Everyone knows the legend of David and Goliath. Where the adolescent shepherd defeats the battle-hardened giant. The earliest telling of this story pegs Goliath as being six foot nine. That doesn’t seem that big, but the average man back in that day was about 5’5”. So that’s like me squaring off with Shaq. My Kung Fu isn’t large enough to win that fight.
Our industry is full of absolute giants. Multi-billion-dollar multi-national companies with seemingly endless development and marketing resources. Nowhere is the contrast starker than at tradeshows. I once chatted with the marketing head of a large parts maker at its truly spectacular AAPEX booth. He told me that he spends half a million dollars on his booth to have a half dozen spectacular conversations with buyers that result in three new major contracts.
Now his products may be no better than yours. Maybe yours are superior in some ways. But his 200X marketing spend attracts attention in a way your $25,000 booth just can’t. You just don’t have the same chance to tell your story. It isn’t a fair fight.
Then 2020 came along. Tradeshows were shut down. Some have been tentatively rescheduled for late 2021, but there is a very real possibility that COVID-19 will have us shut down for another year or more, depending on how well the vaccines work and how the virus mutates.
This is awful on every level and there are no silver linings that can make up in any way for the global pain and suffering humankind is experiencing. Although the effects have not been equally shared, the virus has had some equalizing effects. No one can exhibit – neither David nor Goliath.
Like me and Shaq, David could not have gone toe-to-toe with Goliath. But he did have a force multiplier – his sling. The smooth stone that filled his hand could be flung with deadly force as it gained tremendous velocity while being spun around. Yay physics!
In times like these, we look for force multipliers. And video is a force multiplier. In an era when you can’t personally tell your story face-to-face, you can make a video that will. And getting that video delivered to the right people has never been more cost effective.
Look, a highly creative video that tells your story, demonstrates your value proposition, and commands attention is within reach. It definitely costs less than what you would spend on tradeshows this year.
And video can be used in so many mediums: website, learning portal, virtual events, social media, CRMs and DVIs, email, digital toolboxes, YouTube channels, and, yes, even in tradeshow booths once they get up and running again.
At AutoNetTV Studios, we aim to be a force multiplier squared. There are lots of studios that make videos. To my knowledge, there aren’t any that “speak automotive” the way we do. We have industry intelligence that doesn’t require you to translate your vision for a marketing generalist that exclusively uses Uber. We actually contribute to your creative vision and market strategy.
And we’ve spent millions creating a 3D automotive library. Let’s say you make alternators. We can model your product in a way that highlights your unique features and strengths – and then mount it on our 3D engine in a 3D vehicle. You get the benefit of extensive 3D animation at a fraction of the cost because we have already created the systems.
Do you want a quick tip? Stand out from the Goliaths in digital catalogs with short product videos. Low-cost catalog videos get watched and differentiate you from all the other parts in your category. When you think of how much you spend on developing and marketing a part, it’s worth a few more Benjamins to get it seen.
It’s simple: Video can be a great equalizer. Let’s talk about your objectives and how you see your environment. Whether you already have an executable plan or just want to kick around some ideas, give us a call.
And Goliath, if you are reading this, we’d be happy to talk with you as well. After all, giants are people too.
Contact Shawn Bird: 801-683-6805 SBird@AutoNetTV.com