Automotive Marketing Companies Are Missing the Mark When it Comes to Video Content
Automotive marketing companies are a dime a dozen. They come in all shapes and sizes and most claim to be all things to everyone. From SEO and SEM to social media and email marketing, automotive marketing companies seem to have the perfect solution for every automotive business, big or small.
As an agency that does marketing work in the automotive and automotive aftermarket industries, we can tell you firsthand that one size doesn’t fit all and that it takes a real understanding of the market and its trends to put clients in a place to stand out and succeed in a very crowded industry.
Before diving into strategy, it’s critical for automotive marketing companies to first understand their clients’ needs, goals, frustrations, status within their market and region, target customers, challenges and opportunities. Once they have a crystal clear understanding of these elements, only then are they qualified to develop and activate a marketing strategy tailored to their clients’ businesses.
At Public Haus, we recommend a marketing audit and brand deep dive to inform our strategy before diving into execution. In many cases, clients believe they need to spend money in one or two key areas in order to make a marketing impact, but after looking at things holistically, we may determine the need to shift gears and focus efforts in other areas. Before lifting a finger on execution, we make sure we’re targeting the right audiences with the right messages in a way that will ensure our clients are standing out in the most desirable, authoritative and compelling way possible.
In addition to the baseline digital marketing activities like social media marketing that every large or small automotive brand that’s selling a product or service to consumers should be leveraging, we’re seeing an industry wide focus on video content. Unlike many other automotive marketing companies, we believe that video is one of the single most powerful tools for influencing purchasing decisions.
With over a billion videos watched daily on YouTube, it’s hard to deny the fact that brands that are investing in video to position and promote themselves, are gaining more attention, visibility and influence than those that are not.
So how can automotive companies leverage video to cut through the clutter; attract interest and engagement; convey brand personality; and maybe even get people to follow, subscribe and buy? It’s not about the hard sell, 10-minute-long product overview or in-your-face call to action. While there may be a time and place for this type of content, when it comes to video that resonates, content must educate, inspire or entertain in order to increase brand loyalty and attract new consumers.
That’s why automotive marketing companies like Public Haus incorporate lifestyle, behind the scenes and “how to” content into its client video marketing campaigns. As opposed to relying on overly commercial content to convey a message, the message and values should be demonstrated through content that draws the viewer in and makes them want to engage with the brand. The previously mentioned formats accomplish this.
Think of some of your favorite automotive brands. What do they stand for? Who buys their products? What’s their mission and message? Chances are these brands exude a certain attitude and ethos in all of their content marketing. They’re not overly promotional and they’re not constantly selling. These brands are producing content that attracts consumer engagement by communicating authority, expertise and brand personality.
Public Haus has also introduced clients like global fuel brand Chevron and others in the automotive, powersports and marine categories to this type of content as part of our multi-tiered marketing initiatives – and the results have been astounding. Just ask the Global Brand Manager for Chevron Consumer Products, who stated the following:
“Starting from square one lacking online content, Public Haus had us quickly expanding our content library through key influencer additions, branded video content, pinpoint script development and an efficient production team; all within budget. When it comes to automotive marketing companies, if you are looking for high impact results with a company that can combine focus, experience, distribution proficiency and results, check out Public Haus. Their video content, influencer marketing and PR expertise has transformed our go-to-market strategy.”
Once the content is created, it needs to be communicated through the appropriate distribution channels. Video is powerful in this regard because it has so many uses – from social media marketing to placement in media outlets and publications. This is another area in which many automotive marketing agencies fall short. Also, if we’re using an influencer in our video, we’ll often distribute the content through their channels as well, where engagement is often times at its highest.
Public Haus recently created this video for Chevron, telling the story of a world record-breaking motorcyclist and his legendary ride. Through distribution on his social channels, Chevron’s channels and articles in a variety of media outlets, the company’s fuel additive brand is attracting massive viewership across all if its platforms while building major influence among the motorcycle community. This is just one example of many.
Whether you’re looking to streamline your current marketing activities, accelerate your business through video marketing or looking for a partner to develop a strategy that works in generating awareness and revenue, Public Haus stands out above all automotive marketing companies when it comes to amplifying brands and creating loyal customers.