Can your marketing make me cry? WestJet Video is a Slam Dunk

Okay, I’m not going to lie: WestJet’s Christmas themed video made me a bit teary.

This is my pick for brand-building video-of-the-year. And here’s why:

  • It is a story brilliantly told and executed
  • It taps into the sentiment of the season
  • It never tries to sell anything but at the same time subtly reminds us that their marketing message is all about a superior experience because their employees or “owners” care

And most importantly,

  • It makes an emotional connection

Emotion is at the heart of great content on your blog whether it’s video or copy. WestJet brilliantly hitched a ride on the joy of the holiday season to create an experience for a plane load of travelers and turned it into a brand building video.

Now, if you’re thinking, “Ya, but they’re WestJet. How do I pull off a video like this?” there are lessons to take away that we can all implement.

Try to tap into emotion – any emotion to make a connection with your reader or viewer. Pain points are a great place to start. We all have them: not enough time, frustration, and need for knowledge about something are pretty common. Understanding the pain your followers are experiencing allows you to provide advice and solutions which begins to position you as trustworthy and valued.

We connect with humour, empathy, joy – pick an emotion but be sure that your video and writing makes an emotional connection. And done well, video makes it so easy.

Keep in mind that pushing your product or service all the time won’t help you build a following. You have to give, and assist, tell your stories and make it about your audience. And then, they’ll be ready to to listen to the harder sell.

In essence, you have to care about your audience. And isn’t this just what WestJet illustrated so skillfully?

Kelly Patchet

Kelly is a co-founder of GK Media and has been a web content expert and website strategist since 1997.