Marketing in Focus: Video Marketing at Vospers with Darren Bennett

In this interview with  Marketing Manager at Vospers Motors, Darren Bennett, we are discussing how video marketing has evolved during the last 12 months and how it will continue to be a significant part of the marketing mix for the foreseeable future. With an increase in channels and streaming integration, marketers are using video like never before. 

This means that video marketing, webinars, video tours, advertising and use on social media have increased value and impact within the overall marketing strategy for teams in the UK.

How has video helped you to connect with your customers over the last year?

Video is an important tool in connecting and communicating with customers, now more than ever. We’ve increased the amount of video we capture and share with customers and we’ve seen an increase in the volume of video assets provided to us by our manufacturer partners. 

Over the last year we’ve increased the number of videos we’ve made and/or shared with customers via social channels, on our website, or YouTube, and that trend is set to continue. We’ve also introduced personalised videos that our sales teams capture themselves, showing a customer around a particular vehicle they’re interested in, or showing them a specific feature in action, or simply introducing themselves and the dealership in preparation for an appointment.

How has video impacted your customer journey?

 Video has become an integral part of our customer journey. Vospers customers have been receiving personalised videos from our technicians working on their vehicle for several years, these videos allow our technicians the opportunity to introduce themselves, show the customer what they’ll be working on, and identify to them any potential additional work that needs doing, with full transparency. 

What we’ve been able to do in the last year is also introduce video to our sales customers, allowing our sales teams to send personalised videos to customers showing them around a vehicle they’re interested in but perhaps can’t view in person due to shielding or lockdown rules. Teams have also used video to demonstrate a feature, show a customer their new car is ready for collection, but also to perform a traditional handover with a recorded video or even live video with the customer where click & collect and home delivery and prevented teams from completing this in person with customers.

What was the most important element in your transition (or increased use) of video?

In terms of our marketing activity, I would say the most important element has been the analytics, seeing that users engage more with a video has encouraged us to transition to video wherever possible as we know it is going to get a better engagement than just an image or text. 

In terms of our customer journey with the sales team for example, initially the most important element was empowering the teams with the technology and training. Once we overcame that element the most important element was again the analytics. Seeing customers were watching their personalised videos, often more than once, and seeing that customers were responding positively to them with positive ratings, mentioning their videos in their feedback comments, or simply the fact that customers are responding to the video to proceed with their enquiry. Seeing success through analytics has motivated us in several ways to embrace video and increase the use of video in our communications with customers.

How do you think you will use video in marketing in the future?

Video will always play a key role in our marketing communications and may become a significant element of our activity. Video use on social media, our website, in emails, and direct to customers via the sales teams, are all ways we’re currently using video – but there are many other ways video could be used to communicate with customers and I’m sure we’ll continue to develop what we’re doing as well as introduce new video marketing in the near future.