Video strategy achieved multiple goals for Cisco Live

Every year, tens of thousands attend Cisco Live, the customer and partner conference from Cisco Systems. Video plays a huge role in the conference, both before and during the event in San Diego.

In 2019, the video team set ambitious goals, from generating excitement among prospective conference-goers and online followers to building engagement during and after the event. The success the team achieved has earned it first place in the “Event Video” category of PR Daily’s Video & Visual Awards.

Before Cisco Live opened, the team directed followers to content designed to encourage their peers to attend the conference. To inspire this content, Cisco produced a series of kinetic typography videos featuring conference-goers; these videos garnered more engagements than any other photo or contest posts on social media.

During the event, the team produced videos that shared the activities taking place across the five properties that hosted Cisco Live, showcasing scenes from learning sessions, service projects and interactive technology displays. Snippets of these videos were shared across social and other channels, helping spread a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and encouraging viewers to put Cisco Live on their must-do list for future conferences.

The team also produced daily wrap-up videos and an end-of-event summary video, bits of which are used throughout the year to nurture deeper brand engagement. Finally, a destination video shown at the end of the closing keynote revealed the destination of Cisco Live 2020.

The live conference stream—another video endeavor—garnered 1.3 million views, while social media accounted for some 160 billion impressions. Feedback from participants was equally strong.

Congratulations to Casey O’Looney for leading this exhaustive effort.