Ok lets get the obvious question out of the way. What’s with all the Fs? Well those 3 Fs stand for Fame, Fluency and Feeling. Research tells us that those three things are the key drivers of brand growth. They are the reasons we as consumers are drawn to particular brands. If you want to find out more about the theory behind this and how it relates to marketers read our blog post that delves deep into what it all means. But let's assume you understand some of the theory, how can we actually use that thinking in practice when we come to make video content? Here are 3 tips on using the 3 Fs
1. Fame
Fame is a pretty simple concept to understand. The most famous brands, the ones at the forefront of your mind, are also the most successful. The hard bit is how you get there. Ultimately fame is all about standing out, making your brand as distinctive as you possibly can from your competitors and compatriots. With that in mind when you are thinking about campaigns it's useful to ask yourself some tough questions:
-Does your campaign idea feel familiar to other content in your sector? Be honest with yourself here, because this question is vital. You have to actively push away from what everyone else is doing to stand out and be remembered.
-Where is your content going? Media is a vital part of the mix when it comes to fame. You need ideas that make you stand out, but you also need exposure. Be specific about your audience, find out where they hang out, and make yourself as visible as you can.
-Does your campaign idea feel slightly scary? If it does, that's a really good sign! The ideas that make you stand out, that drive fame for your brand, generally have less reference points to other content that's already been made (the stuff that you want to avoid) so it will feel a bit more like heading into the unknown. Embrace that!
2. Feeling
Put very simply brands that make people feel something (anything!) are going to be much more memorable and appealing. While your video content is a tool to get your messages across to an audience, you must be able to do that in a way that makes them feel something. So ask yourself this:
-Is there anything surprising in what you are making? Content that is predictable… well it's ultimately going to be quite dull. Dull = no emotion. Make sure you do something unexpected.
-Your brand or product is ultimately about making your customer's life better, but to make that emotional you need to embrace the dark side. Have you shown them what life would be like without you? This is a key emotional lever.
-Have you thought about humour? Comedy is one of the hardest things to get right in advertising. But it's also the most powerful enhancer of engagement. And before you say, well humour isn't right for our brand, just remember there are lots of different genres and lots of ways to make people laugh. One of those will likely work for your brand’s personality.
3. Fluency
This is all about how quickly someone can recognise you through sound & visual appearance and other cues. We know from research that distinctive assets make brands more attractive to audiences. So how does that relate to your content?
-First it's worth thinking about what your distinctive assets, or brand codes, actually are. List them out. These are the exclusive elements that separate you from other brands. They could be obvious things like a logo or strap line. But also might include a distinctive colour, or typeface, a celebrity or brand character, a particular shape or pattern maybe even a sound. These are things you have worked hard on to make your brand distinctive so they should play a key role in your content.
-You now need to look at your content and work out how as many of your brand codes as possible are present. This needs to be done with care, these codes need to have been thought of from the beginning and integrated into ideas. If you try and shoe horn these elements in down the line, audiences will immediately be turned off.
-Another way to look at your brand codes is to challenge agencies and in-house creative teams to use them as the basis for their concepts. If you can create distinctive, emotionally driven content that also centres around one of your distinctive brand codes, then you really are on to a winner. This piece of content from McDonalds does just that, using the M as inspiration for a great creative idea.