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Tag: video marketing

  • Minikin DGWorks: The powerhouse redefining digital content production

    Minikin DGWorks: The powerhouse redefining digital content production

    MUMBAI: The digital world moves fast, blink and you might miss the next big thing. But Minikin DGWorks isn’t here to play catch-up. It’s here to lead. The new-age production house, a sister concern of the acclaimed Chrome Pictures, is rewriting the rules of digital storytelling, crafting content that doesn’t just entertain but connects in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

    Co-founded by Aleya Sen, Amit Sharma, and Hemant Bhandari, Minikin DGWorks is a vibrant, high-energy production house that blends the artistry of traditional advertising with the infinite possibilities of AI-driven content creation.

    Aleya Sen, Co-founder, explains the vision behind the venture, “Minikin is all about embracing the excitement of the new-age technological shift, blending traditional advertising with the possibilities of the digital and AI era. We recognize that the world is at the threshold of a major civilizational shift, where the lines between the old and the new are blurring under every department. Hence, we’re here to explore, evolve, and push boundaries, shaping the future of advertising as we navigate this transformational change.”

    Minikin DGWorks isn’t your run-of-the-mill production house. It’s a collective of sharp, tech-savvy minds, bringing together a panel of freelance directors handpicked for their expertise in storytelling, VFX, animation, and stylised content. The production team is built for quick turnarounds, high-impact execution, and bold creative choices—because in the digital era, speed and quality are non-negotiable.

    Since launching, Minikin DGWorks has collaborated with major brands, including Google, Make My Trip, HDFC Life, Tanishq, Pepsi, Flipkart Minutes, Bajaj Allianz, Saregama, Airtel, Snapdeal, Goibibo, ICICI Bank, Maruti Suzuki, and Acko India. Not stopping there, the company has worked with some of Bollywood’s biggest names, including Shahrukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Deepika Padukone. Their redBus campaign, directed by Mithun R Shaw and produced by Ashish Gole, earned recognition at the Effies Awards 2024 and IAA Awards 2024, cementing Minikin’s reputation for cost-effective, high-engagement video content.

    Minikin DGWorks understands that internet-driven content needs to hit differently—no fluff, no fillers, just compelling stories that click with modern audiences. Whether it’s short-form digital films, high-energy commercials, or immersive storytelling for brands, Minikin is always on the hunt for fresh, disruptive ideas.

    As the industry steps into a future fuelled by AI, automation, and limitless digital possibilities, Minikin DGWorks is positioning itself at the forefront. With its ethos of staying fresh, real, and constantly evolving, the company is set to redefine digital storytelling for a generation that doesn’t just watch content—they live i
     

  • GUEST COLUMN: How video marketing drives maximum conversions

    GUEST COLUMN: How video marketing drives maximum conversions

    Mumbai: The rapid growth of TikTok globally, as well as Instagram releasing ‘Reels’ over the last couple of years, is a testament to the rise in video consumption, with users preferring to watch short video clips on their mobile devices.

    These short clips, referred to as ‘snackable content’ are often shared by users on their social feeds as well as via messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc. Most large brands have been quick to understand the importance of creating snackable video content, as part of their overall marketing efforts and have been leveraging this trend for quite some time, with 93 per cent of marketers saying that it is an important part of their marketing strategy.

    What is Video Marketing?

    Before we discuss video marketing, let’s take a step back and understand today’s consumer, who spends a good part of his/her day on mobile device. Right from checking the news, to social feeds, connecting with friends and family, to shopping & entertainment, their life revolves around their mobile phones. This offers brands a plethora of touchpoints to reach out to them, via search engine marketing, through ad placements on popular websites, and promoted ads on social feeds based on their interests.

    Coming back to the consumer, they are well aware of the ‘techniques’ used by marketers to gain their attention, which makes them look at alternative ways to understand which is the right product for them. Here’s where online influencers and other ‘word of mouth’ marketing plays an important role. Consumers are more likely to trust a product if it has been recommended by a friend or by someone she trusts. This is why, brands have been tapping popular influencers to create content featuring their products. This is manifest in the form of videos featuring product reviews, unboxing, how to use, etc.

    Why is video marketing important for brands?

    Gone are the days when brands can simply create a ‘360 Campaign’ and expect it to deliver the goods. While certain brands, especially in the beauty and lifestyle space see merit in associating with celebrities to endorse their products, from the consumer’s perspective, this only helps in driving awareness of the advertised product. Consumers would still want to know what others say about the product, read the reviews on online marketplaces, see comparisons between different products before putting down her money.

    Here’s where video marketing comes in! By reaching the consumer while he/she is scrolling through the social feed, or when he/she searches for a solution either on YouTube or on a search engine, video marketing enables brands to build a stronger connection with the consumer.

    Brands can reach out to consumers at different stages in their consumer journey by creating specific video content, which addresses these stages. In fact, as per research, 96 per cent of users have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. What’s more, unlike brand films or TVCs, these videos are affordable to produce and brands can easily create a series of videos without breaking the bank!

    How does video marketing enhance conversions?

    As per a consumer survey on how they’d like to learn about a product or service, 69 per cent users said they’d prefer to watch a short video, in comparison to 18 per cent who’d rather read a text-based article, website or post, or just four per cent who’d like to view an infographic.

    The best part of video marketing is these videos help brands to make that all important conversion, by providing links to the brand website or brand store on marketplaces. These links can be embedded at the end of the video, can appear as a call-out at the bottom of the video and can also be placed in the video description, along with other relevant links to the brand’s website, social media pages, etc., thereby building the trust factor.

    According to a research by Wyzowl, 94 per cent of marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service, while 84 per cent say video has helped generate leads.

    (The author is creative director at BC Web Wise. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them)

  • Marketing modules set to gain importance in 2020

    Marketing modules set to gain importance in 2020

    MUMBAI: Over the last decade we’ve witnessed the field of marketing transform in previously unimaginable ways. Much of this transformation has been driven by the breakneck advance of technology, leaving marketers struggling to catch up. But before the profession starts pinning all its woes on these unprecedented changes, it’s important to take a step back and view the broader picture. Marketing has always been at the very forefront of technological development and advancement. 

    Every era has seen the technologies of the day co-opted and put to use in service of the profession, from SMS marketing of the 90s and media buying during the internet boom, through to the more recent introduction of social media marketing. If we are to stay at the top of our game, it is our duty to remain constantly aware of new and evolving technologies and their applicability to our sector. As such, these are the marketing trends for 2020 that we expect will see the most traction:

    Crowd Marketing

    At its heart, crowd marketing is simply the next step in the natural evolution of influencer marketing. But whereas influencer marketing targets brand endorsements by actors, athletes, and other celebrities, crowd marketing is all about converting regular customers into brand ambassadors across their personal social media channels, regardless of follower numbers. Crowd marketing can serve as the digital analogue of word-of-mouth marketing, and stimulated by rewarding user-generated content and positive online mentions of the brand. In this way, brand loyalty is built and a vocal online community of online supporters is cultivated. This approach has resulted in the democratisation of influencer marketing and completely changed the paradigm. Marketing tools such as Brandie help companies tap engage with this segment, with leading businesses across India (including Air India, The Bowl Company, Godrej Nature’s Basket, and Raw Pressery) all reaping the benefits.

    Meme Marketing

    Memes have long been the mode of communication of choice for millennials and Gen Z-ers. Despite this, you’d be forgiven for never having heard of them before. Memes, for the uninitiated amongst us, are essentially images or videos accompanied by a humorous caption. The more socially relevant and relatable the meme, the more viral its spread across the internet. Meme culture has grown to such an extent that the most popular memes have jumped the bounds of the internet, with people incorporating them into their day-to-day conversations. As such, their allure to marketers should be immediately understandable. 

    Meme marketing attempts to integrate the virality of memes and turn them to the benefit of a brand or company. The most recent high-profile use of meme marketing was by Netflix to promote Sandra Bullock-starrer ‘Bird Box’ in 2018. The film’s striking imagery, and promotional efforts that included a Bird Box themed blindfold challenge with prominent Twitch streamers, saw the internet community produce tremendous numbers of memes, with knowledge of the film spreading through a form digital cultural osmosis. The result was an internet phenomenon and an unmitigated marketing success. According to figures released by Netflix following the film’s launch, Bird Box was viewed by more than 45 million accounts within the first week of its release – a statistic touted as the platform’s best-ever debut for an original film. 

    Dynamic Content Marketing

    Dynamic content, otherwise known as adaptive content, refers to any online content or material which changes based on a user’s behavior, preferences, and interests. By personalising a user’s interactions with a website and the marketing material they receive based on available user data, this form of marketing provides visitors with an engaging and customised experience. Once again, streaming services provide us with an example of this method done right. Through various proprietary algorithms, OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime provide us with a selection of media tailor-made for us. These algorithms determine our viewing preferences by analysing various factors such as the genre and setting of the content we view, and then compiling a thematically similar set of options. 

    Video Marketing

    The introduction of streaming services over the past decade has led to a surge in the public’s appetite for video content. This phenomenon has spread to social media as well, with both social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram (via Facebook Live and IGTV) and standalone video-streaming apps such as TikTok and Dubsmash carving a space for themselves in the market. A direct result of this is the emergence of a glut of video marketing tools, all trying to utilize this opportunity to develop their customer base. The popularity of video content amongst both the public and businesses is easy to understand – it provides the former with a simple, easily digestible form of content, while providing the latter with an engaging and insightful avenue through which to reach their target audience. Social media networks serve as the ideal platforms for this sort of content, and allow for video marketing to target specific audiences and groups.  Startups such as online video creator InVideo are thriving in this environment, by helping companies create marketing videos quickly and affordably through their software. 

    (The author is co-founder Brandie. The views expressed are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Learning the importance of video marketing today

    Learning the importance of video marketing today

    MUMBAI: “Is it viral yet?” More often than not, this is what you will hear from marketers and agencies soon after they make a brand campaign or a video live on social media. The virality of a video is the new scale of measurement for most advertisers now, and rightly so! When a video goes viral, it can increase your search engine ranking, click-through rates, open rates and conversions.

    Brands have for the longest time needed a video marketing strategy but what has changed is how important video has become on every platform and channel. It is no longer restricted to doing television commercials or doing product placement on some television show or a movie. It has become the centre to their outreach and social strategy.

    While videos are great and should be every marketer’s best friend, there are several questions around it that need to be answered.

    How do you know if your videos are working? How can you measure the efficacy of your videos? How do you build brand confidence? What is the role of videos in overall brand strategy? What platforms should you choose to deliver the videos? How do you treat videos in regional languages? And most importantly, what are the top 5 things to keep in mind for branded videos and video marketing?

    To find out the answers to these compelling and perplexing industry questions, Indiantelevision.com will host a summit on branded videos and video marketing – BrandVid 2018( brandvid.in) on 30 October 2018 at Sahara Star, Mumbai. The summit will see industry stalwarts discuss these topics and map out a way for the industry where all major stakeholders can make the most of videos.

    Video has absolutely dominated social media and according to a recent HubSpot Research report, four of the top six channels on which global consumers watch video are social channels. And a common topic for every A&M conversation – video is the way forward – finally seems to look right.

    Video marketing isn’t just limited to slapping a video on television, YouTube and other social media platforms. Today, 70 per cent of millennials prefer watching a brand’s video when shopping online. According to Video Marketing Statistics 2018 report, 84 per cent of consumers are convinced to purchase a company’s product after they’ve watched their video. It is also interesting to note that 81 per cent of businesses with an explainer video on their homepage said that those videos have increased their sales.

    As per a report by Syndacast, click-through rates increase by between 200-300 per cent when a marketing email contained a video.

    Remember the Dancing Uncles video that went viral? No? Well, have a look at it here:

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    Bajaj Allianz signed Sanjeev Srivastava aka the internet’s dancing uncle to promote one of its offering. Lately, he was also seen promoting Amazon India’s Great Indian Festival Sale. The power of internet and video today!

    In a general media ecosystem, you would have a brand, an agency and a production house where a brand gives a brief to an agency about the kind of video they want and they in turn hire a production house to shoot the video and later get it edited from a third party. But that’s changing now. Brands are now becoming media companies and they have their own in-house content studio that creates content for them on-the-go. It’s challenging for a traditional agency to sustain and survive in a competing environment like this. But is there a way where brands, agencies and publishers can co-exist and collaborate? Maybe yes but how only time will tell.

    Most videos today seem to be mindless and done just because every other brand on the block is doing it. Marketers often forget that they don’t need to follow the herd mentality.

    It is incorrect to judge your video campaign solely on it becoming viral and famous. It may not always lead to your products being sold from the shelves. As simple as video marketing seems, it is actually more complex than that. While brands and agencies have exploited video marketing to the core, whether or not it works entirely depends on what do you want your audience to hear, see and feel. And most importantly, what message are you trying to convey and what is the call to action?

    All in all, video marketing is not only fun, it’s also one of the best ways to get up close to your audience and give them a real glimpse of what you and your business or your clients are doing The more they know about your positive practices, the more likely they are to stick around.