Messages from the Front: Members Turn to Video to Stay Connected with Customers, Part II

By Allyssa Baird, YSN

The saga continues…

Moving into our fourth week of quarantine (for most of the country), BrandSource members continue to move toward video messaging to communicate with their customers.

After showcasing a sampling of broadcast, online and streaming spots earlier this month, YSN is back with a new batch of videos from members. Among them:

Bill & Rod’s Appliances and Grills of Livonia, Mich., opted to hold a special online-only “Spring VIP Sale” for shoppers who purchased through their website. Not only did they offer 6 percent off the entire order, but also held a Traeger grill giveaway, which was sure to generate significant interest and social engagement.  

Joe Legato, Chief Operating Officer and no stranger to our YourSourceNews columns, is currently shooting videos several times per week featuring various trivia, solutions to product-related issues, and where to find them on the Bill & Rod’s website. You can check out Joe’s Facebook videos here. If there’s anything we can learn from viewing them, it’s to find a staffer who is comfortable on camera and let ’em go!

Next up is Mason Lafferty of Lafferty’s Home Center in Texarkana, Texas. Lafferty recorded himself at home on his phone, using a stabilizing device to hold it steady. He then sent the footage to his media company, which edited the clip, added graphics and a music track, and turned it around in one dayView the spot below:

“It is most important that we stay in front of our customers,” Lafferty advised, and cited Legato’s work. “I’m loving watching the spots that Joe is shooting from home. ‘Fun Facts with Bill & Rod’s’ is awesome.” The endorsement underscores the support that members have and continue to give to fellow members, which is what BrandSource is all about.

Meanwhile, CDC compliance is the main focus of Bobby Dollar’s Appliance Consultants in Thomasville, Ga. The member has posted two 30-second commercials on YouTube: the first is a non-verbal spot about maintaining safety protocols while meeting the delivery and setup needs of their customers, while Bobby Dollar himself appears in the second video, assuring shoppers of the precautions taken in the showroom, which is open for business and ready to serve consumers.

The theme of the next three videos is “We are here!” While BrandSource understands that appliance businesses are essential to the health and wellbeing of households, not all consumers recognize that. The best way to tell them is to show them.

All three commercials were produced by AVB Marketing and feature custom messaging, while two of them, for Wisconsin-based Grand Appliance and Nawara Brothers Home Store in Grand Rapids, Mich., include specials offers of an additional 5 percent off and free no-contact delivery, respectively.

The third spot, for Tampa’s Famous Tate, describes all the ways that customers can shop or contact the company.

The upshot? Video continues to be king in these changing and challenging times. With more consumers home and watching their TVs and browsing social media, the medium has become more cost-effective and impactful than ever. Welcome to the new normal.

Related: Which Social Media Channels Should I Be On?

BrandSource is a unit of YSN publisher AVB Inc.

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