Where the hell is Matt?

This youtube.com video has very little to do with construction, but a whole lot to do with marketing.

So who paid for this creative? Stride Gum. I had never heard of Stride Gum before discovering this video through my unofficial frequent flier network (that is another story, for another time.)

Here is the Wikipedia reference to Stride Gum. And here is Matt's own website.

Can we learn something about effective -- I'll go even further -- brilliant marketing here?

Video broadcast test

So what is this, you say? I'm testing the ability to produce live video feeds. The service I'm using at present is justin.tv, but I expect this type of service will be available from youtube.com and other services within the year.

If I'm online live you can just click on the icon and reach my webcam. Justin.tv is currently a free service. It can be linked to mobile or fixed cameras. The basic system I'm using allows only one camera, and of course the camera I'm using isn't quite the broadcast quality of high definition television.

Will these resources be useful in marketing AEC services? Possibly. You might set up a webcam in your office, or at a significant job site, and invite people to take a peek. Comment functions within justin.tv (see the bottom of this blog for an example) may allow some two-way interaction and communication.

While I certainly don't claim to be a high tech guru, I also appreciate this stuff is bleeding edge within the world of construction marketing. In other words, although we are now able to set up our own personal television stations, I don't think we are quite ready for prime time yet.

Natural video marketing

I continue to be impressed with how Paul Spry of Spry Construction in Louisiana uses video and YouTube for his marketing. Note this latest posting, in response to another YouTube post inviting comments about what you are fussy about.
Note how he reinforces his brand (environmentally sensitive and healthy construction) and builds his own personal image/story.
This form of marketing is truly inexpensive -- you simply need a webcam in your truck and speak from your heart. I'm not sure if a little advertising message (ie somewhere on video a web address or company ID information) would help or hurt -- helping in drawing response; hurting in taking away the authenticity here.