Marketing Videos Don’t Have to Suck

Whether it's a commercial for your products or services, an introduction to your organization, or just for fun, marketing videos are one of those really great things that can go really, really wrong.

It was nearly 15 years ago when Apple released this marketing video proclaiming the glories of the Mac OS over Windows 95. Not only is the video chock full of dated technology that actually makes you happy to be 15 years older, but it makes your marketing candle burn brighter knowing that even Apple has failed once or twice. If you're like me, still smarting from those horrible videos they showed in school, this video shows the caliber production people expect when they hear the words marketing video.

Did you know the lame is optional?

Consider the following marketing videos that found success.

UPS Whiteboard
Will it Blend?
Ray-Ban Sunglasses

The first two videos concentrate their message to address their audience's main pressure point. Worried about how to handle your shipping? UPS says, It's simple. Need a blender that won't fail? BlendTec says, Yes, this blender will blend absolutely everything. The Ray-Ban video, which launched in 2007, breaks from convention and just went for a How'd they do that? pull. It worked; the video had as many as 1.7 million views in one week.

The worst thing you can do when producing a video is to copy, verbatim, the achievements of others. A more winning strategy is to figure out why some videos fail and why others succeed, and then apply that to your own business. And don't dare think any video will drop your professional status. Watch these 12 CEOs starring in their own videos, proving that you don't have to go over-the-top with your message to succeed. Just be honest.