Telling the right story is at the heart of everything we create. However, it doesn’t just happen by pointing a camera at a car or product and pressing the record button.
With years of experience stored on our SD cards, the DriveTribe team has mastered the art of planning automotive video content that tells the right story, resonating with over seven million subscribers on our social channels and generating over 800 million impressions across all our distribution platforms in 2023.
In today’s blog, we are going to dive into some of the fundamentals of automotive video content that comes to mind when a new brief drops on our desks.
EXPLORING THE BRIEF
As video marketers, our job is to get eyes on content, but the brief from a client is generally more direct. For example, are they introducing a new product or looking to influence the perception of a product already on the market? Once the brief is made clear, the storytelling brains in our office can get working.
A good starting point is to dive into the product’s history to understand its origin and the problem it was designed to solve.
However, viewers don’t want a hard sell – they know that most social content has commercial arrangements behind it these days – so, it is important to widen the horizons and consider the field in which the product sits to create content that the viewer wants, rather than what the corporation wants.
An example of this would be our work with Rimac and its successor to the Concept One, the Rimac Nevara. Ever since Richard Hammond’s infamous incident with the Concept One in St Gallen, Switzerland, Rimac has found that any marketing on socials would generally result in jokes being made about Hammond’s accident.
It was a tough monkey to shrug, but when they approached us about creating a video with them, we felt that all the attention Rimac constantly receives about the crash should be embraced to help tell the Nevara’s story.
By using the sheer number of comments Rimac get, we knew it would add a humorous, light-hearted entry into the video. Then, when we fronted that at the start, it highlighted the issues Rimac has had to overcome following the negative PR after the crash in a comical way.
Hammond was then the next obvious focus.
Through capturing his thoughts and feelings about getting back into a Rimac helped us push all the noise to the side so that the video could then concentrate on what it was meant to do: introduce the world to the Rimac Nevara.
AUDIENCE
Another crucial element we consider when creating a story worth telling is the intended audience. In particular, how can we create a story that resonates with them? There are simple strings in play here such as relatability, past experiences, current struggles, or even future dreams.
Once decided on, it is then on to how to capture those moments within the story. Could a specific location create awe and wonder or capture a feeling of nostalgia? We may then storyboard some key shots that are required to bottle that emotion. Everything here is done with that keen eye on making the audience feel something. You want your story to bring in new viewers as much as retain long-standing audience members.
As mentioned earlier, while storyboarding helps create ideas – it is important for our team to know they have the freedom to adapt and grab other shots they feel best help capture what we’re after when out in the field.
At a shoot we did for Discovery+, we thought carefully about how to reach a new audience while keeping our current watchers satisfied with the top-quality automotive content they enjoy.
After careful consideration, we turned to one of the most powerful story elements known: family.
By focusing the story on Richard and his daughter, Izzy, not only were we able to utilise the power of the Ram TRX from AEC, but also an important moment in a parent’s relationship with their child – giving them the keys to the car and being taken out for that first ride!
At its peak, the video was at number two on YouTube UK trending charts, with positive comments flooding in about the video’s ability to capture that important moment many have experienced or are looking forward to experiencing at some point themselves.
FINAL THOUGHTS
While there is much more we may look at when considering the right story, the pillars will always remain the same regardless of whether you’re writing a novel or creating a short Instagram reel.
Where is the value in the content?
You could argue storytelling itself is a tale as old as time. But in our modern world, a little planning can help you to hit the right notes at exactly the right time. This will help elevate your product and make its story worth listening to.