Content that Delivers Value and Caters to Your Niche: Women 2.0, The Gist and SheIS Webinar
Audience, content and value are the pillars of building brand loyalty and a successful content strategy.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how to market directly to your audience by prioritizing data informed content and value generation. You’ll hear from CEO of Women 2.0 Kate Brodock, Co-Founder of SheIS Caiti Donovan, and Co-Founder of The GIST Ellen Hyslop and learn:
> How to cater content to a niche audience
> The importance of data in marketing as well as it’s pitfalls and opportunities
> How to generate and replicate value across platforms
FEATURED PANELISTS
KATE BRODOCK is the CEO of Women 2.0 and a Founding Partner of the W Fund. Kate brings over 15 years of experience in the tech start up world, including her time as COO of Atribute and CMO of untapt. Kate is a long-time mentor for Techstars, a former Adjunct Professor of PR and Marketing at Syracuse University, and a prolific speaker.
CAITI DONOVAN is the Co-Founder of SheIS, a non-profit mobilizing the sports world to grow women’s sports. Caiti is a data driven storyteller and business leader whose work at Viacom and Spotify carved out new lines of business.
ELLEN HYSLOP is the Co-Founder of The GIST and a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2020. At The GIST, Ellen acts as Head of Content, leading the creation of sports content, experience, and community that’s accessible to every kind of sports fan.
Data that Fuels Storytelling and Creative Decision Making: AARP Webinar
Success on social is all about the numbers, but all too often creative decisions are made based on feel instead of facts.
In this webinar, learn how data can be applied to storytelling and drive creative decisions. You’ll hear from TJ Cooney, Video Producer at AARP, and learn:
> How to use data to inform decisions on script down to the second
> How to double down on the top 10% of your content
> How to create data-driven social marketing plans that convince decision makers
FEATURED PANELIST
TJ COONEY is the Video Producer at AARP and a Youtube Creator. At AARP, TJ has produced several documentary shorts, including a D-Day series narrated by Bryan Cranston. His YouTube channel, “I Need More Space,” has grown to an audience of over 80K subscribers, and over 8 million channel views.
From Crisis to Creative: How to Balance Exploration and Exploitation: Thoughtexchange Webinar
Remember the ‘new normal’? It’s time for the next phase. Since settling into the world of remote work, brands have had to balance creative endeavors with necessary pandemic precautions. But to shift into a phase of forward thinking, teams need to engage in creative work.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how to transition your teams from crisis mode to creative exploration. You’ll hear from Jessica Nordlander, COO of Thoughtexchange, and learn:
> How to make big decisions on explorative projects
> When it’s time to shift from crisis mode to forward progress
> How to leverage a forced pivot for renewed creativity
FEATURED PANELIST
JESSICA NORDLANDER is the COO of ThoughtExchange. Prior to joining Thoughtexchange, Jessica served as the Chief Digital Officer for global travel group STS Education, and was the Head of Business Development at Google in the Nordic Countries. Recently named Sweden’s Most Innovative Leader, Jessica brings over a decade of experience scaling multinational tech companies.
Green Buzz Agency’s 2020 Award Round Up
WASHINGTON, DC — Oct. 5, 2020
The 2020 video production awards season has wrapped and Green Buzz Agency was the winner of 18 awards for 11 videos, surpassing last years award totals. Notably, the agency won its 5th Capital Emmy for the video “Lena’s Story,” a spot for the Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Center.
We are proud of all of our talented producers, editors and DPs on their wins!
LENA’S STORY – GEORGETOWN LOMBARDI
CAPITAL EMMY winner in the category for Commercial – Single Spot
BRONZE TELLY AWARD winner in the category of Fund Raising for Non-Broadcast
AEGIS 50TH ANNIVERSARY – LOCKHEED MARTIN
COMMUNICATOR AWARDS EXCELLENCE winner in the category of Editing for Film / Video / Television
AVA DIGITAL PLATINUM AWARD WINNER
SILVER TELLY AWARD winner in the category of Editing for Branded Content
BUILDING UP & BUILDING OUT – GW HILLEL
COMMUNICATOR AWARDS DISTINCTION winner in the category of Education / Educational Institutions for Film / Video / Television
SILVER TELLY AWARD winner in the category of Motion Graphics / Design for Branded Content
ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING – MEDSTAR
WEAVETHEPEOPLE – ASPEN INSTITUTE
COMMUNICATOR AWARDS EXCELLENCE winner in the category of Corporate Social Responsibility for Branded Entertainment
VICTIMS OF CRONYISM SERIES – AEI
COMMUNICATOR AWARDS EXCELLENCE winner in the category of Information for Film / Video / Television
SILVER TELLY AWARD winner in the category of 2D Animation for Branded Content
IMPERFECT UNION: BORDER WALL – TEGNA
COMMUNICATOR AWARDS DISTINCTION winner in the category of Social Responsibility for Online Video
FACES OF SODEXO: PAT CLELLAND – SODEXO
COMMUNICATOR AWARDS DISTINCTION winner in the category of Corporate Image for Film / Video / Television
FARMER OF THE YEAR – FIELD TO MARKET
SILVER TELLY AWARD winner in the category of Not-for-profit for Non-Broadcast
GENO MCKINNEY – SOURCEAMERICA
SILVER TELLY AWARD winner in the category of Documentary: Individual for Non-Broadcast
THE MINER FAMILY – GEORGETOWN LOMBARDI
BRONZE TELLY AWARD winner in the category of Charitable for Branded Content
About Green Buzz Agency
Green Buzz Agency is a full-service video production company that works with cutting-edge media outlets and impactful brands to create compelling video content. Our team of in-house, innovative storytellers create rich story arcs that retain viewers’ attention, evoke emotional responses and maximize return on investment. Trusted by clients like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Upworthy, Hilton, the Ad Council, HGTV, SYFY, Nickelodeon, Lowe’s, American Red Cross, Navy Federal Credit Union, Children’s National, AARP and the ACLU, Green Buzz is a go-to creative partner that delivers on both empathy and professionalism.
Green Buzz Agency CEO Tod Plotkin Talks Audience Engagement on Up Next Podcast
Going viral isn’t a strategy – it’s an outcome of the right video at the right cultural moment. Engaging with audiences in an attention economy has always been important – and challenging – but things are being brought to a whole new level with COVID-19.
Our Founder and CEO Tod Plotkin joins this episode of the Up Next Podcast with Gabriella Mirabelli to discuss how tapping into emotion in video content can reliably deliver audience engagement. He gets into the philosophy behind Green Buzz Agency’s video strategy, from our focus on bringing talent in-house, to the relationship between run-time and emotional engagement in our work.
Listen to the full episode here:
About the Up Next Podcast with Gabriella Mirabelli
New ideas and new technology are causing seismic shifts in the media industry. Where are we headed? What does it mean? On the Up Next podcast, media strategist Gabriella Mirabelli talks with the brightest minds in entertainment and business. She meets the innovators, the risk-takers and the disrupters on the front lines of change from Hollywood, Wall Street, Silicon Valley and beyond.
Gabriella Mirabelli is the former EVP, Consumer Insights & Brand Strategy at Valence Media. Prior, Gabriella was the CEO and Co-Founder of ANATOMY, a strategic consultancy and Emmy-winning creative services agency that served world-class entertainment brands. Gabriella’s research on young adults’ media consumption behaviors has been cited in Forbes, The Wrap, MediaPost, and Yahoo Finance.
About Green Buzz Agency
Green Buzz Agency is a full-service video production company that works with cutting-edge media outlets and impactful brands to create compelling video content. Our team of in-house, innovative storytellers create rich story arcs that retain viewers’ attention, evoke emotional responses and maximize return on investment. Trusted by clients like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Upworthy, Hilton, the Ad Council, HGTV, SYFY, Nickelodeon, Lowe’s, American Red Cross, Navy Federal Credit Union, Children’s National, AARP and the ACLU, Green Buzz is a go-to creative partner that delivers on both empathy and professionalism.
To Zoom or Not to Zoom: Comparing Live Streaming Platforms for Events During the Pandemic
Now more than ever, video is helping connect audiences across the world and is bringing people closer together. With in-person meet-ups for professional networking and entertainment on pause, live internet-streamed event broadcasting has soared in popularity. With this trend accelerating, it is important for all organizations to consider how live streaming events can improve sales and increase brand awareness.
At Green Buzz Agency, we help our clients create top-quality video content for all their organizational needs. While based out of the Washington, D.C. region, we work with large brands and nonprofits all over the world.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our clients have been asking for help with event live streaming. More often than not, the main question our clients ask is what software or platform they should use.
With dozens of options out there, it is difficult for those unfamiliar with live streaming or video production services in general to get themselves up to speed, so we’ve put together a list of the different softwares and platforms, a summary of their key features and pitfalls, and an overview of best practices for you to consider. Hopefully this helps answer questions that you have, but feel free to reach out to us for more information.
First and Foremost: What Are You Out to Achieve?
As with any initiative, it is important to start by establishing what goals you are trying to achieve through live streaming events before diving into a software or service solution. Typically, organizations interested in live streaming events look to accomplish one or more of the following goals:
1. Improve community or customer engagement through social media;
2. Create original content assets; or,
3. Augment or replace in-person live event experiences with a more digital solution.
After you’ve articulated your goals clearly, you should rank each goal from top priority to lowest priority. Ranking will help you narrow down your choices and pinpoint the best live streaming solution for your organization.
Zoom
If you’re searching for business-oriented streaming solutions for your events, it’s pretty safe to assume that you’ve heard of Zoom before. The video conferencing app founded by a former Cisco employee has taken the world by storm and has (arguably) achieved a highly coveted branding goal: “Zoom” has become a verb. Zoom is quickly becoming a staple of the work-from-home transition and is often overlooked when it comes to live streaming events.
Zoom is a great low-cost and low-complexity option to live stream your event. Many organizations already have enterprise subscriptions to Zoom and most people are pretty familiar with its interface. Zoom streaming does not require any special skills or training in live video production and is perfectly tailored for events where attendee interaction and participation is needed. It also allows users to stream concurrently on other platforms simultaneously such as Facebook Live and YouTube.
Zoom is not a perfect solution if your needs are highly specialized and you require flexibility. With Zoom, you get what you’re given and have little room for customization.
Bottom line: Zoom is a familiar face and a cost-effective solution but isn’t the ideal option for custom-tailored live streams.
Grabyo
Grabyo is the self-proclaimed “future of broadcast”. It is a robust cloud-based software for live streaming events and is ideal for creating professional quality live programming. Organizations that have the resources to dedicate a small team for live event production will love Grabyo’s team collaboration capabilities and its expansive user customization options.
The program has unique features that allow production team members to clip and post moments from the broadcast to social media in real-time. Grabyo also allows co-streaming via various social media accounts – another major bonus feature for events that are to be broadcast on different platforms.
While Grabyo is great for video production companies or organizations with in-house video capabilities, Grabyo’s interface can be rather complicated for first-time users. Even experienced technical directors will need a bit of time to master its functionality. Grabyo is also ill-suited for events that require audience engagement like webinars or meet-and-greets. In its most current form, Grabyo does not allow communication between the production team and the consumers of the content.
Perhaps most importantly, Grabyo is pricey. Its cost model is bespoke and may be out of reach for small-budget events.
Bottom line: Grabyo is great if you know video, have a medium to large budget, an experienced team, and do not need to engage in real-time with your audience.
StreamYard
StreamYard is a browser-based platform that brands itself as the “easiest way to create professional live streams”. There is a lot of truth to this statement. In many ways, it is a simpler and less expensive version of Grabyo. StreamYard gives users creative freedom with respect to on-screen and back-end customization and integrates seamlessly with social media. Its platform allows you to communicate with the audience via Facebook Live commenting, which is a major bonus for socially-oriented events. Like Grabyo, you can upload custom graphics files to display overlay graphics, intro and outro videos, and branding.
Apart from price, StreamYard differs from Grabyo in that the former allows only a limited number of users working on the stream at the same time and limits the size and type of video files that you can upload for graphics.
Bottom line: StreamYard is great for lower-budgeted or simpler mid-level productions staffed by a small production team.
Social Media
Social is the unsung hero of event live streaming and the queen of video content distribution in the modern age. Streaming through social media platforms is free and your event’s reach can be boosted with paid placements. Social is also the natural start and end point for anything event related. From advertising your event months ahead of time to posting clips and photos after the event, social media is at the center of any event-based marketing campaign.
One of the major downsides of streaming events directly through social media is the low video and audio quality. This pitfall, however, may be an important source of differentiation given the widespread issues that people are having with internet connection reliability.
Many consumers are used to experiencing highly pixelated video quality or audio dropping here and there. So, viewers may find comfort in the familiarity with the experience of watching their favorite influencers and friends live stream their daily lives directly through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This organic feel is perfect for organizations looking to connect with their audience, engage back and forth with attendees, and maximize the exposure that their live events will generate using a simpler livestream.
Bottom line: social is a simple, streamlined way of connecting with a wide audience but the video and audio quality can be subpar, so be warned if you’re planning to repurpose the video footage after a livestream on social media.
Next Steps
While no solution is ever a perfect solution, there is likely a platform or software that works best for your organization’s specific needs. If you are new to video marketing and have additional questions about how to best prepare for your live streamed event, please feel free to reach out to our team. We love to collaborate and are happy to help give you some pointers to ensure that your video needs are met!
Justin Zuccon, Director of Corporate Development.
We All Need a Crystal Ball: Forecasting Consumer Trends During Uncertainty: Edelman & MRC Webinar
Planning for the future has never been more difficult. With constantly changing trends, conversations, and events, it can seem impossible to stay engaged and keep your content relevant.
In this webinar, learn how to stay ahead of consumer trends by tapping into news cycles and adopting a flexible content strategy. You’ll hear from Annie Granatstein, EVP, Creative Newsroom Director at Edelman, and Gabriella Mirabelli, former EVP, Consumer Insights and Brand Strategy at Valence Media. You’ll learn:
> How to build flexibility into content models
> When to align with news cycles to stay relevant and ensure longevity
> How to map out your brand strategy even in under uncertainty
FEATURED PANELISTS
ANNIE GRANATSTEIN is the EVP, Creative Newsroom Director at Edelman , and one of Folio’s 2019 Top Women in Media. Before joining Edelman, Annie served as the head of WP Brand Studio, the Washington Post’s in-house creative agency. Annie has launched multimedia campaigns for iconic brands like Coca-Cola, Mastercard, Hulu, AT&T, and Mercedes. Her work has been recognized across the industry, with accolades from the Webby’s, Telly’s, and Digiday.
GABRIELLA MIRABELLI is the former EVP, Consumer Insights and Brand Strategy at Valence Media. Prior, Gabriella was the CEO and Co-Founder of ANATOMY, a strategic consultancy and Emmy-winning creative services agency that served world-class entertainment brands. Gabriella’s research on young adults’ media consumption behaviors has been cited in Forbes, The Wrap, MediaPost, and Yahoo Finance.
Create Content that Drives Change and Inclusion: Special Olympics & KaBOOM! Webinar
The events of 2020 have translated to a call for change throughout America, especially in areas related to health safety and inclusion.
In this webinar, learn how to plug into the national narrative to create content that drives change and inclusion across age, race, and ability. You’ll hear from Sydnye White, Senior Director of Content and Storytelling at Special Olympics International and Amy Levner, VP Communications and Marketing at KaBOOM! You’ll learn:
> Unique approaches to storytelling and crisis communications to be more inclusive and effective
> How to use technology to reach marginalized groups and communities
> How to plug into the national narrative to create content that is part of the solution
FEATURED PANELISTS
SYDNYE WHITE is the Senior Director of Content and Storytelling at Special Olympics International and is passionate about using ideas, words, sounds and images to create stories that open minds and touch hearts. As a national Emmy-nominated documentary and factual television producer, she has spearheaded, created and overseen thousands of hours of programming distributed on such networks as Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, National Geographic, BET, TV One and PBS Stations, the list keeps going. As a content creator for non-profits and corporations, she has informed and entertained audiences while boosting viewer clicks and engagement on websites and social media. She is a non-published novelist with a finished manuscript sitting at the top of her closet and is currently working on a second novel that she hopes to have published one day.
AMY LEVNER is the VP of Communications and Marketing at KaBOOM! is the VP of Communications and Marketing at KaBOOM!, a national non-profit working to end playspace inequity. At KaBOOM! Amy leads all communications, marketing, digital strategy, and research efforts. Before Joining KaBOOM!, Amy led AARP’s Livable Communities agenda, an effort dedicated to creating livable communities for people over 50 and their families. Throughout her career, Amy has been a leader in social change marketing, running successful campaigns in both the agency and non-profit setting.
Fostering Community and Transparency to Build Brand Loyalty: Sodexo & Stoli Group Webinar
2020 is the year of brand safety. But it’s also the year of the consumer. Individuals have taken hold, re-evaluated their loyalty and become more vocal than ever about the brands they support and the ones that fall short.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how to increase brand loyalty while fostering community and transparency through values. Alison Walsh, Head of Global PR and Digital Media at Stoli Group and Noori Lee, Digital Marketing Senior Manager at Sodexo will walk through how brands can showcase safe practices and values while leaning into the human element of their marketing and communications. You’ll learn how to:
> Build brand loyalty through community and transparency
> Navigate pandemic messaging and visuals by leaning into the human stories
> Stay true to your brand values, even when it’s most difficult
FEATURED PANELISTS
NOORI LEE is the Digital Marketing Senior Manager at Sodexo. Noori is responsible for elevating Sodexo’s brand presence, one of the world’s largest multinational corporations. A Marketo Certified Expert with 10 years of industry experience, Noori leads an international team of digital strategists to execute Sodexo’s business development strategy across North America.
ALISON WALSH is a Communications Consultant and former Head of Global PR and Digital Media at Stoli Group, and was a PR Week 40 Under 40 honoree in 2019. Under Alison’s leadership, Stoli’s Instagram following doubled in just two years. She’s been behind the successful launch of two new brands at Stoli: Cenote Tequila, and Se Busca, a mezcal inspired by the women of the Mexican Revolution.
Management of Creative Services to Drive Success in 2020 and Beyond Webinar: Threespot & WDG
In a time when in-person activity is on pause, creative digital content has never been more important. In this unique session, three agency leaders will come together to share tangible case studies and tactics for managing the creative process both internally with teams and externally with clients.
In this webinar, you’ll hear from Tod Plotkin, CEO and Founder of Green Buzz Agency; Liz Ott, President of Threespot; and Ab Emam, Founder of WDG. You’ll learn how to optimize workflows while pushing creative that meets the needs of clients, even while working remotely. You’ll also come away with an understanding of:
> How to continue to highlight and differentiate creative work during COVID-19
> What has changed and what has stayed the same as a digital first agency in 2020
> How to keep up productivity and morale while working remotely
FEATURED PANELISTS
TOD PLOTKIN is the CEO and Founder of Green Buzz Agency. Since starting Green Buzz in 2010, Tod has executive produced Ad Council’s video content for the Love Has No Labels Campaign, overseen one of the most successful Facebook Watch shows, and kicked off Lowe’s largest branded content campaign with a show-stopping centerpiece anthem video.
LIZ OTT is the President of Threespot, a DC-based independent digital agency dedicated to serving clients who are committed to helping others. At Threespot, Liz has supported clients such as UN Environment, the Hilton Foundation and the National Park Service. She is the former president of AIGA DC, and currently serves as Communications Director on the B Corp Mid-Atlantic Steering Committee.
AB EMAM is the Founder of WDG, an award-winning Arlington-based digital strategy firm. WDG’s experienced creative, WordPress, and Drupal development team supports C-level executives of Fortune companies and nonprofits to implement digital change. Ab has led WDG’s work with clients such as the American Red Cross, PBS, Discovery Education, and Kleenex.