As long as I can remember, a staple marketing technique of creative agencies has been the “sizzle” reel. You’ve undoubtedly seen many. A video mashup of quick cuts generally pulled from an agency’s best video work. Sometimes set to a soundtrack. The intent is to impress a prospect with the amazing creativity of the agency. To impress the prospect with creative sizzle.
Despite the intent, there is a problem with sizzle reels.
They don’t sizzle.
Let’s discuss!
Why don’t sizzle reels sizzle?
Sizzle reels can be boring to anyone except the creator of the work. Having managed hundreds of agency reviews and interacted with thousands of clients, I can’t remember very many clients/agency prospects being impressed with sizzle reels. This doesn’t mean they don’t value creativity. Marketers love creativity. But sizzle reels don’t present an agency’s work in a way that highlights the depth of an agency’s work. A rapid series of quick cuts is not how most marketers evaluate creative as professionals and not how they watch TV as consumers.
Advertising research itself may also explain why sizzle reels don’t sizzle. In the recent The Cure for Dull, research across 9,737 ads tested with 1,460,550 respondents highlighted the aspects of creative that were least dull. The analysis found many aspects you’d expect, like characters, a story, a hummable tune, knowing glances and recognizable places. What was far less successful? Fast cut scenes.
Sizzle reels don’t sizzle because they are not a good reflection of creativity.
And a sizzle reel is not about your prospect. It’s like talking about your past girlfriends or boyfriends. Your prospect would prefer that you talk about them!
Agency folks, lose the sizzle reel. Sizzle reels are not a good reflection of your work, and they rob precious time from your ability to bond with a prospect.
Steve Boehler, founder, and partner at Mercer Island Group has led consulting teams on behalf of clients as diverse as Ulta Beauty, Microsoft, UScellular, Nintendo, Kaiser Permanente, Holland America Line, Stop & Shop, Qualcomm, Brooks Running, and numerous others. He founded MIG after serving as a division president in a Fortune 100 when he was only 32. Earlier in his career, Steve Boehler cut his teeth with a decade in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble, leading brands like Tide, Pringles, and Jif.
Mercer Island Group helps marketers and agencies succeed. Company leadership is as much at home with marketers and their C-Suites as in an agency’s boardroom. With marketers, Mercer Island Group is a top 5 agency search consultancy covering all types of agency relationships (creative, media, web, PR, experiential) and assists marketers with marketing organization structure, workflow and critical skill development (briefing, creative evaluation & feedback, etc.). The company also supports leading and aspiring agencies with positioning, pitch and strategy training and pitch support.