Guy's Star Wars film made with AI: https://youtu.be/A_8Md9j2uXQ?si=CZqEBp-OqqDLF4Qu

1. Introduction (00:00 – 00:00:22)

• Guy welcomes listeners back to the podcast, “Death to the Corporate Video.”
• A quick note on Chicago’s unpredictable spring weather, jumping from 70° to snow in a week.

2. The “like” challenge (00:00:23 – 00:00:50)

• Guy shares his personal goal to reduce the filler word “like” in his speech.
• Emphasizes taking a brief pause instead of using verbal crutches.

3. Why invest in creative B2B video ads? (00:00:51 – 00:02:23)

• The main topic of this episode: exploring the value of creative vs. uncreative ads.
• Acknowledges the inherent risk in creativity and why many brands shy away from it.

4. Risk vs. reward: the carnival mallet analogy (00:02:24 – 00:06:30)

• Introduces a scale from 0 to 10 to assess advertising outcomes.
• Uncreative Ads: Low floor (potentially ineffective) and a low ceiling (moderately effective).
• Creative Ads: Same low floor (could flop), but a much higher ceiling (could be a big win).
• Explanation of how the downside risk is the same, but the upside is vastly greater with creativity.

5. Distilling the key takeaway (00:06:31 – 00:07:44)

• Highlights that being in the “98%” who play it safe means missing out on maximum impact.
• Encourages advertisers to be in the “2%” that leverage creative risk for greater reward.

Focus Your Attention on One Channel

• Pick the platform where you already have the highest engagement (LinkedIn, YouTube, X, etc.).
• Funnel all traffic—emails, social shares—through that single post for maximum algorithm impact.

Mention or Message Influencers

• Research a list of relevant influencers ahead of your launch.
• Tag them or send them direct messages when you go live.
• Even if they don’t respond, the algorithm may push your content to related influencers.

Find a Press Angle & Use PR

• A solid press hook (beyond “look at this video”) can spark media interest.
• Working with a PR professional ensures your press release is compelling and angled for coverage.

Optimize Your YouTube Title & Thumbnail

• Use titles that match what people are searching for—avoid clever or abstract titles no one will type in.
• Thumbnails should feature people or images that reflect the core idea of the video.
• YouTube’s algorithm often rewards strong click-through rates and clear metadata.

Choose Your Launch Day Wisely

• Guy’s rule of thumb is Tuesday—people are settled in from Monday and more likely to engage midweek.
• Avoid launching on days when major news events could overshadow your video.

Encourage Employees & Advocates to Share

• Ask team members and loyal customers to like, comment, and share on launch day.
• Avoid giving them identical copy to post; personalize messages to keep social platforms happy.

• Create Something Worth Going Viral
  • The best “hack” is genuine, resonant content. If it’s not engaging, none of the above tactics will matter.
  • Don’t chase virality—focus on delivering real value and entertainment.

• Originality over “safe jokes.” Recycled humor feels stale and won’t get shared.
• Take risks to stand out. Uncertainty is a part of creativity—lean into it for bigger payoffs.
• Avoid forced funny faces and clichés. True comedic impact comes from authenticity and fresh perspectives.
• Embrace your doubt. Sometimes, your biggest second guess might be the thing that resonates most with an audience.

Incremental Creativity

• You can’t jump from a “zero-risk” corporate video to an ultra-creative ad overnight.
• Start with small creative experiments to help your stakeholders get comfortable with new ideas.

Big Brand vs. Challenger Mindset

• Larger organizations often have more to lose, making them more risk-averse.
• Challenger brands with fewer constraints can take bigger leaps faster—but still benefit from a gradual approach.

Learning to Read and Approve Creative

• Many teams and stakeholders aren’t used to evaluating scripts or bold ideas.
• Introduce them to the concept of “creative risk” in small doses so they can learn how to give productive feedback.

Nitrogen Metaphor & Boiling the Frog

• Guy uses a story about alien life forms adapting to nitrogen as a metaphor for acclimating stakeholders to creativity.
• Slowly turning up the heat (or adding “nitrogen”) ensures your ideas can survive without being killed off prematurely.

Practical Next Steps

• Try smaller, in-house projects that push creativity just a bit further than usual.
• Gradually build trust and familiarity among internal teams before bringing in bigger, bolder campaigns.