An Introduction

Mindy recently sat down with Paul Martin, owner of Knakhaus (Knack-House), a boutique agency in Birmingham specializing in video and awareness campaigns for brands. Paul has a history in music and was a studio engineer before entering the world of nonprofits. It was there that he wore many hats in the communication role and entered the wonderful world of video.

The Importance of Video in Marketing

“Well, all marketing really is just trying to introduce someone to your brand or your company and convince them to become a customer,” said Paul. People like to know, like, and trust who the products and businesses they interact with. Words can do this. Graphics are better than words, but video is best. There is so much more that can be communicated implicitly through a video than through words or visuals.

The Mind of a Goldfish

We are inundated with information from hundreds of mediums a day. The average attention span now is that of a goldfish. If you can’t hook them (did you catch that?) really early than you’ve already lost. We’re really becoming a more illiterate society because we just won’t read as much. A good video can capture people’s awareness in the first five seconds and you can transfer that awareness to interest and intent. This is where you have the opportunity to convert someone into a fan!

How Does Video Support Business?

Almost all businesses rely on awareness. Video can quickly communicate what a business is and what they offer through an awareness campaign. Sometimes people just need to see someone else’s face and hear their voice. It makes us comfortable, makes us like the person, and makes us trust them.

More Film Fun

When I asked Paul to tell me about his favorite film he replied “Oh my goodness! That’s like picking your favorite child. It’s hard!” But after some probing he finally obliged and said his favorite film (rightnow) is Arrival, starring Amy Adams. The acting is excellent. The writing is excellent. The cinematography is excellent. This movie does a lot of mind hacking and it’s great!