It’s nice to create interesting media programming, but unless your audience responds in some way, you won’t last long. At Cooke Pictures, our mantra when it comes to media presentations is “action.” If you’re not getting a response, the first place you should look is viewer fatigue. In other words, is the audience simply tired of seeing what you’re presenting?
Too often, we as programmers or advertisers get into a rut. Spots look alike, and producers use the same voice over artist, show the same graphic style, or tend to write the same way – over and over again. Viewer fatigue means that people are simply getting tired of it all. If your media isn’t getting much of a response, here’s some ideas to consider:
- Don’t get creatively lazy. We often start with exciting and original ideas in our programming and advertising, but lack of budget, deadlines, or resources often force us to follow a formula. Get out of the rut, and inject a hard dose of creativity back into your work.
- “Brand Unity” doesn’t mean everything looks the same. Yes – we want to be sharing the same story / feeling / look across all brand platforms, but that doesn’t mean you can’t share that story in unique and interesting ways.
- Video is about emotion, not information. If your presentation has too much information you’ll bore the audience to tears. Print it out and hand it to them in a brochure or report. Use video to inspire and motivate viewers, not overwhelm them with information.
- Is your style dated? If other organization’s media platforms look more contemporary and stylish, people will gravitate in that direction. Be aware of current styles and make sure your websites, video presentations, and other media are current.
- Finally – Are you telling a story people want to hear? Just because you’re passionate about a cause, doesn’t mean viewers will be. Your project may be worthy, notable, and life-changing, but unless you can make your audience feel the same way, you’ll fail. Igniting passion in your viewers is just as important sharing the vision.
Creative is good. Response is better. Drive people to action, and you’ll accomplish your goals.
