This web analytics platform took on Google — and got over 1 million views in a week
This is what happens when you make a hit video people actually want to watch.
This ad increased revenue by 700% for a highly technical biosciences company
We never want to hear “our product is too complicated to be funny” ever again 😄
“The project we completed with Umault was worth its weight in gold. The campaign that Umault helped us create blew our expectations and frankly set marketing records.”
Marsha Hartman, SVP, Sales & Marketing
The project: Can a complicated product in a highly regulated industry really be funny?
Slingshot, a biosciences company that makes controls for flow cytometry experiments (that was a mouthful, wasn’t it?), wanted to make an ad for connected TV (CTV) that would drive brand awareness. At Umault we do a lot of creative ads for complicated products, but it doesn’t get much more technical than “cell mimics for flow cytometry.”
During competitive analysis, we learned that all of Slingshot’s competitors were talking about their products in the same boring way, so consumers were seeing the same boring things. In order to stand out, Slingshot would have to take a (calculated) risk.
This was the trigger that made them decide they wanted to stand out by making a humorous ad. Instead of sticking to what was safe and boring (and creating more white noise in the industry for little reward), they chose to trust Umault to do what we do best: humor that prospects love.
“Our audience is very well educated and our problem we were addressing was obtuse and a bit sensitive to broach.” - Marsha Hartman, SVP, Sales & Marketing
The step-by-step process to clear, straightforward humor
Some members of Slingshot’s C-Suite were a little nervous about making a non-boring ad — and we don’t blame them! In B2B, we all think you have to talk stiff, wear a suit, and be buttoned up to get a message across. So doing something different is admittedly a bit scary.
You can’t make jokes about an industry until you have a true understanding of the space. Luckily, our process at Umault helps us dig deep so that we can find humor that speaks to the audience. For Slingshot, the research process involved:
- Taking an online course about flow cytometry
- Listening to industry podcasts
- Analyzing the competitive landscape
- Developing personas
- Digging into common pain points on industry forums
It’s not like we asked for a blank creative check and came back with an ad. Micro-steps made sure we were clear on the industry at every step in the process, and helped the leadership team buy in as we went along. These micro-steps included:
- Creating a concept
- Developing a script
- Sharing a storyboard
- Sharing a breakout treatment
- Going through the casting process
This means that the team at Slingshot got the chance to marinate in the idea and get comfortable, step by step.
In the ad, we spoke to common customer pain points in the industry. The humorous elements of the ad — relying on lucky charms, crossing fingers, and knocking on wood instead of biomarker controls — poke fun at the status quo, and also speak to the urgency of finding a solution in what Slingshot offers.
“To be frank, the campaign generated a bond between us and our customers and overall took our relationships with them to the next level.” - Marsha Hartman, SVP, Sales & Marketing
Slingshot headed up a coordinated campaign to ensure the ad’s success
Making the best ad in the world is only half the job. The other half is distribution — taking care of the right tactics to make sure the video gets seen. Slingshot did everything right:
- They made an intentional plan for the launch to ensure the ad’s immediate success
- They practiced good distribution habits, including having all employees reshare it
- They coordinated efforts on launch day to turn video engagement into revenue
Web traffic tripled and revenue boomed 700% since the ad debuted
The impact of the ad exceeded Slingshot’s expectations. “We have been marketing to this audience with average engagement rates of 30% but the campaign that Umault helped us create blew our expectations and frankly set marketing records with 77.81% engagement rates that rolled over to follow-up campaigns as well.”
Web traffic tripled following the launch of the ad, and the campaign directly affected revenue… by 700%. The ad brought in new web traffic and got more eyeballs on Slingshot’s offering, and also deepened their relationship with existing customers.
Here’s the thing: Humor works, if it’s based on deep knowledge of the industry. Surface-level jokes don’t move big revenue and engagement numbers, but when humor hits right on customer pain points? Boom, ROI.
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Testimonials
What are folks saying about Umault?
Make waves and generate ROI without lifting a finger
"It moved revenue in a BIG way...over 700%!"
The project we completed with Umault was worth its weight in gold. The campaign that Umault helped us create blew our expectations and frankly set marketing records.
Marsha Hartman
Slingshot
“#1 top performing video”
The final piece had such a mainstream appeal even for non-buyers. ‘We the customers’ is our #1 top performing Enterprise video with respect to view rates, it has nearly 70% greater performance than our next best performing video.
Jonathon Dreyer
Nuance
“Wildly successful”
Our projects were wildly successful. They use great techniques to generate leads and build brand awareness and momentum.
Tom Osborne
PerkinElmer
“#1 most viewed video”
The ad we made with Umault is now the #1 most viewed video on the Deloitte YouTube channel by a long shot, with over 420K views. It’s a great use of highbrow humor.
Matt Lennert
Deloitte
“A masterpiece”
They created a masterpiece. More importantly, it’s had a dramatic impact on our audiences. There were hundreds of thousands of visitors on the site and inquiries.
Research director
Management consulting firm
“The ad is a hit”
The ad is a hit with investors and employees. People have commented saying it’s the nicest work we’ve ever created.
Joe Rokowski
MassMutual
“Best professional decision”
From the moment I hired them, I didn’t have to worry about anything – from creating ideas to fleshing out the script. Working with Umault was one of the best professional decisions I’ve made.
Angela Johansson
NIU
“More than we've ever made”
The video became part of a 24-hour campaign, and we made more than we’ve ever made in six months, let alone 24 hours.
Karen Kazmierczak
American Planning Association