A video content strategy should take advantage of the opportunity social media allows companies to tell stories. YouTube is not limited by the thirty-second time constraint of a TV commercial, so companies can use YouTube to fully explain products or build an emotional connection with visitors. That said, entertaining 30-second spots are effective at attracting visitors. In this content strategy recommendation, I examined how Brooks Brothers was approaching video in 2011 and recommended some future initiatives.

1. Initial Storytelling Recommendations
Focus on Videos
- Javier J. Cobo

2. Brand Statement
• Brooks
Brothers
is
about
capturing
the
American
Dream.
That
includes:
– Feeling
you
have
achieved
success.
– Seeing
your
family
happy
and
secure.
– Finding
love.
– Sharing
your
bounty
with
long
held
friends.
– ConnecAng
to
previous
and
future
generaAons.
– Experiencing
sublime
comfort
and
joy.

3. Primary Target Customers*
• Affluent
$100K+
households
• Segment
1:
Men
25
–
50
for
dress
shirts
and
pants**.
– Shop
for
quality
and
in
store
experience.
Best
targeted
at
their
workplace
and
reinforcing
messaging
in
store.
Want
their
purchase
to
make
them
feel
respected
in
the
workplace.
• Segment
2:
Married
Women
30
–
55
purchasing
for
themselves,
their
husbands/
fathers/brothers,
and
their
children
– Seeking
an
“American
Dream”
family.
Value
unique
experiences,
a
sophisAcated
aestheAc,
and
a
historic
brand
that’s
Aed
to
their
experience
today.
• Segment
3:
Single
Men
and
Women
24
–
35
– Busy
building
career
and
daAng.
Seeking
no
stress
way
to
signal
success,
pedigree,
and
sophisAcaAon.
• RecommendaAons
in
this
deck
focus
on
segments
1
&
3.

4. Analysis: Current Videos
• Videos
are
moving
catalogues
featuring
models.
Featuring
characters/people
with
wants
and
dreams
drives
greater
engagement.
• Stories
are
disjointed.
Viewer
is
unable
to
connect
and
so
is
unable
to
aspire
to
what
is
presented.
• Videos
should
be
less
about
illustraAng
the
clothes
and
more
about
illuminaAng
the
Brooks
Brothers
experience.
Actual
fan
comment
that
illustrates
what’s
missing.

5. Recommendation
1. CreaAng
more
personal,
engaging,
story
driven
content
that
especially
targets
segment
3
(25-­‐35),
but
also
touches
married
women.
2. HighlighAng
Brooks
Brothers
heritage
while
tying
it
to
the
present.
Target
for
these
videos
is
segment
1
(business-­‐wear
customer),
while
also
touching
single
men
&
women.
Communicate
Brooks
Brothers’
Dream/AspiraAon
more
effecAvely
by:

6. Engaging Content: Burberry Acoustic
• Burberry
is
not
seeking
to
tell
a
story,
but
merely
present
itself
as
edgy
and
sophisAcated.
• Their
content
features
their
clothes,
dreary/earthy/cool
UK
sebngs
and
engaging
music.
• Music
themes
drive
conversaAons
online
and
draws
in
younger
customers.

7. Story Driven Content: Tiffany
• Tiffany
features
mulAtudes
of
videos,
but
some
of
their
most
viewed
feature
stories
that
accentuate
their
story
of
LOVE
and
GIFTING.
• At
holiday
they
told
a
silent
video
story
of
a
beauAful
proposal
full
of
aspiraAon
and
dreams.
• Their
current
“True
Love
Grows”
video
is
simple
yet
is
effecAve
because
it
conveys
a
single
story.

8. Highlighting Heritage: Chanel
• Chanel
regularly
features
classic
looks,
but
Aes
them
to
current,
relevant
celebriAes
and
events.
• Videos
are
highly
arAsAc
and
visually
spectacular.
• Viewers
want
to
be
a
part
of
the
spectacle
in
some
way.

9. Content Ideas: Brooks Brothers
• Offer
grants
to
Independent
film
makers
(or
more
seasoned
ones)
to
create
videos
around
specific
themes
like:
– Finding
love
– The
American
Dream
aier
2nd
GeneraAon*
– Sublime
joy
and
simple
comfort
– Videos
feature
Brooks
Brothers
clothing
and
sebngs
and
should
be
posiAve/
upbeat.
• Feature
a
“Timeless
Classic”
as
part
of
an
in
store
or
PR
event.
Pull
in
historic
images
(Presidents,
celebriAes,
leading
businessmen
of
their
Ame)
juxtaposed
with
images
from
today.
Tie
together
images
and
narraAve
to
communicate
why
these
pieces
are
Ameless
and
answer
the
need
to
feel
powerful/respected
in
the
workplace.