Consumers are engaging with online video more than ever, and social media users are constantly on the lookout for exciting stories to share with friends and followers online. This means the hype that a timely piece of video content creates can fade fast these days. The world and the media will rapidly move on to the next big thing after that specific, viral moment in time has passed.
On the other hand, evergreen content—as its name implies—always seems fresh, like a pine tree standing tall and green throughout the winter. And while one may not typically think of advertisements as having a long shelf life, when you combine evergreen content with the proven power of video to reach the masses, the content of a video ad can remain effective for an extended period of time.
An “evergreen” ad campaign might sound like an oxymoron to those not in the know, but not to experts of Forbes Agency Council. They understand that creating an ad that stands the test of time is a major win for a brand, and here, they explore various ways to achieve that elusive quality using video.
Forbes Agency Council members share effective ways to create an evergreen video ad campaign.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Provide Actual Utility For Consumers
For video content to be evergreen, it should feel less like an ad campaign and more like a brand helping the consumer. Videos with actual utility—those that guide a buyer through making the right decision for them, for instance—have a wonderfully longer shelf life. – Marc Paulenich, Hart
2. Include Three Necessary Ingredients
For me, there are key ingredients in any evergreen ad: a strong story that evokes emotion in the target audience, supporting visuals and the right choice of audio/music. Most brands focus on only one or two of these ingredients. The right audio/music is such a powerful ingredient that it creates a good mood and evokes a positive feeling even after the ad has been running for decades. – Nishant Mishra, The Higher Pitch
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3. Focus On Universal Human Values
Video ads that focus on universal human values, such as kindness, love or hope, can become timeless if executed well. These are deeply rooted values that transcend cultures and countries, and they can provoke high levels of emotional engagement with the viewers regardless of the industry. – Gjoko Muratovski, Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies
4. Create Authentic, Upper-Funnel Content
Creating evergreen video content is 100% possible if you are willing to be authentic. If you want content that will last, highlight and create upper-funnel video content that embodies the values of your brand and products. There will always be relevant stories and subjects that can be used in a variety of ways. – Hunter Johnson, Xpedition
5. Appeal To Human Emotions
With brands such as Dove and Old Spice having created evergreen video ad campaigns, we know that it’s possible. The reason it worked for them was they contained humor or a human insight that hadn’t been explored before. Today, “riding the trend” is big, but that’s the thing with trends—they lack a shelf life. Being evergreen means standing out from the noise. Don’t follow; create. Can you create a viral-worthy message, jingle or hashtag? Appeal to human emotions; that’s the only trick. – Rohit Kumar, Zensciences
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6. Focus On The Company And The Customer’s Needs
The best approach for creating evergreen video content is to focus it on the company rather than the product. As long as the company is relevant, so is the content. Products and services change and evolve, but content that supports the company and speaks to the customer’s needs can last through these changes. The customer’s needs are evergreen until you solve them. Make content that speaks to those needs. – A. Lee Judge, Content Monsta
7. Look To Other Timeless Campaigns
Look to other ad campaigns and brand positionings that have withstood the test of time. Mastercard and Budweiser are among the brands that have created iconic ads and messages that are truly timeless. Although creative treatments have evolved, the core ideas have remained constant. – Nancy A Shenker, theONswitch
8. Focus On Your Company’s ‘Why’
Go as high level as you can in expressing what makes you you, and capture B-roll without identifying too much of your “what.” If you can showcase the reason why your team gets out of bed each morning in your video content, you won’t need to go back and reshoot and edit every time you change a product, make an acquisition or update a landing page. – Sara Steever, Paulsen
9. Don’t Replace Meaningful Messages Too Quickly
Brands need to build real connections with consumers, so start with finding human truth and an authentic message. One mistake we tend to make as marketers is freshening up creative too quickly. We work so hard to land on a credible message and then swiftly replace it with a new idea, when, in reality, the solid, original message was just starting to take hold. When you land on a deep, meaningful message, stay the course. – Scott Harkey, OH Partners
10. Create A How-To Video
How-to videos are the most evergreen. Just about every brand can create them if they identify challenges their customers and prospects face. Such videos should provide step-by-step instructions with defined outcomes. Avoid references to trending topics or current events that will date the video. Include evergreen keywords in the video description so that it is easily found. – Robert Finlayson, Bold Marketing and Communications
11. Develop A Message That Builds Credibility Over Time
An evergreen video can be incredibly successful if it covers the simple basics—who, what, where and why—and includes a call to action. Think of the evergreen message as the mainstay video that builds your market share and establishes credibility over time, while new videos highlight special sales or newly added products/offerings without having to reintroduce your brand to the audience each time. – Chelsey Pendock, Innovision Advertising
12. Cater The Campaign To The Audience
An evergreen video campaign needs to be catered to the audience. One piece of creative cannot speak to everyone. Geico is a great example of a brand doing it right. For measurement, marketers can’t look at performance metrics such as new customer acquisitions or transaction volume. The only way to measure evergreen campaigns is to look at brand lift. It’s more about qualitative than quantitative results. – Michael Hubbard, Media Two Interactive
13. Help People Find Your Video Content All Year Long
Once you have your video content, publish it on all social media channels (YouTube, Facebook and Instagram) with the relevant hashtags and keywords so that people can find your content all year long. Sharing the video as part of a blog post on your website will also help consumers find your content throughout the year. – Adrian Falk, Believe Advertising & PR
14. Exclude Non-Evergreen Content
You can create evergreen video content by excluding non-evergreen content such as statistics, numerical figures, products, prices and trends, which are likely to change. Your content should focus on the long-lasting problem and solution that your product or brand provides. – Omer Riaz, Urtasker
15. Focus On A Core Element That Is Unlikely To Change
Evergreen campaigns can always be created if you focus on a core aspect of your business or a service that has been around for a long time, has been proven and is not likely to change. Focus on imagery that is fresh and somewhat neutral while still being modern, and avoid obviously trendy images that could change or become outdated quickly. – Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne LLC
16. Don’t Rely On Cultural References
It is possible to create evergreen video ad campaigns with a shelf life of two or even three years, as long as the concept and execution are tied to the brand and don’t rely on cultural references that could become irrelevant in a few months. Craft a message that resonates with your customers’ needs and wants and use the power of video to create an emotional connection around them. – Mary Ann O’Brien, OBI Creative
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Author: Expert Panel®, Forbes Councils Member
