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What Would You Say About Your Business In 60 Seconds?

Posted 1 March By Hanju LeeMy FavoritesNo Comments

What Would You Say About Your Business In 60 Seconds?

Are you one of those people who fast-forward through commercials? I live with a person who does that (I won’t mention any names). But this person also listens to podcasts or YouTube videos at 1.5x or 2.0x the normal speed. She just wants the facts and she wants them as soon as possible. 

But, back to commercials. If it’s a commercial I haven’t seen before or a commercial I want to see again, I’ll take over the remote and watch it like a normal show or a movie…with my full emotional attention and at the normal speed that it was intended to be experienced. But why such an obsession with watching commercials? Let’s think about that for a second. 

If you were given an unlimited amount of money to spend and allowed 60 seconds to tell a story about your business that could influence behavior or create an emotional connection with your audience, what would you do? 

I’ll tell you what I would do. I would first gather the most creative people I know. We would spend hours and hours defining the objective. Once that’s set, we would start brainstorming some outside-the-box ideas. Then, we would develop a script and create a storyboard along with other visual aids to help communicate the concept. We would then pitch the concept to everyone we know to make sure it aligns with our vision, brand, and goal. We would continue to revise and tweak the idea, and that would lead to even more ideas. This would go on and on until everyone is in agreement. Not only in agreement but beyond excited about the project.

Then the real work begins. Let’s talk about pre-production which includes selecting a location, casting actors or spokespersons, scheduling..yada yada yada. Then the actual production where we start filming. Lights, camera…action!! Now the post-production, where everything comes together…finalizing the commercial, adding the music, sounds, and special effects. Then finally, the distribution to our target audience through different platforms – TV, streaming video, social media, and all advertising channels. Are you exhausted?

What’s my point? The point is that thousands of hours were spent crafting this perfect idea and millions of dollars were spent making it and distributing it. And if all that time, money, and energy were condensed into a magical 60 seconds, do you think it’ll be good? It better be. It better be the most thought-provoking 60 seconds of my life. And it better make me cry! When that happens, I am not going to miss it nor watch it at 1.5x the speed. I am going to grab my popcorn, sit in my comfy chair with my fuzzy socks and give it my complete focus, with a Kleenex box on my lap. 

Well, obviously, not every commercial will live up to that standard, no matter how much money they spent or the effort they put in. But once in a while, one will rise up and win my heart. And if you are following the “My Favorite” series this month, I am pleased to announce my Favorite Commercial of the Year – I love it so much that it’s earned this award two years in a row. 

Here’s the Toyota Super Bowl Commercial.

You might be wondering… “What does this have to do with Toyota??” That’s actually the part I like the most.

At BOS Media, we always say the best marketing is about MAKING SOMEONE ELSE THE HERO. People don’t connect with companies who talk about how great they are – the key is for your customers to feel like they’re the great ones.

The commercial ends with the line: “We believe there is hope and strength in all of us.” That’s the message Toyota spent all that time and effort to deliver in their 60 seconds. This is bigger than a marketing slogan – it’s a true story, and ultimately it’s the reason we’re talking about Toyota for two years in a row.

Here’s to finding a story that will touch the hearts of our customers and help them be the hero in 2023. “It might not be easy, but it’ll be amazing.”

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