LongForm Video
FOR THIS PROJECT I CREATED A LONGFORM VIDEO FOR THE DIGITAL STORYTELLING COURSE. PRELIMINARY TO CREATING THIS PROJECT I LOOKED THROUGH THE RED BULL SOCIAL PROFILES AND OTHER MARKETING ARTIFACTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR BRANDING AND THE TONE OF THEIR COMMUNICATIONS. THE BRAND’S COLOR PALLET, THE VIBE THEY GIVE OFF, THEIR PASSION FOR EXTREME SPORTS AND EXTREME ENERGY, THEIR VALUES AND CULTURE ARE ALL IMPORTANT WHEN INCORPORATING A SIGNATURE STORY INTO THE LONGFORM VIDEO. IN ALL THE BRAND’S COMMUNICATIONS, THERE IS A CATCHY TAGLINE AT THE END THAT SAYS, “RED BULL GIVES YOU WIIINGS” (RED BULL [RED BULL], 2022). TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE BRAND’S MESSAGING, I ALSO CAME UP WITH A TAGLINE TO INCORPORATE INTO THE MARKETING FOR THE NEW SUBCATEGORY. I CHOSE TO INCLUDE A TAGLINE THAT SAID, “RED BULL DRAGONS BLOOD, I DARE YOU TO TRY THESE WIIINGS” AT THE END OF THE LONGFORM VIDEO TO CREATE ENERGY AND ENSURE THE LONGFORM VIDEO REFLECTED THE VIBE AND TONE OF THE OTHER COMMUNICATIONS. NOT ONLY DOES THIS ARTIFACT INFORM THE AUDIENCE OF THE GOODS THE NEW PRODUCT OFFERS BUT, IT ALSO PROVIDES THE AUDIENCE A CONNECTION TO THE RED BULL BRAND BECAUSE IT SHARES THEIR PASSION FOR ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT. THE BRAND’S SUCCESS COMES FROM CONNECTING THEIR MARKETING TO THEIR AUDIENCE. A FREELANCE CONTENT WRITER, KALEIGH MOORE (2022), RESEARCHED RED BULL’S MARKETING STRATEGY AND FOUND, “INSTEAD OF LONG ADS WITH AN INSPIRATIONAL MANIFESTO AND BRAND PROMISES, THEY FOCUS ON THINGS THEIR AUDIENCE CAN RELATE TO. AFTER ALL, CONSUMERS WANT AUTHENTICITY” (MORE THAN AN ENERGY DRINK: A WAY OF LIFE, PARA.7). THE RHETORICAL CONTEXT OF THE LONGFORM VIDEO IS THAT THE VIDEO PROVIDED THE AUDIENCE AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION ENCOURAGED THE AUDIENCE TO HAVE A LIKING FOR THE BRAND AND ITS NEW SUBCATEGORY. BY PROVIDING THIS CONNECTION, BRAND EQUITY IS ESTABLISHED BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIP BECOMES LONG LASTING. THIS RESULTS IN RED BULL BRAND BECOMING AN EXPELLER BRAND AND THEY WIN THE MARKET.
BY INCORPORATING KENNETH BURKE’S PENTAD INTO THE LONGFORM VIDEO, THE SIGNATURE STORY BECOMES INTRIGUING, INVOLVING, AND RELATABLE. BURKE’S PENTAD IS BROKEN DOWN INTO FIVE PARTS; THE ACT (WHAT IS BEING DONE), THE AGENT (THE PERSON OR OBJECT THAT DOES THE ACTION), THE AGENCY (THE METHOD OF HOW THE ACTION IS BEING PERFORMED), THE SCENE (WHERE IT IS TAKING PLACE) AND THE PURPOSE (THE GOALS OR REASON THAT GUIDES THE ACTION). KENNETH BURKE’S PENTADIC METHOD IS A GREAT WAY TO RECOGNIZE UNDERLYING OBJECTIVES AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATING. THE GOAL OF USING HIS PENTAD IS TO “NOTICE WAYS IN WHICH...LANGUAGE GENERATES MOTIVES” (BRUMMETT, 2019, P.37). CONSIDERING BURKE’S PENTAD AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTING TO THE AUDIENCE, I CHOSE TO INCLUDE A GROUP OF FRIENDS IN THEIR MID 20’S AS THE AGENT AND USED ONE OF THE FRIEND’S APARTMENTS AS SCENE. THE PURPOSE OF THE LONGFORM VIDEO IS TO PERSUADE THE AUDIENCE TO PURCHASE THE NEW PRODUCT. TO ESTABLISH THIS, I USED VISUAL IMAGERY TO MAKE NARRATIVE TRANSPORTATION OCCUR. AAKER (2018) EXPLAINS, “ONE REASON THAT STORIES WORK IS THAT THEY INVOLVE–THEY DRAW PEOPLE IN. PSYCHOLOGISTS CALL THIS NARRATIVE TRANSPORTATION. THE AUDIENCE IS TRANSPORTED FROM ITS EXISTING REALITY INTO THE STORY OR NARRATIVE. ONE DRIVER OF NARRATIVE TRANSPORTATION IS THE AUDIENCE’S ABILITY TO EMPATHIZE WITH THE STORY CHARACTERS, TO UNDERSTAND THEIR EXPERIENCE. ANOTHER IS VISUAL IMAGERY: THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS DEVELOP A VIVID IMAGE OF THE PLOT… SO THAT THEY SUSPEND REALITY AND FEEL THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE STORY THEMSELVES” (P.64). I CHOSE TO INCLUDE MAIN CHARACTERS THAT RESEMBLED DIVERSE NATIONALITIES AND GENDERS TO SHOW MY ABILITY TO GENERATE MEDIA THAT IS ETHICAL AND INCLUSIVE. BY USING DIVERSE CHARACTERS, THE AUDIENCE NOT ONLY CAN SEE THAT ETHICAL PRACTICES OF THE BRAND BUT, ALSO DEVELOP A CONNECTION TO THE CHARACTERS THAT RESEMBLE THEIR OWN ATTRIBUTES. THE CONNECTION OF THE BRAND TO THE AUDIENCE IS ESTABLISHED. “RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WHEN NARRATIVE TRANSPORTATION OCCURS, PERSUASION DOES TOO… THE MORE REAL THE STORY APPEARS THE GREATER ITS IMPACT” (AAKER, 2018, P.64). THE AUDIENCE IS PERSUADED BY AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION FROM USING A SIGNATURE STORY, RATHER THAN JUST STATING FACTS ALONE.
