Creating timely, high-quality content for our daily tips, FuelNet Monthly newsletter, Smart Papers, and Smart Reports is a task we take seriously at FuelNet. If the information doesn’t pass our “credibility meter” — meaning that it’s suspect, uninspiring, or irrelevant to you, our loyal customers — then it won’t see the light of day in any product we develop.

But as serious as we are about our content, we do have a sense of humor. Here’s a good example of how we keep things light: In conjunction with the release the FuelNet Smart Paper 10 Secrets for Successful Customer Relationship Marketing, our chief content creator, Ken Beaulieu, wrote, directed, and starred in a tongue-in-cheek promotional video as part of our strategic employee communication strategy. The video, about a longhaired sand and gravel company owner whose fortunes changed after he discovered FuelNet, was so well received that it has received four and a half out of a possible five stars from viewers on YouTube. Here’s the backstory on the making of the video, straight from the director:

“I came up with the idea during one of my 5 a.m. runs. I wanted to build buzz internally for FuelNet and the new product we were launching in a way that excited my coworkers. Given the rise of user-generated advertising and the success of YouTube, I figured a video spoof was the best way to go. But amid the humor, I wanted the video to send the right message — that FuelNet provides the marketing smarts to help businesses grow.

“I wrote the script late one Friday, then convinced my wife and two youngest daughters to help me pull it off. From my years of running, I knew of a perfect location to shoot the video without attracting the attention of passersby. My wife handled the filming, while my kids played supporting roles in the video. We did four takes, and the whole production took less than 45 minutes. It was a great family experience. I later wrote a FuelNet jingle to add to the end of the video for branding purposes. Then there was the all-important editing process, which can be a costly proposition. Fortunately, I was introduced to a small business owner from my hometown who does this sort of work on the side. In exchange for his services, he requested a free subscription to FuelNet Monthly. It was a no-brainer. I think he had as much fun working on the video as I did.”

To see the video for yourself, please click here.

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