You probably already know what the term "video snacking"
means, but just in case, it is the way many employees spend their free time
during the workday, viewing videos that have no real work-related content. But
rather than blocking video access, I suggest that you take a moment and learn
from the experts and start to think about ways that you can produce your own
viral videos for corporate promotional purposes.
I had a chance to interview Stephen Voltz and Fritz Grob last
week. You might not recognize their names, but you no doubt have seen their
work: the two are behind Eepybird.com, where they
combine Mentos with Diet Coke to create geysers of exploding soda and some very
entertaining videos. Their videos have been downloaded millions of times and
enjoyed by people all over the globe.
What is fascinating is how quickly the duo became famous: within a
week of uploading their first video, they were booked on all the major talk
shows (and this is back when these shows had writers so the competition for
guests was tough). Voltz and Grob talked about having excellent video
production values isn’t quite right for their audience: like so many things on
the Internet, Just Good Enough Production is really what counts, and getting
across a Just Plain Folks sensibility is really the best path towards more
click-throughs. Plus, seeing all that spraying soda helps, too.
Listen to my podcast interview with
the 'birds.'
Contrary to popular belief, the duo has had plenty of support from
the marketing arms of both Mentos and Coca-Cola companies. As you might
imagine, they consume a lot of product for their backyard experiments, and they
told us that a lot of planning and testing goes into setting up the final shots
that you see online – sometimes these three minute videos take months of
preparation. They now devote themselves full-time to their experiments, and
have gone on the speaking circuit and done them live at various cities, soaking
volunteers with soda geysers.
So what can ordinary corporate IT citizens learn from the viral video
experts? Several things.
First, it
isn't about production values: a single camera and simple editing is better
than spending millions with a Hollywood
CGI crew. You
don't need to make them too slick but as polished as you need to just tell your
story.
Second,
realism matters. Contrast the exploding sodas with the taxi cab stories
that are found on Bud.tv: the videos are shot in the back of a taxi, but the
taxi is sitting on top of a flatbed truck with multiple cameras shooting the
action. They could have saved themselves a bunch of money by simplifying their
situation.
Third, find
someone who is already video-savvy or someone who can put together the
right kind of look for your corporation. You may have to look at the teenaged
kids of your staff for the best talent here.
Finally, have
some story to tell that isn't just about self-promotion, but mixes
entertainment with some content that will be visually stimulating. If you don't
have a visual story to tell, then you shouldn't be working in video! Take a
look at what Walter Lewin, an MIT physics professor, is doing. His freshman
college physics lectures have become popular downloads, even though they are
the actual lectures that he gives his undergraduates. It is because he is so
visual and funny in front of the classroom that it makes his physics classes
come alive.
There is a lot to learn from video snacking, and how you can use
the viral video phenomenon to promote your own brand online.
Messaging & Collaboration 
