• CES 2026: Insights & Strategies to Stand Out

    CES 2026: Insights & Strategies to Stand Out

    CES 2025 brought together more than 140,000 attendees and 4,500 exhibitors. It’s known as the most powerful tech event in the world, and the perfect opportunity to shape the future of tech while capturing the attention of a massive global audience.

    The show has proven successful for many of our B2C and B2B clients over the years. And at last year’s show, we saw the floors packed with everything from self-driving (and flying) cars, to sustainable power solutions, smart home tech, micromobility vehicles, mobility aids, AI avatars, fitness devices, beauty and fashion tech, and just about every form of robot you could think of – robotic emotional support dogs, a robotic vending machine that can dispense cotton candy, a robotic vacuum that can also pick up your socks, robots that shake your hand and hand out coffee, and robotic lawnmowers that take the stress out of home care.

    In such a competitive space, how can you make sure your brand stands out? Here are our key insights from last year’s show to help you boost your presence and ensure your brand leaves a lasting impression this year at CES 2026!

    Elevate Your On-Site Experience

    CES 2025 brought more than 6,000 media, content creators and industry analysts. To impress this year’s crowd, don’t just think about showcasing products, try to create an immersive experience to remember. Product displays, brochures and branded swag are essential, but taking things a step further to entice engagement and organic social sharing can help create an unforgettable and energetic atmosphere.

    Some of last year’s hottest booth displays that caught our eyes featured live product demos and test rides (seeing is believing!), themed throwback and futuristic experiences, live music including DJs, eye-catching video displays, life-size installations, giveaways/prizes, robots greeting guests, movie-theatre style setups, virtual reality activations, digital gaming activities and much more.

    Looking for other ways to capture attention while on-site? Consider hosting an after party during CES week. When done right, these parties can serve as a wildly successful hub for networking and relationship building with key media, influencers, prospects and partners. Plus, they bring the opportunity to help shift desired brand perceptions and elevate the overall story you’re looking to tell.

    Many brands may think the investment is far too large, or that the turnout won’t be as strong unless a big-name celebrity is in the room, but that’s far from the case. Sure, it would be amazing to have a star like Snoop Dogg or Meghan Trainor at the after party, but these activations can be just as successful otherwise with the right strategy in place. And we’ve witnessed that first-hand at Matter! The key? Start the planning process and guest outreach as early as possible, provide value and excitement to those you’re inviting, and do your homework to avoid overlapping your party with another from a brand that many may have pre-existing plans to attend.

    Maximize Your Time Beyond the CES Show Floor

    We often get asked from clients and prospects: what’s the most important thing to keep in mind for CES? And our answer is simple: having ample time to strategize, plan and execute to maximize exposure, attendance and impact. After all, the CES experience starts well before the exhibitor hall doors open in January!

    To maximize your time beyond the booth, and to set yourself up for a successful drumbeat of media coverage, here are a few recommendations to consider:

    • Set up as many pre-CES briefings as possible with top media in November and December prior to CES 2026. Tip: consider group sessions to meet with dozens of media at once, and have your press kits ready so that reporters can easily get their stories filed and ready to go in advance.
    • Consider putting your leaders at the forefront of the conversation by amplifying thought leadership exposure through speaking engagement opportunities. Last year yielded an impressive speaker line-up, with keynotes from the founder of NVIDIA and CEOs of Delta and X Corp.
    • Actively seek out award opportunities, including those that are given to brands at booths on-site. Not only do these awards help garner positive brand recognition and credibility, but they also help fuel great content that can be amplified across various PR, social and marketing channels.
    • Look for ways to network with others beyond your confirmed booth appointments. Take advantage of those spontaneous interactions on-site, whether it’s a quick intro to anyone walking by, chatting in the halls or meeting at a local coffee spot.
    • Coordinate personalized follow-ups post-CES that reference specific conversations had on-site, offering additional follow up materials or product samples to increase the chances of coverage. We typically see post-CES media coverage continue to run for our clients into the spring, so it’s important to keep that dialogue open in the weeks and months to follow.

    Embrace the Power of Influencers

    Partnering with influencers at CES in both an organic and paid capacity can help bolster overall awareness, social chatter and purchase intent amongst key consumer audiences, including those who are keeping up with the latest CES trends from the comfort of their home. The show typically drives a diverse mix of tech and lifestyle creators each year, from long-time tech-fluencers with macro followings, to micro and mid-size influencers who are just starting to build out their brand, to larger public figures who were seen browsing the show room halls last year like Martha Stewart, Will-I-Am and Sophia Bush.

    Influencers can create a sense of relatability, making your brand stand out in a sea of cutting-edge technologies. By collaborating with the right partners that are an authentic fit for your product or offering, you can effectively capture the attention of key audiences and leave a lasting impact.

    CES 2025 was a showcase of the world’s most exciting technological innovations. But with so many groundbreaking products and bold new ideas, it takes more than just a killer product to stand out. By creating memorable experiences, you can ensure your brand doesn’t just get noticed—but remembered after CES 2026.

    Interested in learning more about how we can help differentiate and elevate your brand at key events like these through PR, social, influencers, digital marketing or creative services? We’d love to connect!

    Rachel Almas

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  • 3 2025 Super Bowl Ads That Got Us Talking: Tubi, Dunkin’, and Fetch

    3 2025 Super Bowl Ads That Got Us Talking: Tubi, Dunkin’, and Fetch

    Every year, brands pull out all the stops to make a splash. Some go for patriotic, some go for sentimental, while others go for absurdity. This year, three ads caught our attention and got us talking. Melody Curran (Brand Strategist) and Rory Nolan (Creative Copywriter) broke down the Tubi, Dunkin’, and Fetch commercials — analyzing what made them stick with us from both creative and strategic perspectives — and highlighted the importance of aligning strategy and creative toward a common campaign goal.

    1. Tubi: Weird, Wild and Western

    Ever heard of Tubi before this year’s Super Bowl? Yeah, us neither. But their ad made sure we’d remember the name. The spot featured a kid with a cowboy hat… that was part of his skull. Yep, you read that right.

    The ad leaned into the absurd while subtly playing on trends. Westerns were once America’s favorite genre, but fantasy has taken the crown in recent years. We have a hunch that Tubi cleverly (and creepily) used that data point  to showcase its broad selection of content. And it worked.

    We couldn’t stop talking about the underlying message: your media preferences are part of your identity. From Yellowstone-loving city slickers to fantasy fans sporting wizard hats, the ad reminded us that Tubi has something for everyone — no matter what genre speaks to you.

    The Verdict: Memorable, weird, and surprisingly insightful. We’ll be thinking about that cowboy hat for a while.

    2. Dunkin’: All Celebrities, No Substance

    Ah, Dunkin’ — the beloved Massachusetts staple. This year, the coffee giant went big with a celebrity-stuffed spectacle featuring Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Jeremy Strong, Bill Belichick, Bill Belichick’s girlfriend and more. It was loud, beyond colorful, and jam-packed with pop-culture references.

    The problem? It tried to do too much. Between the pop-culture nods, the over-the-top humor and the sheer number of stars crammed into 60 seconds, the core message got lost. We couldn’t help but wonder: What was the plan here?

    We get it — Dunkin’ doesn’t need to introduce itself. But this felt more like a flex than a clear, cohesive ad. The best part? A brief moment of real, relatable banter about Dunkin’ being for “real” people. If they’d leaned into that, maybe the ad would’ve hit harder.

    The Verdict: A classic case of “too much of a good thing.” Dunkin’, we love you, but next time, maybe skip the Dune references.

    3. Fetch: A Stunt That Missed the Mark

    Fetch took a big swing with a Super Bowl giveaway, promising $10,000 to 120 lucky viewers who participated through their app. The idea was solid: turn a passive ad experience into an interactive event (while hacking their big game ad-buy). But in execution? It fell flat.

    For starters, Fetch isn’t exactly a household name. The ad didn’t do enough to explain what the app actually does (it’s a rewards platform for everyday purchases, like groceries) ahead of encouraging downloads – a direct response strategy. Instead, viewers got a vague message and an arguably clunky process that required them to stay on the app for 10 minutes to participate in the giveaway. We’re curious how many of those that did download the app kept it on their phone and learned more about what Fetch Rewards does the other 364 days of the year.

    We admired the ambition, though. Fetch used its budget to give back to consumers instead of just paying celebrities — something you don’t see often enough. They also saw a huge lift in site traffic with a 803% spike on Feb. 9th, according to Similarweb. But without more brand awareness or clearer instructions, the stunt likely left many viewers scratching their heads and may lead to a drop off in traffic, app downloads post-event versus capturing long-term, loyal customers.

    The Verdict: A promising concept that needed more groundwork. Maybe next year, Fetch.

    Super Bowl ads are like halftime shows: some blow you away, some leave you baffled, and all of them get people talking. Tubi won the “weird but compelling” award, Dunkin’ went celebrity-overload, and Fetch tried to hack the system with mixed results.

    At the end of the day, these ads reminded us that creativity, strategy and clarity matter more than celebrity cameos or flashy stunts. And if you’re going to attach a cowboy hat to someone’s skull, well, you better have a solid story to back it up.

    What did you think of these ads? Did Tubi’s weirdness work for you? Did Dunkin’ make you laugh? And did you even know what Fetch was before the giveaway? Let us know!

    Rory Nolan

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  • Intersectional Feminism in PR + Marketing

    Intersectional Feminism in PR + Marketing

    As we continue celebrating Women’s History Month and the achievements of women around the world, we wanted to spotlight an important concept all professionals – especially those in PR and Marketing – should familiarize themselves with and incorporate into their daily approaches to both internal and client-facing interactions. Read on as our Women Professionals Circle explores intersectional feminism and why it should inform your brand strategy and communications.

    What is Intersectional Feminism?

    Not all inequality is created equally. People’s social identities – including race, gender and sexuality – can overlap. That was the inspiration behind intersectional feminism, a term coined by American law professor, Kimberlé Crenshaw, more than 30 years ago. But what exactly is intersectional feminism and why is it important, particularly in marketing?

    Feminism is defined as “the belief in and advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.” Intersectional feminism takes that a step further to not only spotlight women, but elevate the BIPOC women, women of the LGBTQ+ community and more. Crenshaw says, “we tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class, sexuality or immigrant status.” But with many impacted by some or all of these, and their experiences are often not accurately represented.

    Why PR and Marketing Need Intersectional Feminism

    Intersectional feminism ensures that everyone is accurately represented – and in PR and marketing, representation matters. Growing up as a young (and impressionable) girl, my actions and interests were greatly influenced by the marketing campaigns I saw on television, in magazines and on billboards – if I saw beautiful women all with straight hair, I would straighten my curly hair. The clothes and products I would buy, the music I listened to, the shows and movies I watched all similarly influenced my behavior. It was the same for my sister, cousins, friends and classmates. But isn’t that the point of marketing, to get people to identify with your brand and its products/services, and to inspire action? 

    While yes, this is true, marketing doesn’t always operate with intersectional feminism in mind, often leaving groups unrepresented or misrepresented, which can perpetuate negative stereotypes and biases in society. The best way to prevent tone deaf and potentially offensive campaigns is to involve more diverse people where decisions are being made. Without the opportunity to hear from voices of BIPOC, LGBTQ+ folks, people in the disability community and so many others, marketing campaigns run the risk of inaccurately portraying those communities. Companies should actively seek out diverse and inclusive groups of employees, encourage them to bring their ideas to the table and support them in their roles.

    What’s at Stake

    PR and marketing campaigns have immense influence over their audiences and the ability to set unrealistic and sometimes damaging expectations about what a product or service can and cannot do for them, or even how one’s body should look. The various positive and negative effects confirm the strong need for diverse and inclusive campaigns that represent a wide range of body types, ethnicities, genders, sexual identity and expression, and so much more. This is imperative for not only the mental health of audiences but for businesses, as an increasing amount of today’s consumers – Gen Z in particular – expect to see a more diverse and inclusive world portrayed by brands. It’s no longer enough to be feminist. It’s time for marketing campaigns to become intersectional.  

    Matter

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  • A Day in the Life of a Matter Public Relations Intern

    A Day in the Life of a Matter Public Relations Intern

    Being an intern is risky business. Will you be going on coffee runs or producing valuable work? Luckily for me, Matter provides the latter of the two experiences.

    I spent my summer as a Public Relations Intern at Matter and have loved every moment of it. Whether you are part of the public relations, digital marketing or creative team, Matter is sure to provide you with a supportive learning environment, opportunities to participate in meaningful work and, as you may have heard, some fun!

    Here is a taste of what my day-to-day as a Matter intern looks like:

    Matter interns work 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. From there I settle in, crack open my laptop, read all my unread emails and catch up on any client news that may have broken while I was gone. Being on one of Matter’s largest accounts means I often have a lot to catch up on.

    By 9:15 a.m. I’m ready to jump into my daily tasks and, most days, for a caffeine pick-me-up too. My daily tasks range from media list building and editorial calendar curating to social media content creation and article writing. As much as I’d love to share a typical day of task, no two days are the same here at Matter or in public relations. When you work so closely to the media things are always changing, and they change fast.

    It’s now 11:00 a.m. and I’m either on my way to a meeting and gearing up for one. On any given day there are typically a handful of both client-facing and internal meetings on my calendar – and if I’m lucky there will be donuts waiting for me in one of them. While in meetings, I always make it a point to jot down any notes or questions that may be helpful for me later.

    12:30 p.m. comes around and it’s time for lunch! Though most of my day is sedentary, working on a computer all day can still take a lot out of you. I love using my lunch time to get up and moving. Sometimes that’s a quick walk after eating my lunch in the kitchen and sometimes that’s treating myself to lunch out.

    I’m back at my desk and ready to get into the groove by 1:00 p.m. With only an hour and a half left in my day it’s time to tie up any loose ends and deliver any work that is needed by the end of the day. I may not have deadlines to meet at the end of every day, but certainly have personal goals I aim to reach every day. I often break up my bigger tasks into smaller more manageable tasks in order to stay organized and on top of my deadlines.

    2:15 p.m. arrives, often faster than I’d like it to, and it is time to wrap up any projects I’m working on and update the project owner.

    And just like that it’s 2:30 p.m. and I’m headed home for the day.

    As my internship winds down, I’ve begun to reflect on the experience I’ve had. Which has led me to four key takeaways to share with future Matter interns:

    • Ask a lot of questions
    • Actively work to sharpen your skills
    • Stay curious and open minded to new experiences
    • Have some fun!

    Hannah Martin

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  • A Newcomer’s Guide to Drone Videography

    A Newcomer’s Guide to Drone Videography

     At this day in age, it’s amazing to think that remote controlled drones (or UAVs) are becoming a part of everyday life. They can be seen in search and rescue applications, lighting scenarios, and of course aerial videography. When it comes to other places it can be useful, the sky is the limit (pun intended).

     

    Let me preface this write-up by stating that I am still a newcomer to the drone videography world. My goal for a while has been to learn any video rig I can get my hands on, and this is the most logical next step. The value in drone videography is obvious as well; shots from the sky add an interesting perspective to your video that simply cannot be replicated.

    At first I was under the impression that someone can go out and buy one of these and use it freely, similar to a remote controlled car- boy was I wrong. Here are a few tips and other things you should consider when becoming a drone enthusiast

    1. Start Small: A drone big enough for a camera complete with all the necessary batteries, prop guards, gimbal, and controllers will set you back at least a couple thousand dollars. Before making such a purchase, I found that buying this $70 drone is a great stepping-stone before graduating to the bigger contraptions. It helps with getting a feel for the controls, air resistance, and aerial maneuvering. It’s also inevitable that you’re going to have a few crash landings, which won’t damage it because of the small size (the drone in the link fits in the palm of your hand).
    1. Take a Class: Flying a drone is not a “plug and play” solution. There are important details such as calibration, course setting, home lock, airport communications, and many other things you need to know that can’t be summed up in a brief YouTube video. I found that taking an in-person course really helped me get familiar with both the drone and the app. The instructors are all licensed helicopter pilots who can address any other questions you may have, and there’s a block of class time that’s used for flight practice.
    1. Stay Current with Government Regulations: The FAA controls all of the airspace in our atmosphere. Whether it’s a few inches above your head or 400 feet off the ground, they are the ones who make the rules. It’s important to read up on their current and proposed regulations, so that you don’t get ticketed or fined for flying illegally. Right now, in order to make money from flying you’ll need to obtain an FAA 333 Exemption, or be a commercial airline pilot. While this paperwork can be easily applied for, it takes roughly six months for it to get approved and sent back. I’m writing this blog in June, and it’s been rumored that the FAA will be coming out with a separate set of drone pilot regulations this month. We’re still waiting on that, which leaves a lot of us commercial drone pilot hopefuls in limbo.
    1. Practice, Practice, Practice: Similar to the first tip I covered earlier in this blog, you can never have enough practice. After all, a great aerial shot cannot be achieved without great aerial maneuvering. Setup a chair or trash barrel in your yard and practice orbiting around it, with the nose of the drone constantly facing the subject. Once you’ve mastered that, give these a try.

    To sum it all up, it seems like drone flying is a hobby/professional tool that is here to stay. It’s an activity that should be done with safety as the number one concern, and enthusiasts should not rush to the finish line. I’ll leave you with my three favorite drone videos on YouTube (1) (2) (3). Happy flying!

    Fill out the form below to schedule a free strategy call with our team.



    Matter

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  • 4 Ways to Go Beyond Reading and Watching with Interactive Content

    Last week, Leo and I attended the quarterly Boston Content meet-up to engage in a discussion about Interactive Content. You’ve likely seen the term on several “trends & predictions” lists for 2016, but what is interactive content, exactly? And how can you use it to support your brand’s content marketing initiatives? Senior Content Marketing Manager at SnapApp, Lena Prickett, was the leader of the discussion and she had four key takeaways for using interactive content to help boost business goals.

    1. Interactive content requires consumers to engage in a way that goes beyond reading or watching

    Bringing users into the experience and allowing them to tailor the content to their interests is what interactive content is all about. This also allows marketers to essentially have a conversation with their prospects. Brands are able to gather additional data to then deliver a more personalized experience to users. It’s one of the best ways to deepen information exchanges with an audience. Especially if you have proprietary data – do something with it!

    2. Interactive content can take on different shapes, but requires you ask the same questions

    Content formats include, and are not limited to: interactive infographics, “gifographics,” quizzes and assessments, data visualization and maps, calculators, surveys, and generators and tools. The latter of which gave this blog post headline a “B+.”

    And I must personally highlight one of 2016’s top trends, 360-degree video:

    No matter what format you decide on, you should be asking:

    • What is my goal? How will this content format help me meet it?
    • What do I want my audience to gain?
    • What resources do I need to make this happen?
    • What existing content do I have that I could make interactive?

    3. Speaking of questions, you need to ask yourself, “Why should this content be interactive?”

    Sometimes it simply doesn’t make sense. If the interactivity is not actually adding any value for your audience, then spend your time and resources on something else.
     
    4. When done right, interactive content can help you meet a variety of business goals, from qualifying leads to increasing blog interaction

    As a content marketer, you’re often competing for people’s attention with Buzzfeed, the king of interactive content. So you should do your best to distract people with your own Buzzfeed-esque, “bored at work” content that ultimately keeps your brand top-of-mind and engaging. If people can engage with your content they are going to stay on your site longer, which can in turn help boost your SEO. The longer someone stays on your site, the more you learn about them and the better you can engage with them in the future. Appeal to the interests of your audience, while giving them something useful. And consider scalability by looking for and creating an interactive tool that will scale across all of your programs and channels; investing in a repeatable, templatable platform is often ideal.

    What types of interactive content do you like the best, and why?

    Tim Bradley

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  • 4 Reasons Why Digital Video Will Win The Decade

    4 Reasons Why Digital Video Will Win The Decade

    Last week at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer at YouTube, presented the keynote on why digital video will win the decade – and video and content marketers should take note.

    But before diving in, let’s refer back to 2012 when Kyncl made some bold predictions. He said that by 2020, “90% of all internet traffic was going to be video traffic,” and “75% of all video people watched in the US was going to be transmitted through the internet.” Fast forward to the CES 2016 Keynote, Kyncl justified his predictions by educating the crowd:

    • “Cisco predicts that video will actually reach around 90% of global internet traffic by 2019 – so a full year ahead of schedule.”
    • “By 2020…digital video will only reach about 60% of the total pie, not 75, as predicted.”

    However, Kyncl is standing by his latter prediction because he doesn’t think digital video will grow linearly – currently at 25% a year – but exponentially. “So, this being Vegas, I’m doubling down. I believe digital video will overtake TV to become the single largest way people spend free time before the end of the decade,” states Kyncl.

    Per Kyncl, here are four reasons why digital video will win the decade:

    1. It’s inherently mobile

    Bigger, brighter and sharper screens, longer battery life, stronger and faster data speeds, and better sound quality are all trends producing devices constantly improving on the mobile video viewing experience. “And app makers and publishers, from Snapchat to The New York Times, are all investing in making video a core part of their experiences, accelerating mobile video consumption,” adds Kyncl. “And on YouTube, the average time people spend watching video on their mobile device is forty minutes, a gain of 50% year-on-year.”

    2. It’s endlessly diverse

    With digital video, not only can audiences share and search, but choose to consume at their leisure. The mobility is “successfully changing the way we consume video into the way we consume books – you can find one on whatever interests you and consume it whenever and wherever you want,” explains Kyncl. “That openness has led to incredible content diversity. Not only do we have videos on every topic imaginable, entirely new genres of video have been born on YouTube.”

    3. It’s never been more important to music

    Aside from sleeping and working, watching video is the #1 way people spend their time. What’s #2? Listening to music – at just over four hours a day. “And YouTube is a major source of that music,” Kyncl reports, “More than half of all teenagers use [YouTube] as their main way to find and listen to new artists, in large part because we have the biggest and best music library available. If an artist has a live performance, a remix, an acoustic version or an out of print track, chances are you can find it on YouTube. But the best thing about music on YouTube is that music videos can become massive phenomena, whether they’re from established or emerging artists.”

    4. It’s immersive in a way TV can never be

    CES 2016 product and technology trends in Virtual Reality and 360 video are at the forefront of this statement, and leading content creators around the world are using this technology to tell richer, immersive, and interactive stories.

    “Already on Android and soon in iOS, you’ll be able to watch any video on YouTube in VR…making VR truly democratic and primed to grow exponentially,” concludes Kyncl.

    These four reasons and trends all point to digital video’s success during the decade.

    To watch Robert Kyncl’s Keynote in its entirety with compelling cameos from Scooter Braun, founder of SB Projects, Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro, and Chris Milk, CEO of Vrse, carve out an hour for the video below:

    Fill out the form below to schedule a free strategy call with our team.



    Tim Bradley

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  • 3 Video Trends for 2016

    2015 was a great year for online video – just check out the excellently crafted and entertaining #YouTubeRewind video. And there’s no signs of the momentum slowing as we enter 2016. From a communication professional’s perspective, I’d like to offer-up three trends that will likely have the greatest impact on how video will influence the industry in 2016.

    1. Mobile Video

    50% of video views will be via mobile in 2016. And more specifically, the biggest video platform of them all and the one that reaches more 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S., YouTube, supports that more than half of their video views come from mobile devices. Adults in the U.S. spend an average of 5.5 hours watching video each day, with 1 hour and 16 minutes of that on digital devices. Mobile video should be the biggest consideration for online communicators, especially in public relations and content marketing.

    2. Attention Spans and Viewing Habits

    Mobile devices and their connected counterparts (aka TVs) will continue to contribute to video viewing behaviors and ultimately increased attention spans. 81% of consumers watch videos longer than 10 minutes, and 65% watch videos longer than 30 minutes. Holistically, the number of hours people spend watching videos on YouTube has increased by 60% year-over-year. For mobile YouTube audiences, the average viewing session is now greater than 40 minutes. One interesting tidbit to note is that the weather can actually impact viewing habits; viewers watch 29% longer in cold weather while consumers watch 6x more video content on mobile devices during warm weather.

    3. Demand and Advertising

    According to Cisco’s staggering numbers, video traffic will be 69% of all consumer internet traffic in 2017 and could reach 80% by 2019. Fortunately, video converts better than any other medium according to approximately 70% of marketing professionals, likely due to the fact that the average click-through-rate for video advertisement is higher than any other digital advertisement.

    1+1=$

    YouTube’s mobile revenue has doubled year over year, and according to an eMarketer study, mobile ad spend will top $100 billion which accounts for more than 50% of the digital market. Despite all this, there’s still a huge opportunity for digital content marketers and advertisers in 2016, as only 24% of brands are using online video to market to consumers.

    Ultimately, video will have a remarkable role in how audiences engage online, as well as greatly influence content marketing and advertising budgets in 2016. Research shows 60% of companies who have a documented content marketing strategy rate themselves highly in terms of effectiveness, so it’s very important to have a documented video strategy for – and proceeding into – 2016.

    ###

    Sources:
    https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/en-GB/statistics.html
    http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Mobile-Ad-Spend-Top-100-Billion-Worldwide-2016-51-of-Digital-Market/1012299
    http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/ip-ngn-ip-next-generation-network/white_paper_c11-481360.html
    http://www.codefuel.com/blog/video-marketing-statistics-for-2015-the-next-big-thing-is-here
    http://kantarmedia.us/insight-center/reports
    http://www.emarketer.com/Article/US-Adults-Spend-55-Hours-with-Video-Content-Each-Day/1012362
    http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/26719/2015-will-be-the-year-of-video-marketing
    http://www.reelseo.com/50-per-cent-video-views-mobile-2016/
    http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2016_B2C_Research_Final.pdf

    Tim Bradley

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  • 3 Things to Look for When Watching a Video Sizzle Reel

    3 Things to Look for When Watching a Video Sizzle Reel

    At year’s end, most video production houses should be recapping their latest and greatest work into a short video for the world to see. Also known as the “sizzle reel,” this video showcases said video house’s best work and truly provides good insight into the group’s production value, quality, aesthetics, and knowledge in industry. This best-of-the-best video is ultimately edited very intentionally to project or parallel the type/style of video the House wants to be creating in the future, so I’m offering some tips of what to look for when watching a video house’s sizzle reel. If you’re a B2C or B2B content marketer or business in need of a video and researching production houses, keep an eye on these key elements within a sizzle reel:

    1. Production Value

    A simple quality control check, ask yourself this question: does this look good to me? From drones to jibs and image stabilizers to dollys and sliders, there’s nearly an infinite amount of production gear readily available to video producers to create dynamic video that help craft your story and detail your message. A professional video house should be using ALL of them, and not resting on the laurels of any given one. The sizzle reel should exemplify all facets of production tools and techniques. And two major things that are equally as important as the video quality are the lighting and audio. Lighting sets the tone and mood of the picture so working beyond just natural lighting is important. And many splashy sizzle reels tend to omit audio clips and soundbites, choosing to let the music bed do the talking, but we all know that audio can make or break a video so it’s important to provide examples of professionalism.

    After these essential fundamentals, it’s important to dive a little deeper and acknowledge the editing choices and techniques showcased in the sizzle reel. Shot selection in a sizzle reel is important to acknowledge because every video editor should be very deliberate in any video project; each shot should tell it’s own story in some way. In a sizzle reel, each shot should highlight some facet of the video house’s production value: camera movement, framing, lighting, audio, video coverage type, and/or industry knowledge. Lastly, bonus points for advanced editing techniques such as timelapses, transitions, overlays, color grading, motion graphics, animation, etc.

    2. Industry Knowledge

    In a 1-to-2 minute sizzle reel, there’s plenty of opportunity to showcase one’s expertise in any particular industry. Especially when, to reiterate, the sizzle reel is a video house’s opportunity to present the type of work they want to be doing. As a content marketer, it’s important when reviewing a sizzle reel to note what type(s) of industry said video house has produced work with/for because each has it’s own opportunities and challenges. Primarily working with an industry that’s based mostly outdoors vs. working indoors is probably the most obvious, but others include: product vs. service, people vs. places, and action vs. static.

    Working with a creative services group that’s in-house of a PR and social media agency offers a wide berth of industry perspective and knowledge that ultimately translates cross-businesses. Not being stuck in just one industry can open up possibilities for how you look at other projects, and allows for fresh perspectives as well as best practices when creating different types of videos.

    3. Story-telling

    A video house’s expertise can fall under any number of arenas: company explainers, thought leadership, company or product launches, testimonials, recruitment, lifestyle, event coverage, social media, live broadcasting, etc. And obviously a sizzle-reel is a compilation of many such individual stories. But it’s important that the sizzle reel should tell a story within itself as well. A content marketer should be able to watch the sizzle reel and have a good understanding of the video house’s service offerings as well as the expertise they can bring to the table.

    If you’re a content marketer who plans to produce engaging and compelling video, we’d love to brainstorm your ideas. What types of video do you intend to create? Check our Agency Reel:

     

    Tim Bradley

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  • Tips on How To Not Only Survive – But Thrive – at a PR Agency

    Tips on How To Not Only Survive – But Thrive – at a PR Agency

    I have worked in PR my entire career, but I just started working as an account executive at a PR agency for the first time a couple months ago. The reason why I bring this up is because I thought I had experienced everything there is about PR, but in actuality I still had a lot to learn.

    Don’t let that scare you though because working for an agency is a gratifying experience. Agency life brings more opportunities for collaboration, client experience and a social environment that is better than most workplaces. With all that being said though, it’s not easy. In the day-to-day agency life you will be confused at times, frustrated on other days and stress will definitely creep in from time-to-time.

    However, based on my ever-growing experiences I wanted to share the following tips that will help make you adjustment period to agency life a little bit smoother:

    1. Keep a updated “to do” list
      This has saved me on multiple occasions. I create a task for almost every single thing I have to do. And every time I create a task, I state what the deadline is, who the client is and include any helpful notes that will help me complete the task.
    2. Don’t take the word “no” too personally
      Unless you know some magic formula that can influence media members, you probably are going to hear some “no’s” from reporters from time to time. When this does happen, stay positive and objective. If the reporter is even very brief or impolite, remember they are really busy and have tight deadlines. If possible, try to determine why they turned your story down, and tailor your next pitch to them accordingly.
    3. Non-work-related activities are vital to getting rid of your stress
      Like I stated earlier, agency life can be very demanding and stressful. Competing client demands, tight turnarounds, crises and unrealistic expectations can sometimes but you over the edge. This is why you need other outlets to counteract this stress. Everyone has their individual hobbies, myself, I am more of a golf and outdoor guy, but the point is you need to keep busy outside of work too. It will help you relieve stress and make you a more productive employee.

    The last thing I will say too is to never hesitate asking questions because trust me you will have them. Other than that, hope some of these tips help you as you start out on your own PR agency journey, and good luck!

    Matter

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