The Pumpkin Spice Latte of Video Marketing

It seems that everyone goes crazy for the fall season, and your customers are no exception. In fact, social sciences have proven the efficacy of this widespread “autumn craze.” At True Film Production, we believe that anything that fosters obsession, enthusiasm, and emotion is worth optimizing. So let’s hop on the fall fun hayride and see what it’s all about.

What’s so special about fall and how can you use this autumn craze in your video marketing strategies?

Why do people like fall?

It’s a valid question: what makes everyone so obsessed with autumn? It’s just a season. Although people may prefer other seasons, everyone seems to unanimously agree that fall brings with it a special kind of emotion and feeling.

Kathryn Lively, a professor of sociology at Dartmouth College, discussed that fall is a social construct from childhood. From a young age, we learn to associate autumn with change: going back to school, getting new supplies, seeing new friends, taking new classes, starting new activities. It’s usually an exciting time (even for kids who don’t love school). We are conditioned for 18 years to see fall as a time for a “fresh start.”

We’re even conditioned in this way as adults: start of football season, the kickoff of the holidays, coming back to work after a relaxing summer. Autumn is a comforting time filled with all sorts of personal and professional possibilities.

A 2013 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that our perception of time has more to do with our behavioral motivation than any other external motivators. This means that a season we’ve been conditioned to love is the strongest motivator to make positive changes in our lives. Seasons and holidays become “landmarks” that influence our perception of time. (Think New Year’s Eve too, which is just a construct of a fresh start.) In this way, autumn brings with it an opportunity for self-improvement and exciting transformation.

Why market with the fall craze?

Why does the fall social craze matter? Because your business can optimize on those feelings. People are trying to better their lives with a fresh start, both personally and professionally. This also means they’re more open to hiring you for their products and services. If you can prove your business should be a part of their “fall fresh start,” you’ll instantly gain a new client.

Take Starbucks for example. Their pumpkin spice latte (PSL) became an instant fall classic, even for people who didn’t like Starbucks or coffee. Why? It’s not necessarily because the coffee is any better, but because Starbucks knew to play on this comforting, warm sense of the fall. The image of holding a PSL, surrounded by orange leaves, bundled in a comfy sweater became the quintessential autumn symbol… and it also became a huge boost in marketing and sales for Starbucks.

P.S. This fall, it’s also time for you to have a fresh start. It’s time to consider adding a video content strategy to your business.We’ll work together to create a video that will give your business the autumnal edge over your competitors.

How should you use the fall craze in your videos?

1. Play up the comfort.

Use comforting, warming, enlightening videos that show your company is “in the spirit” along with everyone else. This is a great opportunity to film client or employee testimonials in the cool breeze of the fall air. This shows your company culture in an autumn light that will relate to your fall-loving audience.

2. Incorporate the events and holidays.

Who’s your brand’s football team? You can consider marketing with regards to the start of the football season. This is a great way to add humor and relate to certain target audiences in your local area.

Or you can opt for holiday themes as well. Scare your prospects for Halloween. Thank your customers for being loyal in a Thanksgiving video. You can even use Daylight Savings, Small Business Saturday, and Oktoberfest to show your company in a unique and fun light.

3. Display your holiday promotions.

Autumn is the perfect time to prep your customers for your upcoming holiday promotions. It’s never too early to start making impressions. The more they see the upcoming deal, the more likely they will remember it when purchasing time comes around. The best way to show your holiday promotions during the fall season is with a soft-sell, long-termvideo campaign.

4. Get social.

Share your videos all over social media. Customers, especially Millennials, are more likely to share autumn-related content than business-related content. Engaging with the fall craze is the easiest way to enhance word of mouth marketing for your brand.

The Bottom Line

“Autumn marketing” can help pull in new or repeat clients by engaging in the craze of the season. Optimize on these social feelings with a strong video content campaign. Videos are able to create a sense of your brand within the external context of the season, creating a soft-sell strategy that is sure to attract the attention of your audience.

Get a “fresh start” for your company with True Film Production. We have the marketing expertise, video resources, and autumnal love to bring your brand to the next level.

Don’t be-leaf us? Request a free consultation today to start raking in the results of an effective video content strategy this fall season.