Roberts Communications’ innovative personalized videos were the focus at the Rochester chapter of the American Marketing Association’s (RAMA) Direct Marketing Special Interest Group event on Viral Marketing. 

Presenters Ed Gala, vice president, and Bonnie Jaeckel, marketing manager of Xerox Corporation’s Global Experiential Marketing group explained that customers are constantly inundated with media. On a daily basis, the average consumer is exposed to 2,904 media messages. However, the average person will only pay attention to 52 and will only positively remember four.  Personalized videos target customers using individually relevant messages in a timely fashion and attention-grabbing format to enhance the audience’s personal engagement with a brand, product or service.

Roberts Communications worked with Xerox to create several personalized video campaigns as key components in integrated multimedia programs. These variable-data videos contain embedded elements that are specific to the e-mail recipient.  As it plays, the recipient sees his or her name and other personal information displayed throughout the video. The initial recipient can forward the message to other users to personalize it to themselves, creating a viral internet campaign.

One of the featured videos highlighted a campaign for Xerox’s corporate client, Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Night. Other notable personalized videos include Wegmans LPGA and Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival—a recent ADDY winner. 

Using XMPie® software to personalize the videos and ExactTarget® for e-mail distribution, Roberts successfully created a cross-media campaign. This technology enabled Xerox to reach multiple media channels, including e-mail, web, video, mobile and direct mail. Xerox reported that Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Night achieved a viewing rate of 40 percent, and the pass-alongs reached a 47 percent viewing rate. These highly entertaining videos are a fast-growing and effective approach for marketers.