rider” that are interesting and enjoyable to watch by anyone.

But, their most popular content is stunt videos like the “Felix Baumgartner’s Supersonic Freefall” or their most viewed video from the free-running series “Last Call for Mr Paul”.

Red Bull constantly goes above and beyond (quite literally) and creates content that is mind-blowingly brilliant and better than most of the content produced by major publishing organisations. By putting their customers first and listening to their audiences, they have become the most talked-about brand of our generation. Where their customers go, they go, from music festivals, concerts, art shows to reporting on the latest and trending sports, skate parks to mountain biking, free-running in car parks and paint-balling – they’ve been everywhere, and they’ve done it all!

Sell an experience, not a product

.Red Bull’s marketing strategy is to sell an experience, not a product, and this is something that any business or brand can do. Creating content for your customer and putting the audience first is a strategy that can work for any company. There are many other brands out there that have started to adopt this Red Bull method and become publishers instead of just selling “products”. Volvo is one such brand. They created a documentary series on YouTube titled Human Made Stories: Defiant Pioneers, which features five episodes that look into different human stories like this one titled “Nemo Gardens”, about a man in Italy building an underwater farm.

Patagonia quickly established itself as a publisher on YouTube, uploading interviews, documentaries, short films and long films about the planet, sustainability and people. Patagonia’s Workwear series on YouTube has 15 videos and is still being updated today with new videos, these feature interviews with people who wear Patagonia’s workwear as part of their jobs.

Nike is another brand that is identified through its content. Yes, they sell shoes, but they also share experiences and promote a specific identity. Their YouTube channel also has a lot of documentary content going up onto it that is interesting to watch, like this Waves Not Cycles | Nike x Patta

More and more brands are implementing Red Bull’s strategy, becoming publishers and creating video content for use online. However, no brand has or is doing better than them. They nailed this part of their marketing very early on and have set the tone for any brand to follow and replicate. But, looking at all the brands out there that are following suit is a good sign that the Red Bull strategy works. For businesses that aren’t implementing this strategy, we suggest starting small and working your way up to it. Start with some customer testimonial videos or behind the scene footage of your business and factory, documenting the way you do things and the way your products are made. Just get your content out there to the customers that want to listen and see how they respond. 

If you want to know more about audience-first content, you can read our blog >>What is Audience-First Content?

If you want to know more about audience first video content and documentary filming, you can visit our other blogs:
>> How Brands Can Use Documentary Style Video in Content Marketing.  

Blurred Lines. How Branded Content is Transforming Traditional Broadcasting. 

 

If your food or drink brand doesn’t have a great personality, you’ll leave a very bitter taste with your customers and will struggle to connect with the Millennials and Generation Z consumers of today… 

1600 new food and drink products are brought to market each year in the UK (LSEG). That’s a sh*t ton of choice, and this abundance means consumers are incredibly discerning about the brands they buy into. In fact, Millennials are said to be the pickiest generation when it comes to food (NYPost) and yet at the same time the most impulsive buyers, with nearly 1 in 5 Millennials admitting to impulse shopping every day (Finder).

With 90% of Millennials spending time online every day (Google), it’s never been more important for brands to send out the right message and connect with audiences in the digital space. 

The proliferation of social media means that consumers have endless access to information, making them more culturally aware. In the last couple of years, people’s attitudes to food and drink has radically changed, particularly in western countries; Millennials and Generation Z has totally redefined the FMCG industry. In fact, 25% of teens aged 15-17 say they worry about staying healthy, and another 49% agree that drinking soda is unhealthy (Mintel). And Millennials are far more attracted to personalisation, with 77% thinking that it makes a food brand more attractive (Askatest).

They aren’t just concerned with the consumption of food; however, with so many Millennials spending a lot more time on social media and having their lives on display, the image and identity of the food they consume is extremely important and acts as an extension of their own personality (Kantarmedia). Now the phrase “How to Cook This” is the most searched on Youtube, and on Instagram, over 3 million posts contain the hashtag #avocado (Onebrandmagic). Incredibly 1 in 4 Millennials and Gen Z share food images and search for food products every day (PSL). According to a study by Maru/Matchbox, 69 percent of millennials take a photo or a video of their food before eating.

Check out our video production services

Whether you’re a restaurant, smoothie or chocolate bar, your brand’s identity on-and-offline is extremely important. Your consumers today will resonate more with the brands that seem to share their values and lifestyles, represent what they do or want to represent, are building personal connections through relatable and engaging content, and provide them with a more individual experience. Brands like Cadbury show us that you don’t need to be an all plant-based and organic product to do this; instead, you need to connect with them, show them your brand’s personality, and resonate with them on an emotional level. Cadbury recently changed its brand’s personality from being loud and quirky to being more family-led and down-to-earth. This was specifically to “reconnect with consumers” (The Drum), and their recent adverts have been very down-to-earth and relatable to a large UK audience of different ages, gender and status.

Cadbury Inventor – Go Madbury UK

https://youtu.be/UXAz4nLvfTE

Cadbury – Mum’s Birthday

https://youtu.be/l0eEqeizNCA

Cadbury – Coast

Creating video content can be one of the most effective ways to showcase your brand’s personality, especially online, and it’s why many food and drink brands decide to create brand films. A brand film gives the audience an instant deep dive into your brand’s personality, background, and story. It gives the audience something to instantly connect and engage with, making your brand a lot more relatable. It will typically be the first thing a customer sees and help inspire and formulate a positive first impression.

Ugly Drinks exploded onto the UK market last year with this killer brand film which encompasses their personality very well. They’re bold, they’re disruptive, and they have a problem with sugar. Here’s a quote from an interview with the Founder of Ugly Drinks “Our fans love to be seen with the cans, they buy our merch from the website, and they stick our stickers everywhere!” (Business Advice).

Ugly Drinks – It’s Time for the Ugly Truth

https://youtu.be/45YCR8VP4QY

Your brand’s personality is going to be what sets you aside from all the other food and drink businesses out there, and it is going to be your greatest asset when building loyal customers. That’s why focusing attention on building a brand personality online through platforms like Instagram, your website and Youtube has become so important. They help you connect with your customers, spread a message and help to build a loyal following. Once you achieve that loyal tribe, it will be easier for your brand to tackle larger demographics. Brands like McDonald’s have always been nailing this part of their marketing and are now providing a relatable personality to millions of customers. It works so well for them because they know who their customers are, what their customers want to see from them, and why their customers buy their products.

In this advert by McDonald’s, “More in Common”, we can see how they connect with multiple demographics based on multiple personalities. This, in turn, showcases McDonald’s as being inclusive, down-to-earth, and enjoyable for everyone.

McDonald’s – More in Common

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD1Ln_4ttHo

Consumers today want to see the brand behind the product, they want to see your personality, and they want you to speak to them as individuals. You can read our other blogs to find out how to connect with your customers online, and best spread your brand’s personality through video.

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Seasonal Videos to Supercharge your online marketing…
How to use Video in 2019…
How to Win Customers with Branded Content…
Brand Storytelling through Video…

Looking for support from a video production company in London? Pop us over an email and we’ll be in touch in a flash.

How Food and Drink Brands Can Use Online Video in 2019

The food and drink industry is one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the UK contributing £28.8bn to the economy and generating £22bn in export sales (FDF). In recent years we have seen new brands popping up left, right and centre, food networks dominating the online space and “How To Cook That” becoming one of the most searched phrases on Youtube. (OneSpot)

In 2019 food and drink brands should look enthusiastically to content marketing, and choose carefully the best avenues to take in order to achieve sales and growth. Amongst the many marketing opportunities available to food and drink brands, online video is consistently showing the best results and helping propel new brands into the spotlight. We’ve seen food channels like Twisted, Tasty and Tastemade take the industry by storm with their recipe videos. Also, with the popularity of online platforms like Youtube, Facebook and Instagram, it’s never been easier for brands to share content and spread their messages.

So, what are the best ways a food and drink brand can use video online?

Online Advertising

The great thing about online advertising is that it’s affordable, it takes advantage of the internet’s wide and global reach and can be accurately targeted when engaging customers and audience. According to Forbes, because of the visual nature, 80% of users can recall a video ad they’ve seen in the past 30 days. (Forbes)

Instagram and Facebook allow you to create sponsored or promoted video ads and carousels that can be targeted to only appear on specific audience’s news feed. These adverts can be targeted by demographics, geographical region, interests, job roles and lifestyles. So, you can produce a video that is specifically made, for example, for females above the age of 50 who work in London, and are interested in fine dining. You can then target these females with a promotional advert for a competition to win a fine dining experience at your restaurant.

Youtube offers a similar experience where you can host a “pre-roll” advert before a video and an “in-video” advert during the video. These adverts have the opportunity of being highly targeted as you can choose the best Youtube Channels to advertise on to suit your company’s products. For example, Asda do pre-roll adverts that run before popular food Vlogs, which look like this.

It’s short, simple and resonates with the audience of foodies as it’s about food and has a similar look to a recipe video. This type of advert maximises on engagement as it’s quick and relates to the audience’s interests.

As well as targeted ads on Youtube you can also advertise via Google on relevant platforms including food channels and forums like the Food Network and Delish, popular food magazines like Olive Magazine and Plant Based, or food blogs like Cookie and Kate.

Simply Cook have a banner ad at the top of a Delish recipe blog. It’s bold and engaging, with clear branding that fits seamlessly across the overall site’s style.

 

Branded Content

Branded content is regular videos for social media channels churned out daily or weekly, that promote a brand’s products, personality and encourages consistent engagement from their customers.

You can use Youtube to create long form branded video content like recipe videos, videos of your company like “Meet the Team”, “Meet the Chefs” and “Inside the Kitchen”, or cooking shows. Videos like this highlight your company’s personality and gives your audience something insightful or useful to take away. It’s one of the best ways to drive engagement with your brand.

Mindful Chef filled us in on what they had been doing over the Christmas period, collecting food from customers and audiences to give to the homeless.

And Absolut Vodka have done videos on their Youtube channel showing how to create alcoholic cocktails like this one.

Longer form Youtube videos can be easily shortened and included in your social media feeds like Facebook and Instagram Stories. This offers people eye-catching and bite sized content.

These videos are effective at engaging audiences during their on-the-go activities, whether on their lunch, at the gym or on a train, it encourages them to stop and watch what you are up to because it’s exciting.

And seriously think about using Facebook or Instagram Live for highly dynamic videos that will really engage your followers. You can film events, talk shows that you host, something that’s happening in your company or a behind the scenes of a shoot. Because it’s live, people will stop and take notice.

 

Collaboration Videos  

Collaboration videos are a great way for food and drink brands to come together and promote a like minded message. If you’re a cereal brand you can collaborate with a milk brand to create different breakfast recipe ideas. Or, both brands could create a video to promote a trendy activity like Veganuary. You can also collaborate with like minded food bloggers and vloggers to promote your brand. Send them your products to feature on one of their videos and receive direct engagement from their loyal fans.

Spoon Cereal did a collaboration video with Liberte Yogurt UK and made a 2 minute recipe video on Youtube that they marketed on Instagram story.

Food and drink brands can also do paid partnerships and collaboration videos online with food channels like Tasty and have products featured in a Tasty recipe video on social media. Tasty recently did one on Instagram with Ciroc.

 

Influencer Video Marketing

This is a great way for food and drink brands to market their products. Influencer video marketing has become extremely popular in the last couple years. Because of the increasing popularity of social media, we have seen the proliferation of  “influential people”, a person with a wide or large network of fans and followers. We have “Public Figures” on Instagram, famous Vloggers on Youtube, bloggers who have turned into celebrities and celebrities in the “traditional sense” like TV chefs. If you can get Kim Kardashian to upload a picture of your product on her Instagram, you have instantly hit 1 million customers. It offers you reach, it has strong promotional value and advertises your products direct to your ideal customers. Just be ready to pay as these guys don’t come cheap!

The Goat Agency used their influencer network to promote Graze the healthy snacking brand. They selected female influencers with a large female following in the UK and got them to post videos of the Graze products with a promotional code on their Instagram stories.

There are also micro-influencers that won’t have the same 4M followers that a Kardashian has but they do have a solid 10K of loyal fans and followers. This could offer you a better return on your investment as you have more choice and you could spread the sponsorship across a different number of relevant influencers. If you’re a vegan milk brand who wants to break into the Australian market, you could send your products to a vegan lifestyle Vlogger in Australia.

 

Multichannel Campaign

Once you’ve mastered all those different forms of online video you can then begin to tie it all together and create one big multichannel campaign. These work extremely well in the lead up to an event or when promoting a new product or trend. For example, Veganuary is upon us and it happens every year. Greggs just launched their Vegan Sausage roll and promoted it online with a video that looked very similar to the IPhone advert.

For a whole month you can create a multichannel campaign of online videos, advertisements and events that all relate and compliment each other. You can post vegan recipe videos on youtube, post short versions of the recipe videos on social media, run online advertisements of the vegan products, and send out promotional videos of your products – all with the same look and feel. Finally, you hold pop ups around town or in supermarkets allowing the public to taste your product. This all ties together to create one big multichannel campaign that can receive a lot of audience engagement.

Over Christmas, Baileys spent 4.3M on a multichannel campaign called “It’s Not Christmas Without You” comprising of a TV ad, Outdoor ads, social media content and Pop up stalls, samplings and events in shopping centres. (The Grocer)

There are a lot a different ways food and drink brands can use video online but these are some of the ones that will really help push your brand into the limelight in 2019. And, as the number of people watching videos online only continues to grow, with video predicted to make up to 80% of all global traffic by 2019. (Tubular Insights) Why wouldn’t you be looking to creating video this year? Give some of these a go and really spice up your food and drink marketing this year with some awesome video content.