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Full disclosure. Growing up with an aviation photographer for a dad influences my belief in the power of visual storytelling. That said, the facts are also on my side.

The Wharton School of Business reports that quality video can increase retention up to 50 percent over print and accelerates buying decisions by as much as 72 percent. Forrester Research predicts a 70+ percent growth in online video advertising next year.

So, my question to you, what are your plans for video in 2012? If you’re still in the planning phase, here are some examples to prime the creative pump.

  • Teambuilding. We interviewed key Bombardier Learjet team members and asked the right questions to encourage them to tell their own stories, honestly and with pride. We’re told when viewing the finished product, the rest of the Bombardier team members responded with great enthusiasm.

  • Recruitment. Spirit AeroSystems’ amazing team just needed a bit of coaxing, then they were off to the races sharing their exuberance over the brand, their hopes for its (and their) future, and their encouragement that other likeminded souls be part of their plans to Dream Big and Make It Fly.

  • New-product rollout. We used fun illustration, movement and typography to help launch Signature Flight Support’s rewards program for premium users. The theme: Touch down, Move Up.

  • Education. We created a short video from interviews we shot at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. We spoke to two of the men who rescued the famed WWII P-38F Lightning fighter-bomber, Glacier Girl, and brought her home.  The aircraft would eventually become  part of the Lewis Air Legends collection of vintage warbirds.

  • Sales. Watch this teaser for the book “The Barnstormer and The Lady” and just try to not immediately order yourself a copy. You have ordered your copy, right? Walter and Olive Ann Beech have quite the story. And former Wall Street Journal reporter Dennis Farney did a masterful job telling it.

  This isn’t an exhaustive list, but you get the idea. If a picture speaks a thousand words, think of what video conveys. How it captures and holds our attention. Entertains as well as informs. In this era of social media, it also provides an ideal sharing tool. With websites becoming many companies’ primary marketing medium, video increases site visits and keeps visitors there longer. Increased recall proves video messages sink in better. When you see it, you remember it. Video also helps in your site’s search-engine optimization (SEO). Just be sure to create relevant file names and a video sitemap with description, keyword tags, links and more for the search engines to latch onto.

Charge Your Batteries

If you have a product/service to sell, a mind to change, or pulse to race; video may be your best bet. It packs a powerful punch.