Lights! Camera! Profit!
By far, the most common element among successful videos is comedy. Rather than offering airless advertisements or canned commercial messages, these videos deliver laughs as well as pitching a product.Case in point: Blendtec, a division of K-TEC Inc., of Orem, Utah. In the past year, the high-end blender maker has drawn more than 60 million views for its “Will It Blend?” video series. The premise is simple. A laconic host, Blendtec CEO Tom Dickson, uses the company’s blenders to grind up everything from credit cards to golf clubs to an iPhone. Cheesy music plays in the background, and cheesy jokes fly freely.
George Wright, Blendtec’s director of marketing, says the series got started with a simple observation. He realized that Mr. Dickson tested his blenders by putting 2×2 boards inside and letting them rip. (See a video.)
Retail sales of the blenders have shot up 500% since the company started the series last year. This year, total sales are projected to top $40 million. And the series has brought Blendtec tremendous name recognition. When employees demonstrate the products at big-box retailers, people come out and say, ” ‘That’s the blender that can blend marbles!’ ” says Mr. Wright. “Before that, [employees] were having to introduce the company.”
John on November 29th, 2007 6:59 am
It’s a great idea to promote both their brand and their products.
It’s simple, endlessly repeatable and it attracts viewers who want to see more and more.
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