What TV’s Wipeout Can Do For Your Next Video

Sometimes a great idea comes along that smacks us right in the face. In this case, it knocks us right into the water. Not literally, of course…unless you are a contestant on the ABC-TV game show Wipeout.

If you haven’t seen Wipeout, it features a series of obstacle courses where contestants try to avoid falling into the water. I’m the first to admit this show’s attraction is purely from an entertainment standpoint. This is not Masterpiece Theatre. Watching everyday people take crazy spills off the “Big Balls” might make for good conversation at the water cooler, but it probably won’t make you smarter.

As a fan of the show, I’ve picked up on 3 themes from Wipeout that apply when creating sales and marketing videos. Marketing directors who are faced with the task of getting out the company message can benefit from keeping these themes in mind.

1. Everyone has a backstory. Before each contestant tackles the first obstacle course on Wipeout, there is a short interview where we learn about one of their passions in life. Now we can identify with the contestant and decide to root for them or against them. When you are developing your company story, look for the backstories within your organization. These are the surprising little nuggets of information that come out on camera to make your company unique.

2. It’s okay to laugh. A big part of Wipeout’s successful formula is making the audience laugh at the expense of the contestants. While you likely don’t want to go that far with your marketing, many companies avoid using any humor in their videos because they are worried not everyone will think they are funny.

3. Don’t be afraid to fail. Even the ultimate winner on Wipeout ends up being bounced into the water a few dozen times. We find some clients initially look at video as a big risk, mainly because most marketing professionals don’t come from a video background. Finding the right production partner who understands your business is an important step to making video a successful investment.

The Right Length For Your Online Video

“How long should my video be?” It is one of the first questions that come up when we meet with clients who want to add video to their websites and social media sites. There is no stock answer. It depends on the details of your story and what you are looking to accomplish with your video.

There are some parameters to keep in mind. A typical TV commercial is 30 seconds. A radio spot runs 60 seconds. The average story by a reporter on a TV newscast is 90 seconds. But online, the average visitor spends only 15 seconds on a website. The content must be compelling if you want to capture the attention of your visitors.

Many of our clients start with the idea of including as much as possible in their video. They view it as a one shot opportunity to tell potential customers everything they can. Problem is by the time they list all of the things they would like to see, we’re quickly on our way to an epic “War and Peace-like” production for the computer screen.

There are plenty of good purposes for a long-form video production. Putting it on your website is not one of them. The key to using online video effectively is to create a short and powerful story. The goal of a well produced online video should be to leave the viewer with a favorable impression that makes them want to contact you. Our mission at Point Across Media is to tell stories in a 1 to 3 minute timeframe. It is a skill developed from years of working in television news.

More and more companies are recognizing the need to take advantage of the Web as a place to share their message through video. Cisco estimates that video will represent 90 percent of all consumer internet protocol traffic by 2013. Once you’ve decided to use video, telling the right story in the right amount of time is key to making it work for you.

The Human Touch...Madden Style

Full disclosure: I am a big football fan. To me there’s nothing better than taking over the couch and watching NFL games on Sundays.

As a fan of the game, I couldn’t help but notice the new marketing campaign for EA Sports’ Madden NFL 11 video game. Since its first edition 22 years ago, Madden has become more than just a football video game. It is a full-fledged pop culture phenomenon.

The Madden 11 campaign puts a different spin on the typical image of football players. There are no helmets, no hitting and no game footage. The campaign is called “Madden to the People” and shows star players relating to football fans on a personal level.



Leading into the one minute television commercial, EA Sports released a series of webisodes on Facebook and YouTube. These longer videos featured more details on how the players surprised their fans by showing up to play Madden 11 with them. It was a smart strategy to leverage their video content on multiple platforms.

There is one lasting lesson we can all take away from the Madden video campaign. Personal stories are effective. Don’t take my word for it. Just watch the reaction of the fans when they get to meet their football heroes away from the field.

How Customer-centric Video Works

It’s a simple set-up for a successful business: Someone has a problem. You come up with a solution to the problem. You tell other people with the same problem how you helped the first guy. And now everyone wants to hire you to help them.

You might say the key to this story is the solution itself. But any good marketer knows what really makes the business grow is the part where you publicize your solution.

There’s nothing original about using your company’s success stories to generate more business. Testimonials or references from your best customers are powerful tools to give you credibility. Many companies include testimonials on their website and in printed sales collateral. Instead of just putting them in writing, video is the perfect medium to take testimonials to another level.

In testimonial videos, your customers tell the real story of how they benefit from your product or service. Their words are authentic. Best of all, potential customers gain confidence in you by hearing from existing customers.

Video testimonials are effective marketing agents for small and large businesses. Cisco provides a good example with a series of online videos centered on its customers. This one features the Baylor College of Medicine employing Cisco solutions to provide a secure network.

There’s another reason to use video testimonials that may surprise you. The customer you ask to be in your video is often flattered to be chosen. It makes them look good and strengthens your relationship.

6 Ways to Maximize Your Video ROI

You have decided that a professional video would be a good tool to help market your company. What should you do with the video to make the investment payoff?

1. Your Own Website: The first step should be to place your video front and center on your company website. This may seem very obvious, but you would be surprised how many organizations fail to take advantage of their video “asset” by burying it deep in their website or hiding the video link somewhere on the menu bar. There are studies that show the average visitor will only spend 15 seconds on a website. With video, the length of visits increases dramatically. People will watch your story, especially if it is engaging. But not if you make them work to find it.

2. Social Media: Your video is a great way to highlight your message on your company’s Facebook fan page or YouTube channel. It is simple to pass along the link to your video on Twitter. You can add video to your company’s page on LinkedIn. Best of all, using social media distribution outlets doesn’t cost you a dime.

3. E-mail Newsletter: What do you do with all of those e-mail addresses you collect from current and prospective customers? An e-mail newsletter is a simple approach to reinforce your brand and feature new products or services. A visual video link in your newsletter like the one below will encourage your customers to click through and invest the time to watch your story.

Example of link to your video

4. Internal Communication: A short video is a compelling means to make sure your team is aware of your latest marketing campaign. Video can also be used to build team spirit by reminding everyone what the company is all about or by hearing what your current customers like best about you.

5. Recruiting: Video lets you put your best foot forward to prospective employees and showcase the corporate culture of your organization.

6. Trade Shows: Video at your booth or display allows you to capture the attention of trade show guests. You can also hand out DVDs of your video as part of your sales collateral.


The possibilities with video are almost endless. We live in a visual age. Video should be a part of every company’s marketing strategy.

Going Up? Where Your Elevator Pitch Meets Your Video

Do you need an elevator pitch? There’s a healthy debate going on about the concept of the elevator pitch. You’ve heard the scenario: You step into an elevator and standing there is someone who has the ability to make your career or fund your new business. The elevator goes up and you have a precious few seconds to make an impression. What do you say?

Author Milo Frank wrote the best selling guide to the elevator pitch “How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less” in 1986. There are plenty of arguments that the elevator pitch is outdated. In today’s fast paced social media world, supposedly no one has the time to listen to your elevator pitch.

As visual storytellers, it is our mission at Point Across Media to bring our clients’ unique stories to life in a compelling video. The elevator pitch can provide a good starting point. The story may be informative, dramatic, powerful, funny…or all the above. You can tell it yourself or through the words of your customers. But at the end of the day the video should answer three key questions:

1. What do you do?
2. How do you do it?
3. Why do you do it?

If you think about it, a strong elevator pitch answers those same questions. It doesn’t matter if it is a 1 minute video on your website, 30 seconds in an elevator or 140 characters on Twitter. It is all about telling a good story that leaves a good impression.