Marketing with YouTube Videos, Part III

Loyalty through emotional impact.

Fear-based tactics have their limits. In a recent publicity stunt, the animal rights group PETA (under a false name) took an ad out in Dog Fancy magazine that read:

“Just bought a brand-new purebred puppy? Welcome him or her into your home with a free gift bag! Call us today at 1-866-834-6061 to claim your bag and hear about our products.”

It turns out that this offer was a ruse.

Callers to the phone number where offered a “puppy body bag” instead – an obtuse political statement claiming that for every puppy bought from a breeder, one dog is euthanized at a local animal shelter. Known for its extremism, PETA’s latest bait-and-switch tactic hardly comes as a surprise. Yet, while this latest campaign will undoubtedly solidify its support base, it will most likely not win over any new supporters.

In this vein, I have witnessed private and classroom teachers who regularly use intimidation and fear as a motivator – often with mixed results. Without explicit solutions or answers, negative tactics can easily backfire and cause a backlash.

The last Arizona Opera Musicians video was a 180-degree turn from the “fire and brimstone” video. It conveys a different, softer message which helped to bring the protracted contract negotiations to a close. While the underlying issue of an unresolved contract is present, the bigger message is one of support and of happier times to come.

Emotional connections

Beyond metaphors and symbols, good advertising must make the viewer feel something in order for it to be memorable. It is not enough to draw interesting images and innuendos. There needs to be an emotional connection.

In that sense, the aforementioned PETA ad worked very well. For a PETA supporter it most likely made them cheer with glee. For myself, it made me dislike that organization even more, but nonetheless I did remember the advertisement.

A more positive and relevant example is an advertisement for the Zurich Chamber Orchestra orchestra which demonstrates this concept brilliantly.

Through the clever “roller coaster” metaphor, it conveys the emotions of a live concert -the highs and lows, turns and bends, thrills and chills. Going to a ZCO concert is an exciting adventure that slams you into your seat for a wild ride.

Brilliant.

Hopes, dreams and ambitions

My dream is that other labor organizations will pick up on this example and utilize the web and YouTube in a similar manner. I am frankly surprised that music union organizations have not done something like this on a national level; not just to resolve labor issues, but more importantly to alter the public’s distrust of unions and to spread public awareness of live music and its benefits to society.

Videos like these cost very little, and offer a high return.

It is so far, a missed opportunity.

For Arizona Opera and its musicians, my hope is that once the dust settles, this avenue will be exploited further – to our mutual benefit.

Beyond the abstract dreams and hopes, for myself, I hope to apply these lessons to other creative activities – teaching, playing and web development – and perhaps blog about them later. In order for any creative idea to have lasting impact, it must have an emotional connection.

As a musician, teacher and web developer, for me this means that lackluster performances, generic teaching methods and cookie-cutter web sites just don’t cut it anymore.

See the AZOOMA Video Channel.