With a quick, smart rebrand, Cut2it repositions product value

Background

The Cut2it video platform does the incredible: It turns concerns about copyright protection into a marketing engine by allowing content producers to hold onto and track all organic shares of a video asset. The patented technology works by making it easy to share virtual clips of videos that constantly reference the original video asset. Content owners then get more traffic to their videos and can more accurately assess audience reach, while retaining their intellectual property and the revenue that is usually lost when videos are copied and posted on other platforms, such as YouTube.

But when Gaith Abdo, Founder and CEO of Cut2it, described the platform to potential prospects, it wasn’t immediately apparent how the technology could benefit them—the value got lost in the technical details of how it worked. And with the name Cut2it, most prospects thought it was simply a video editor.

Abdo realized that something wasn’t coming across in the messaging. So, when he was ready to introduce the Cut2it video platform into the market and seek funding from venture capital firms, he knew he needed to work with an agency to help create a differentiated product that would directly communicate the value of the platform.

Time was short—it was already February; he wanted an agency that could quickly understand the Cut2it video platform, his vision for it, and how he wanted to sell it and then swiftly complete the product marketing work before NAB Show (the National Association of Broadcasters’ annual trade show) in early April 2019.

Strategy

The project kicked off at the start of March 2019 with a half-day strategy workshop. Our approach, given the short runway to NAB Show in April, was to get a good understanding of how the Cut2it video platform worked and then assess its category power—the strong arguments for the platform and against it—to focus on the specific problems the platform solves for video creators.

The way the Cut2it video platform had been branded inadvertently implied that it was an editor, which created confusion. And the way that Abdo talked about it in person and in messaging focused too much on the technical details of the video production and content management features of the platform—things it did, but that obscured the innovative way the platform gave content owners control over how their video assets are shared.

The goal was to come up with a product name and messaging that immediately appealed to the audience the video platform would benefit the most: the large traditional media businesses whose media assets are most commonly copied and shared. This product and messaging also would be folded into a pitch deck to use in conversations with potential investors.

Once we understood the platform and its market landscape, we took two weeks to come up with a new name that would eliminate confusion over what the technology does and instead focus on what it achieves for customers: a shift from working to prevent clip-sharing and copyright infringement to encouraging sharing while being able to track reach, drive traffic, and gain additional revenue.

Solution

In mid-March, after reviewing the outcomes from the positioning workshop, Yesler strategists presented an idea for a specific product within the Cut2it video platform. The proposed plan defined a product from those features that enabled the sharing and tracking of original video content. Branding those features as a discrete product preserved the investment in and value of the Cut2it name as the overall platform and patent from which additional products and features could be developed.

Of the names presented for the product, “Videomine” and its tagline “It’s your moment” got the thumbs up. “We liked the name because of the play on ‘mine’: video mining as searching for things that you like best and the idea of having a reference to a specific moment that is ‘mine.’” says Abdo.

With the greenlight, our content strategists and production teams worked in quick sequence to build out the messaging, a fully responsive and mobile-first product web page, and a pitch deck to support conversations with potential investors.

The work included developing a logo, visual identity, and messaging strategy and framework that complemented the Videomine name. Festive colors evoke broadcasts, live shows, and meaningful moments accompanied by photographs and imagery that show how people use devices to easily share content they like. Phrases such as, “We love to share great video content, but only the moments that matter to us and our community” and “Turn casual fans into brand advocates” quickly express the feeling associated with the benefits of using Videomine. And phrases like, “Incorporate Videomine into existing advertising, content, and social platforms” and “Easy video sharing: Fans can share just that favorite moment, or the full video—no tools, no new files to create” succinctly communicate how the product works and how easy it is to use.

“Yesler was able to quickly digest what was important to me regarding Cut2it and jump on it. They understood that I wanted to maintain the Cut2it brand itself, but that I needed a product that would resonate with our enterprise targets,” Abdo says.

Results

The Videomine name and marketing assets give Abdo a new product and a fresh look with which to introduce his patented Cut2it technology into market. The immediate benefit was working with an agency that understood his vision and kept pace with him to reach that goal.

Abdo says, “I was surprised that an agency as big as Yesler could be so responsive, cut through the red tape, and not hold anything back. They were like me: like a startup.”