It's not an earth-shattering revelation that people are increasingly watching video on the web and mobile phones.  The average person can easily post their own videos to YouTube, Facebook or a blog.  Hulu offers free tv programs and movies on-line and Vizio announced during the Super Bowl that it is bringing internet apps to TV. 

As delivery gets faster and systems more capable of processing larger amounts of information, we're seeing more and more video.  So how do you make use of video online for your business or organization?  Here's our top 10 list of things to keep in mind for creating effective video for your website. 

1. Use video for its strenths--creating emotional impace and a memorable impression
2. Reflect your brand.  Make sure any video that you post expresses the essence of your brand so that the viewer's connection with it is strengthened.
3. Define a clear structure.  If you're promoting a product, express one or two key benefits and do it in a memorable way.  If it's a corporate overview, create a 3-minute and a 30-second version.
4. Billboard key ideas.  Focus on the one impression you want to leave with your audience.
5. Create emotional impact.  This can be done through music, a story or images.  Try to fit one emotional moment into each minute of a 3-minute piece and one into a 30-second piece.
6. Convey personality.  You can achieve this through many things including music, images, writing style, humor, and showing people from your business.  People like to see people.  Choose an on-camera spokesperson or a narrator to present your story with personality.
7. Ensure rapid downloads.  Online users quickly lose patience.  They will wait a little longer for a video to stream than a webpage to load but not much.  Having a visible progress bar will keep users interested because they have a general idea of how long they will have to wait.  Keep in mind mobile viewers as well.
8. Decide your budget ahead of time.  Not every video needs to have the highest production value.  A corporate overview should have a higher production value than a video blog.  Once you decide what your video is, let the creative team take it away.
9. Invite your audience back for more.  Point out opportunities to go deeper into your website or contact you.
10. Make video production a regular part of your integrated marketing communications strategy.  Online video content is only going to grow as the world becomes more image and motion-oriented.  Stay current and active.  It will pay off in customers feeling more strongly about their relationship with your brand.

See how we created a variety of lengths and subject matter videos for the Michigan State University Broad Full-time MBA program on their website.  They have received really positive feedback about how these videos helped potential students connect with their brand.  You can also see other examples of videos here on our website. 

Happy 2010!  It's a new year and depending on how you prefer to calculate it, a new decade.  The world of marketing has changed pretty dramatically in the last year, let alone the last 10.  Let's look at a couple of ways that marketing has changed.

1. Social Media - In 2009 alone, social media exploded as a marketing medium.  Marketing professionals are still trying to figure out how to use Twitter and Facebook effectively to communicate with their audiences.  It may seem kind of silly but it takes some serious thought to create a social media strategy that will reach your target audience and engage them to keep coming back.
2. Video Online - MOVE has been producing videos throughout our 25-year history.  In that time we've seen plenty of things change.  Formats like Betacam and even DVcam are almost obsolete now.  But almost more dramatic is how accessible video has become online.  YouTube made it very simple for anyone to put a video online.  And because anyone can do it, it became almost a requirement for websites.  The quality of videos that can be shown online has improved greatly in the last couple of years too.  It used to take a long time to stream a very small video online but now internet and video technology has improved to be able to stream high quality video without any interruption or waiting. 
3. Budget -  Ok, I know, no one really needs to be told this but in the last couple of years, marketing budgets have contracted dramatically.  It hasn't just hit one sector or size of company either, it's everywhere.  But companies still need to do marketing.  They still need to communicate with their customers.  So as marketing professionals, we have to be creative about what we do.  We need to help our clients repurpose content in new ways and spend their money on projects that will create the most impact with their budget. 

Through all these changes, and many more, we at MOVE have held on to the belief that the best way to move people is by telling them a story.  Whether it's in automotive, education or publishing, every product or service has a story that is unique.  And every story has the power to move people to action.  As we begin 2010, we're looking forward to helping our clients move ahead...further...faster. 

The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce puts on an annual conference called Impact in the fall.  This year both Don and I attended for MOVE.  The Chamber describes it as a public policy forum that will "bring leadership, business and community voices together to create alignment on a compelling vision of regional success to ensure that the Ann Arbor region continues to thrive." 

The partner organization for the event this year was A2 Success.  This name should sound familiar to you because I have mentioned the initiative in previous posts about the Washtenaw Ave Talent Center.  A2 Sucess is actually a county-wide initiative with the goal of ensuring "smart and successful growth of the Ann Arbor region."  Under the umbrella of A2 Success there are a number of focus areas.  The ones that they presented on at Impact this year were corporate leadership, government efficiency, improving K-12 performance, talent centers, and transit.  Some of these groups were further along in the development process than others but I think they received a lot of good feedback during the break-out sessions and hopefully that will help them to target their message and efforts as the move forward. 

One of the things that I found most interesting was the responses in a text message poll that we participated in at the end of the event.  Because it was done via text message and internet they could project real-time updates as the responses were sent in.  One of the questions was something like, "Which of the 5 topics discussed today should be the focus of the Chamber?"  You could check with the Chamber for actual percentages but I think that corporate leadership received something like 60% of the votes.  The interesting thing is that the attendance at each of the break-outs sessions was pretty even.  So even though people are interested in education and transit and believe that they are critical to our continued success as a region, most of them thought that the Chamber should spend its time on corporate leadership. 

That says two things to me.  First, people believe in the Hedgehog Principle.  This is Jim Collins' belief that companies who adopt one core principle and stick to it are the most successful.  So, while it seems that people attending Impact believe that all 5 focus areas are important, they think that the Chamber should stick to its core principle of promoting commerce through corporate leadership development.  If you read the Chamber's mission statement it actually includes "leadership in economic, political and educational development."  But I think most people just think business when you think of a chamber of commerce.  Second, jobs are what are going to keep people here.  If there aren't any jobs here, we're not going to be able to attract the sought after young professionals and keep the experienced ones.  Not everyone is an entrepreneur who will create a job for themselves if there isn't one here.  No matter how great the quality of life is somewhere, if you can't find a job there, you'll move to where you can.  And while, developing corporate leadership doesn't necessarily guarantee more jobs, it is could lead to growth and new development. 

There are lots of ways to get involved and voice your opinion.  Check out the A2 Success website or contact the Ann Arbor Area Chamber to connect in.

When you think of the vital cultural epicenters of Washtenaw County, Washtenaw Avenue isn't on the top of most people's lists.  In fact, most residents try to avoid it by any means necessary, especially at rush hour.  Traffic is always congested, it's not at all pedestrian or bike friendly, and getting in and out of the strip malls can be kind of a nightmare.  However, it is the primary throughline from downtown Ann Arbor to downtown Ypsilanti and is one of the main entry points for visitors to both cities.  For that reason, the county has put together an action team through the Ann Arbor Region Success initiative in order to "Redevelop Washtenaw Avenue as a Talent Center with an array of housing types in which talent can live, fixed transit service, and sustainable economic growth." 

A little over a week ago I attended one of the brainstorming meetings for community members and interested parties, including developers, planners, and members of the business community.  My good friend, and fellow Ann Arbor native, Anya, is managing the project so she invited me to attend and wear my "housing hat" as a member of the Housing & Human Services Advisory Board.  We spent time during the morning identifying particular areas of Washtenaw Ave that could benefit the most from redevelopment and then dreaming up how they could look.  In some ways it seems like a bit of a futile effort because the things that we all would like that area to be seem so far off.  But I realized that this project is kind of like marketing our community and that gave me a new perspective for what can be achieved. 

Every good marketing effort has a plan or a strategy behind it.  Here at MOVE we ask a couple of questions as we develop a marketing plan with our clients.  The first is "Where are we?"  I think most A2/Ypsi residents would agree that where we are with Washtenaw Ave is not where we want to be.  We split up into groups during the morning and across the board there was interest in more green space interspersed with commercial and mixed use spaces and more accessiblity to public transportation for the many residents who travel along this corridor each day from home to work or school.   This brings me to the next question, "Where do we want to go?"  More and more people in the community are demanding walkable spaces where they can live, work and play.  We want to like Washtenaw Ave.  But, "How will we get there?"   How can we encourage desireable development?  How can the environmentalists, public transportation, developers, business-owners and residents all be happy with the outcome?  It will definitely take a spirit of collaboration from all parties.  The interesting thing that I have learned though is that it's really more important that everyone agree on where they want to go than what the plan is to get there.  The plan is what makes the ideas actionable but if everyone doesn't agree on a common goal that plan will never be completed.  I'm excited about the possibility for Washtenaw Ave because it seems like there is a consensus forming about what it can be. 

For those of you who are a Young Professional, you might let out a little chuckle at the mention of this phrase.  It's a big buzzword these days, particularly here in Ann Arbor.  At almost every networking or business community event that I go to I hear the term at least once; "Keeping Young Professionals here is the key to our success as a region...", "We have to appeal to Young Professionals with...".  I definitely don't want to discount this thinking.  It's important for a community to have a diverse population and that includes age diversity.  But, the thing that always trips me up is the definition of a Young Professional. 

I think that most of the things that I've read define this group as college graduate working professionals between the ages of 23 and 35ish.  And that's all fine and good but the range of perspectives and interests represented by that group is vast.  How do you begin to understand and address all of the associated needs that these Young Professionals have?  Does an investment banker care about the same things as a social worker?  What sorts of social opportunities is an introvert looking for?  Is a 23-yr-old looking for the same things as a 33-yr-old?  What do you need to provide for someone who has more of an entreprenuerial spirit versus someone who likes the structure and stability of a large organization?  Does getting married and, maybe even more so, having kids automatically displace you from this category no matter what age you are? 

On top of that, there's the old chicken and egg issue of jobs.  There aren't a whole lot of jobs for new college graduates or people with a couple of years of experience in Ann Arbor, let alone the rest of Michigan.  If there isn't a job for you, you probably aren't going to stay somewhere for very long, no matter how desirable of an area it is.  But if it's not an area that's desirable to these Young Professionals, will businesses choose to locate there, therefore creating jobs?  

I am much better at posing questions than answering them so I'm sorry if this leaves you feeling a little unresolved but as a community I think that these are questions worth asking and trying to find answers to.

On an unrelated (and less important) note: I got to ride in a Porsche Boxter convertible in Orange County, CA this weekend. While the highlight was definitely being there for my college roommate's wedding with some fabulous college friends, I have to admit this was a close second. Even if you're not a car person, it's an experience everyone should have.     

We are pleased to announce that we received 2 bronze Tellys from the 30th Annual Telly Awards for our work on the Johnson Controls re3 video and the MSU Weekend MBA Program video.  Per their website, "The Telly Awards honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the Web."  Thanks to all of the people who put in a lot of hard work on both of these projects.

A couple of interesting facts I learned about the Tellys.  First, they don't award gold or platinum awards, just silver and bronze.  I couldn't find anything about why they do it that way.  I have never seen any other awards with silver as the top award.  Second, the statues are designed by the same firm that does the Oscars & the Emmys.  I don't even know who that firm is but I can say that when you hold the statue it does make you feel a little like you're up on stage in a custom Valentino evening gown accepting the award.  Fortunately you can skip the speech where you're trying to remember to thank everyone you've ever known. 

Some people look at awards as a way to boost their credibility, others think that they're a waste of money just to pad your resumé.  Quite honestly, there is probably some truth to both of those attitudes.  But the way I see it, awards are a way of recognizing the hard work of the people on your team.  It's easy to be so focused on finishing a project that once it's done, you don't take time to recognize the work and talent of the people who produced it.  We are fortunate to work with a great network of very talented people and it's good to recognize that and it's also nice to have some other industry professionals, like the judges at the Tellys, recognize that too. 

Yesterday we celebrated our 25th anniversary with some of our friends, colleagues, clients and partners here at MOVE headquarters.  It's easy to get down in the state of the economy and such these days but it was really refreshing to just take a break yesterday and reflect on our history.  We put together a slideshow of photos from the past 25 years and included a list of current and former MOVE employees and the people that we have worked with as partners or vendors throughout our history.  It's a great list of very talented people.  And it was really fun that some of you could make it to the party to celebrate with us.  If you weren't able to, here are some photos to show you all of the fun you missed out on.  And make sure you're here to celebrate with us in another 25! 

If you've ever worked in a coporate setting or gone to high school, you've probably taken a personality test at one point or another.  I generally think that they are helpful.  They can help co-workers gain insight into how to interact with one another and read each other.  They can help guide individuals to a career path.  But the one thing that always trips me up is the Introvert/Extrovert thing.  I'm not an introvert, but I wouldn't really classify myself as a true extrovert either.  When I think of the extroverts that I know, I think of people who really feed off of big group settings and are really good at networking.  I wouldn't consider myself to be one of those people.

Networking is one of those facts of business life.  It makes most of us pretty uncomfortable (except aforementioned true extroverts).  There are lots of benefits to networking.  It's an opportunity to learn from people with different expertise than you.  Many sales happen because someone knows someone and those connections can happen at networking events.  And if nothing else, it's a good way to find out what is going on in the community.  But just because it's good, doesn't make it easy.

I went to a women's networking event last night with a friend of mine.  It was hosted by her company.  I only knew two people there.  My friend ended up having to leave early for another engagement.  That's usually when I would leave something like that.  I'm alright when I know someone but when I'm on my own it's much harder.  But I sat down with the other woman that I only sort-of know and a few other women and ended up closing out the event.  And I had a great time.  I really enjoyed the conversation and met some women that I otherwise never would have come into contact with.  I hate to admit it but I kind of feed of of that interaction.  Maybe I swing a little further towards extrovert than I thought.

Like me, many of you are probably a little uneasy about networking, so here are some networking tips:
1. Bring a friend who is commited to meeting people too, not just being a wall flower.  It helps to have someone who you know to facilitate conversation with.  Just make sure not to stick to yourselves. 
2. Ask the people you speak with lots of questions about their interests.  I think that I've been told this before but I can't tell you how true it is.  People really open up when they are talking about things they care about.
3. Be informed about local, national and international issues so that you can participate in conversations. Obviously don't be confrontational about your views but it's always good to have a topic in your back pocket.
4. Don't try to sell people something.  If it happens naturally that there is a business connection, great.  But don't do it artificially.
5. Don't take yourself too seriously.  Everyone else feels awkward too. 

This is a shameless plug for something that I care about.  If you don't like helping people in need, stop reading here. 

I've been volunteering with Food Gatherers, the local food bank, for a couple of years now and I'm part of the Grillin' Silent Auction Committee.  What is Grillin' you ask.  It's one of Food Gatherers' big fundraising events.  It's happening this Sunday, June 14th, from 3-8 at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds.  Tickets are $50 if you buy them ahead of time and $45 of that is tax deductible.  It's a great event, there's a ton of great food from local restaurants, fun activities for kids provided by the Hands-on Museum, and live music.  Plus there's a fabulous silent auction with some really cool items that we're all pretty excited about.  And it helps a lot of people who need food.  I don't think I need to remind anyone that more people are in need this year because of the economy. 

Click here to find out more about the event and where to buy tickets.  I'll be there all day so stop by the auction area and say "hi!"

This past weekend I participated with my husband and some friends in the Hawk-I-Tri, a sprint triathlon in Lansing, MI.  This is my 3rd triathlon.  The other two that I've done were a sprint and an olympic distance in the Chicago triathlon.  The difference in scale between the Chicago and the Hawk-I was pretty stark.  There are nearly 8,000 participants each year in Chicago and there were around 630 participants in the Hawk-I.  The Chicago is quite an experience.  You swim in the marina, bike on Lake Shore Dr. and run in the grounds surrounding the aquarium, ending in Grant Park.  It's kind of exciting to be part of something that big.

So when we signed up for this triathlon, I didn't really know what to expect.  I might have had a little bit of an elitest mentality going into it because it "couldn't be as good of a triathlon as the big Chicago one."  I also hadn't trained as well for this one as I have for my previous two. It definitely wasn't as organized as the Chicago but for a small local triathlon it was very well organized.  They had a number of resources for beginners and the course was well-marked.  And honestly, I had my best race.  I wasn't nervous.  I was able to push myself but I never felt like I was dying.  I think part of that is just mental.  I know I can do it, I've done a much longer distance than this before.  But I think part of it was the scale.  It wasn't as intimidating so I was more comfortable and I saw all of my friends/family during the race which definitely gave me a boost.

I find that it's easy for me to think that if I'm not doing something on a big scale, then its not worth doing.  But sometimes its the small organizations or just one person who can have a profound impact on people because what they do can be personal.  Sometimes in the middle of a tough project we tell ourselves that "it's not personal, it's just business."  But really it is personal.  Business has to be personal.  It might cost me $.25 more but I like going to the Zingerman's Roadshow because I get good service there and they're friendly.  We might not necessarily know each other's names, but I feel like I have a relationship with them.  We're coming up on our 25th anniversary here at MOVE and we've been reflecting a little on our history.  We're fortunate to still have relationships with some of those people who were around almost 25 years ago.  We're a small company but as we reflect, we've found that we have been able to accomplish a lot because we have invested in relationships.  And as I reflect on my race, I think that there were a lot of people who were able to participate in it and feel confident because it was an approachable size and it felt personal.