Nearly halfway through 2021, the retail industry is beginning to see signs of recovery with 43% of Americans now fully vaccinated and consumers returning to brick-and-mortar stores. In fact, the National Retail Federation recently raised its outlook for the year, forecasting retail sales to grow to an estimated total of $4.44 trillion to $4.56 trillion in 2021, compared to $4.02 trillion in 2020.
We’re staying up-to-speed on the latest retail media moves to best serve our clients as the industry recovers. Below are some of the most significant retail industry reporter moves we’ve seen in the first half of 2021.
Bloomberg
Gufeng (Henry) Ren leaves position as consumer reporter to cover equities full time.
Sarah Halzack shifts into a new position at Bloomberg as editor of the Americas Hub. Sarah was previously a retail opinion columnist at the publication.
Digiday
Cale Guthrie Weissmanpromoted from editor-in-chief of Modern Retail to director of editorial products at Digiday.
Kimeko McCoy joins Digiday as marketing reporter, following a stint as a digital marketer at WarnerMedia.
Insider
Emma Cosgrove leaves Supply Chain Dive to become the senior logistics reporter at Insider.
Grace Dean joins Insider as a junior business reporter, following a retail fellowship. She now covers breaking news in retail, transport, tech, healthcare, and politics.
Ryan Joe leaves AdExchanger to become the advertising editor at Insider.
Modern Retail
Maile McCann joins Modern Retail as a full-time reporter, following a role as a senior researcher at L2, a Gartner company.
The Business of Fashion
Diana Pearl leaves Adweek to become the associate editor at The Business of Fashion.
Vogue Business
Sabrina Faramarzi leaves Opinary to become the contributing data editor at Vogue Business.
Planning your retail media strategy? Fill out the form below and our CX + Retail Technology team will be in touch.
Boosting brand engagement. Aligning your brand with visual trends while differentiating yourself in crowded spaces. Going above and beyond what seems visually possible. And giving you the single best tool for demonstrating the ins, outs and everything-in-betweens of a product. 3D animation is – and we sincerely mean this – amazing.
But before we talk about your animated videos and how adding 3D to your toolkit can boost your brand, let’s talk about video games. Back in the day – like, way back – video games transported players to a flat, 2D world in which all manner of adventures, battles and epic princess rescues transpired. It was wild. And it was wicked different! Before that, kids were stuck in the real world throwing and kicking balls around outside and desperately trying to pass Go enough times to afford Boardwalk. (It was a sad time.) But, for how wild and wicked different they were when they came out, nowadays those 2D video games feel clunky and outdated compared to more immersive 3D gaming experiences. Retro games aren’t bad, exactly – they’re just not fully aligned with modern attention spans and engagement strategies.
Today’s audiences expect more from their experiences than ever before. A blurry plumber dressed as a raccoon running around jumping on bad guys just doesn’t cut it anymore. Those old ways that previously had worked so well – and that goes for video games as well as marketing content – don’t always provide the “more” our audiences expect. And, as with adding depth and texture to gaming experiences, you can tap into those expectations and desires, capturing your audience’s attention and delighting them, by adding 3D animation to your video marketing toolkit.
So, what do we mean by “3D animation”?
First – definition by subtraction – there’s a lot we don’t mean. Pixar films. The collected works of James Cameron. Snapchat filters. And 360-degree interactive product demos on ecommerce sites are a few examples. But while we aren’t talking about those specifically, they’re all sources of immense inspiration for us as marketers. You see, as standalone examples presented in whole, it’s safe to say our marketing efforts don’t generally include those forms of pure entertainment or interactivity. But character-driven stories, realistic effects and textures, augmented reality with mixed media animation, and product demos? Those are all well within the wheelhouse of the video marketer. And in that context, 3D could be the development of a whole animated identity, or it could be as simple as adding depth, texture and movement to your otherwise 2D brand. Either way, using those 3D strategies to level up your brand identity and presence – well, that’s what we’re talking about today.
1.) 3D animation helps your brand stand out in a 2D crowd
Brand differentiation is crucial to grabbing the attention of a generally distracted audience – and the right visual stimulation goes a long way in getting those coveted conversions. While 3D animation is certainly trending (see below), many of the brands competing in your space haven’t fully embraced or invested in it. Think about it: If you, savvy marketer, are reading this and looking to rationalize the investment in 3D, what are your competitors doing? Chances are – like you – they’re producing some combination of live action and 2D animations. Which means you could easily be one step ahead of them, making right now a great time to start differentiating yourself from the pack.
2.) You can visualize the impossible with 3D
Often, when someone is trying to hyperbolize endless possibilities, they’ll tell you that the sky’s the limit. With 3D animation, the sky isn’t the limit. You can animate the sky, clouds, complex weather patterns, whatever. You could animate the entire known universe, if you wanted to. So at Matter, we say that 3D allows you to “visualize the impossible,” because the limits of 3D animation far exceed those of our physical world. All while maintaining a so-called realistic and branded look. You could create a dream studio, complete with lights and cameras that you can maneuver to simulate the perfect scene. You can manipulate shapes, characters and products (see below). You can zoom impossibly close to things, or impossibly far away. You can add smoke to a shot – why not? You can turn an object to sand. Heck, you could make your logo out of marshmallows. Seriously, your imagination is truly the limit with 3D.
3.) 3D animation is trending, hard
As the technology for crafting 3D animations becomes more accessible (see below), the industry continues to boom. By some metrics, the market grows by over 10% every year. You remember when we discussed those retro video games, right? Well, trends don’t necessarily tell you what your competition is doing. In fact, trends tell you what your audience wants and expects, giving you insight into how real people engage with content. So, by aligning with the larger visual trends, you can better align with your audience.
4.) Add an extra layer of audience delight with 3D
Engaging, memorable video content begins with visual delight. If you can catch your audience’s eye, then you have a better chance of capturing their precious attention and engaging them with your brand. This is especially true with in-stream content, but also applies to explainers, brand anthems and more. Think about it: If your visuals are delightful or novel enough, the viewer might even watch it twice. Or share it. Or both. And in doing so, they carve out a special place for that content and your brand in their memory. So, in that way, 3D animation gives you the WOW factor that elevates your brand by delighting the audience and achieving the “more” they expect.
5.) 3D is the single best way to demo a product
Not all of us work with physical products (s/o to all you SaaS folks), but some of us marketers do. And we need to demonstrate what those products are and how they work asynchronously in video. Historically, that meant one of two things: abstract animations to demonstrate function without showing the actual product, or live-action demos with real people and products. Each has its benefits and its limits. 3D animation, like we discussed above, has almost no limits. So, for example, you could import the CAD file for a product and render a realistic, animated version of it. From there, you could break out the finest detail of that animation to demonstrate not just the function but the tiniest inner workings of the thing. All without hiring actors, renting a studio, or taking the device apart. And if you do want to show the real product with real people, you can seamlessly mix the animation into live-action footage in post-production. Put an eye-catching video like that in the hands of a sales team or on-screen at a trade show booth, and your audience will be engaged, delighted and informed.
Why wait? 3D animation is more accessible than ever!
For as “new” and “exciting” and “cutting edge” as 3D animation can make your brand feel, it’s a technique that’s been around for a while. And as computing technology rapidly advances (and becomes cheaper), the means of creating complex animations has opened up. Let’s take the platform Houdini SideFX as an example. You may recognize Houdini from, well, every Hollywood movie’s CGI effects.
With Houdini, you can do anything we’ve described in this blog and more – again, your imagination is Houdini’s technical limit. Sounds expensive, right? Nope. Houdini is free to use and learn, with a “freemium” model for exporting files. As with any professional grade graphics or design program, mastery of Houdini SideFX takes a certain amount of artistic vision and dedication. But the technology is right there, ready for you to take advantage of. And that’s just one example of many.
At Matter, we have a dedicated team of 2D and 3D animators and artists working tirelessly to elevate brands. In fact, our team created every example we’ve shown in this post. So, if you want to discuss how to beat the big boss in Mario 3 or how 3D animations could help level up your brand, reach out to a team member using the form below.
There’s an old saying that goes, “Hindsight is 2020.” You’ve probably heard it – who hasn’t? But, as we push into the second half of 2021, we might adjust it to reflect how the challenges of this past year sit comfortably in our rear view. 2020 is now officially hindsight, and thanks to webinars like Wistia’s “2021 State of Video Report” we can tease meaning out of the strange version of reality we all just experienced. And, because we know your time is valuable, we’ve digested it all for you in a single, actionable blog post. So, sit back, relax and read (or listen) as we discuss the role video played for your customers in 2020 and will continue to play in 2021.
But before we dig in, if you have any questions about the value video can bring to your business or content marketing strategy, please reach out to our team. We love talking strategy and brainstorming ways to build brands and grow businesses. Schedule a free call with us by filling out the form below.
Drumroll please… We now have more videos than ever
On the whole, 2020 was a wild year for video creation. (FYI, Wistia defines “creation” as the number of videos added to their platform, so here we’ll be using it almost synonymously with “uploading.”) Video uploads have steadily increased over the last five years, but in 2020 that number jumped by 80%! We’ll come back to how that relates to audience consumption shortly, but for now let’s appreciate the actual trend. Not only did uploads increase on average for the year but, in addition to the huge spike in April, uploads remained steady through the fall and into the winter. What that means is yes, the pandemic impacted video creation. But when the dust settled and the numbers plateaued, uploads were still up by 62%. In short, brands are committed to video now more than ever.
Think shorter is better? Think again.
That’s right, folks – long videos are on the rise. Among many other things, Wistia tracked video uploads by length. According to their platform data, and perhaps as no surprise, most uploads were under a minute in length.
But behind that shortest (under 1 min) category, the next most popular length was 5-30 minutes, which beat the total video growth average at 91% growth YoY. That’s significant on its own, but the most striking data point to us was that uploads of videos over 30 minutes jumped by 140% – outpacing any other length category. More marketers than ever are recognizing the value and impact of longer videos, and the data shines a bright light on it. If you want to learn more about what that means to the businesses driving this long-form content surge, check out our blog series,A Marketer’s Guide to Valuing Long-Form Content.
Longer videos are resonating more and more with audiences now, which tells us not to fear length as it correlates with engagement.
Audiences are more engaged than we thought
At Matter, we say this a lot about marketing: It’s not about who shows up, it’s about who stays. On a video-by-video basis, engagement rates can tell you what works and what doesn’t, based on how people actually engage with your content. Engagement across massive data sets isn’t quite so granular, but we can learn a fair bit from Wistia here. First, and least surprisingly, we see short videos have the highest engagement rate. Frankly, it’s easier to watch a short video, even if your audience isn’t that interested in it, because there’s less of it to watch. That’s one reason they’re historically so impactful. But the report also shows us how longer videos engage at a surprisingly high rate, just barely behind short videos on average. In fact, engagement doesn’t really drop off until you hit the 30-minute mark, and even then, engagement is strong. Longer videos are resonating more and more with audiences now, which tells us not to fear length as it correlates with engagement. If a concept or story requires more time, give it the time it needs – your audience will stick it out.
People want video and are engaging with the format at a record-setting pace.
It’s not just uploads – people watched more video than ever
If we said people watched about a million hours of video last year, would you be surprised? Does that seem like a lot? Well, hold onto your hats, people: on Wistia alone – a B2B video marketing platform, mind you – audiences watched 12.2 billion minutes of video in 2020.That’s over 200 million hours. If that number seems like a lot, that’s because it’s the highest it’s ever been and a massive increase from years past. And, while creation and consumption trends don’t always align, in this case they do. As total uploads increased by 80% on average, total consumption was up by 84.3%. That’s significant because, like the 1989 film Field of Dreams (in which the main character builds a baseball diamond to attract the ghosts of baseball’s greatest players), “if you build it, they will come.” For marketers, on aggregate that means if you post video content, your audience will watch it. And unlike total uploads, which spiked in April and plateaued as the year progressed, total consumption remained steady throughout the year. People want video and are engaging with the format at a record-setting pace.
Hybrid and virtual events are here to stay
In their report, Wistia focused on more than just data pulled from their platform – they also flagged some of these “new normal” trends that aren’t going away any time soon. One that stood out to us (because we’ve seen it too) is the growth and impact of virtual and hybrid events. Businesses got creative in 2020 with live virtual engagement using streamed and pre-recorded video, and a lot of that experimentation hit home with audiences. Wistia doesn’t supply any hard data on this trend, but they did include it in their report, specifically around the idea of marketers “doubling down” on virtual events to boost brand engagement. Stay tuned for more Matter blogs on virtual events, and the impact branded content experiences can have on building relationships with your audience.
In summary, video is (still) great!
As a marketer, you don’t need to be reminded of video’s value to your brand. You see it every day. But it’s nice to watch these trends play out over huge data sets and relate it back to our own experiences. In addition to recognizing many of video’s more familiar impacts, we’re excited to see that long-form videos and hybrid events are on the rise. At Matter, we love using those formats as ways to engage with real people, and it’s awesome to see that the numbers align with our passions.
If you want to discuss how a virtual event or video series could impact your business and resonate with your customers, reach out to one of our team members. By filling out the form below, you could be on a free strategy call with a video expert before you know it, resolving persistent engagement issues.
Agency’s Dedicated Healthcare Team Helps Elevate Awareness and Brand Image for Rapidly Expanding Dental Organization with a Fully Integrated PR Program.
BOSTON – June 8, 2021 – Matter Communications — a Brand Elevation Agency specializing in PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy — has been named the agency of record for Sage Dental Management, LLC, a leading dental service organization providing comprehensive business and administrative support services to over 65 affiliated Sage Dental practices in Florida and Georgia.
Matter is spearheading a fully integrated PR program to support Sage Dental’s 40-facility expansion into Florida and Georgia, recruiting efforts and new branding to attract patients of all ages. In addition to leading the PR program – including media relations, awards, events and more – Matter is collaboratively supporting brand and creative design to bolster the company’s growth.
“Matter’s approach to strategic branding and execution created a blueprint we feel will take Sage Dental’s brand to new heights as we rapidly grow,” said Jonathan Kaufman, CMO of Sage Dental. “We were confident in their expertise to expand our media presence while enhancing our image, and we’ve seen immediate success across top-tier consumer, trade and business publications since kicking off our partnership.”
Sage Dental is pioneering new techniques in dentistry, leveraging advanced technologies such as AI to increase diagnosis consistency and patient trust. The organization has also introduced teledentistry and new safety protocols across all practices to continue safely and effectively serving patients amidst the pandemic.
“Helping to boost brand awareness for a dentistry innovator that’s making game-changing impacts in the space has been a rewarding experience for our team,” said Ryan Lilly, Vice President of Matter Health. “As we continue to expand our healthcare portfolio’s breadth of expertise, we’re proud to execute integrated programs to elevate trailblazing brands such as Sage Dental.”
With +200 professionals across offices in Boston and Newburyport, MA, Providence, RI, Pittsburgh, PA, Boulder, CO, and Portland, OR, Matter is one of the fastest-growing PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy firms in the country. Recently named to Forbes List of America’s Best PR Agencies for 2021, Matter has won 14 “Agency of the Year” accolades and has been consistently recognized as a top place to work.
About Sage Dental Management
Sage Dental Management, LLC is a leading dental service organization providing comprehensive administrative support services and facilities for Sage Dental, a branded, retail-based dental care organization with over 65 offices in Florida and Georgia. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Sage Dental provides general, specialty and cosmetic dental care, including restorative, prosthodontic, endodontic, oral surgery, periodontics, pediatric and orthodontic treatment, and participates in most dental plans offered in Florida and Georgia. Sage Dental’s care delivery model is differentiated by the convenience of providing patients all aspects of dental care within one group and patient service excellence. Sage has provided dental care to well over 500,000 patients through its dense network of facilities conveniently located throughout Florida and Georgia. For a full list of services and locations, please visit www.mysagedental.com.
About Matter Communications
Matter is a Brand Elevation Agency unifying PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy into content-rich communications campaigns that inspire action and build value. Founded in 2003, with offices across North America, Matter works with the world’s most innovative companies across healthcare, high-technology, consumer technology, professional services and consumer markets. For more information, visit https://www.matternow.com.
