Anyhow, there is one and only one thing we know for certain in these uncertain times.  And that is that this too will pass.  We will get to the other side of all of this.  Sure, we don’t know when or how long it will take or how it will change us, but there is going to be a day when COVID-19 isn’t what we wake up to with our morning coffee.   There is a day coming when we will be right back to worrying about our kids in school, cleaning out the garage, the mechanic who overcharged us, and our lawn. 

But it’s our job now as businesses, brands, and business leaders to set the right tone.  You don’t want to do a fake pep rally, but real opportunity can be born from crisis.  The crisis is real.  It’s been painful. But transparency has never been more appealing.  Honesty has never been more the rule of the day.  And genuine business relationships have never felt more meaningful.  Well at least that’s how I see it. 

Training plays an obvious role in safety and productivity. But maybe less obviously, according to a poll by West UC’s Digital Media Services, it’s also a key factor in job satisfaction and employee retention:

• 41% of respondents said they would like more training in the next year
• Two out of three employees say training plays a significant role in their decision to stay with their current company/position.
• A third felt material in their (current) training was not interesting or engaging.

Clearly, there is opportunity here! A quality training video can provide multiple benefits in one convenient-to-use package. Employees can view training videos on their schedule, then go back and review information again if desired. Additionally, training videos provide the same experience every time they are viewed—nothing gets missed or miscommunicated. And, since many people describe themselves as “visual learners,” videos are a great way to appeal to this group.

Style and substance
Different types of information work best delivered through different styles of video:

• Live action works best for more straightforward information.
• Animated videos offer the opportunity to see inside a machine or process. Whiteboard videos are a popular animated choice.
• Demonstrations provide a great opportunity to show action and an end product
• Recorded screens are the ideal way to show how to do something online.
• Addressing the camera is best used with professional actors or when someone internally is both comfortable on camera and has a compelling message.

With a third of employees feeling their current training isn’t interesting or engaging, it’s important to make sure your training video offers both interesting information AND presents it in an engaging manner. Keep the following in mind:

• Attention-grabbing introduction
• Visually attractive
• Information is clear, concise and well organized
• High quality production—good sound, lighting and editing
• Message resonates with the audience

Of course, some companies can produce serviceable training in-house, but more often, producing an engaging and effective training video means turning to experts with significant experience writing, producing and directing compelling, effective video content. Reach out to us to discuss your training program needs. Maybe a video is right for you?

The term native ad didn’t even exist until 2011, but by 2018 had overtaken banner ads to claim 56% of US online advertising. Studies have shown native ads perform better than banner ads, and clearly native ads have momentum, but that doesn’t mean banner ads are going away any time soon. Both types most likely have a place in your programmatic digital plan. Let’s define both…

Banner Ads
Banner ads are technically just one size (468×60 pixels) of display ad, but the term is commonly used for all display ads because early display ads were always a “banner” shaped box at the top of a web page. Today the terms banner ad and display ad are used almost interchangeably and these ads can appear in multiple sizes, in many locations on a web page. What they all have in common is that there is usually type and a visual, the sales message is strong, and the ad hyperlinks to an entirely different website. Many banner ads have a video or are interactive in some way.

Native ads
Native ads, on the other hand, are chameleons! They are placed within web page content and resemble that content to a great degree. They appear to “belong” on the webpage with an editorial appearance and a soft sell. A native ad might also appear like a listing in the results page of a search engine such as Google, or as a sponsored post in a Facebook or LinkedIn news feed.

No clear winner … yet
As mentioned earlier, native ads perform better—studies show they are viewed 52% more than banner ads, have higher click-through rates (.2% for native vs .05% for banner) and are more easily viewed on a mobile device. However—much like pop-up ads before them—as native ads become more and more prevalent, people are finding them obtrusive and could possibly form a negative association with the brands they advertise.

For now, smart media buyers are using sophisticated programmatic planning and buying software to craft digital plans that include both banner and native ads as we figure out how the online advertising landscape of tomorrow will look.

To hear more about the plethora of digital options available—and learn what we see on the ad horizon—give us a shout!