There’s no denying that video has become a valuable marketing tool to increase brand awareness and social media engagement — visual storytelling is a powerful medium. Every brand has a story, and shooting a marketing video is a great way to tell it.
The focus of today’s blog is “home-field advantage” for video in Houston. If your brand is local, and your product offering caters to local customers, then you might assume that a good way to capture their attention would be to shoot your marketing video in front of a well-known, iconic Houston location or landmark. After all, there are a lot to choose from!
Popular Spots for Video in Houston
Here are just a few of the places that stand out as “iconically Houston”:
- Parks: You might immediately think of the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall in Uptown Park, or one of the green spaces near Herman Park, or Eleanor Tinsley Park.
- Murals: If a vibrant, colorful backdrop is what you’re after, perhaps the Biscuit Paint Wall in the Montrose area, or the newly-relocated Sugar and Cloth Color Wall at GreenStreet in Downtown Houston would be a good way to go. If you want to really work the local angle, you might try shooting your video in front of the “Houston is Inspired” mural, (painted by Mario E. Figueroa Jr. aka GONZO247) near Market Square, or the “You Are My Sunshine” wall at Thread in the Heights, which may be the closest thing to Houston’s version of the world-famous “I Love You So Much” wall at Jo’s Coffee in Austin.
- Art Installations: If your aesthetic and marketing approach is a bit edgier, there is a lot of street art in Eado, just east of Downtown. The colorful, organic mosaics at Smither Park, near The Orange Show may also fit the bill.
Before you load up your gear and head out, we would like to give you our perspective on the best places to shoot your marketing video.
Popular Is Not Always the Best
While the above locations are certainly well-known, colorful and identifiably local, they may not be the best places to tell your story. Remember, your focus as a local business trying to reach local customers should be CONNECTING with those customers in an engaging and emotional way.
What will separate you and your brand from your competition? Social media is crawling with selfies and images from food bloggers, snapping pics at many of the same places. Wedding photographers line up to get that perfect ‘golden hour” sunset shot of the happy couple at the Waterwall.
Other, more technical reasons not to shoot your marketing video at a local landmark might be the unpredictable Houston weather. Imagine setting up your camera gear, lighting, products and on-screen talent, only to have the whole production blown away by a gust of wind, or drenched in an afternoon pop-up shower.
What about street noise? Cars, helicopters and emergency vehicles can very easily distract from and ruin a perfect take. Lighting your subject outdoors requires some powerful, expensive equipment and lots of luck when dealing with an ever-changing sky above.
And if you’ve chosen to shoot in front of some street art, have you considered the ethical or legal aspects of using someone else’s artwork as a backdrop to sell your products? These are all extremely important factors to consider before embarking on your own video journey.
Tell Your Unique Story
Video in Houston, like anywhere else, is most successful when the focus is on the story. YOUR story. The buyer’s journey. The “Why”, more than the “How”. With those key factors as the foundation, we find creative and efficient ways to deliver a compelling and engaging video that communicates your message effectively.
For example, if the best way to tell your story involves a testimonial from a customer, we can set up a shoot here in our studio space, or if the environment at your place of business will help your audience get the full experience, we can shoot on site. Wherever best makes the subject of the video comfortable and relatable, and able to give an authentic and emotional account of why they chose your product or service over your competitor’s.
If the best marketing strategy involves showing your products, we can find new and interesting ways to show off the fruits of your labor and showcase the uniqueness of your brand.
Sometimes the best way to show what you do is simply by SHOWING WHAT YOU DO. It seems like a simple concept, but often times your competitors may put the cart before the horse and go down the rabbit hole of where and how to shoot their video, without much consideration as to why they are shooting the video in the first place.
Everyone has a unique story and vision for their business, and we are here to help visually connect you to your customers in a way that connects them back to you and your product or service.
