This month we interview homeware importer Catherine Lagot about using Animoto at a tradeshow or storefront location.

Catherine Lagot is the founder of Artisans de France which imports enameled lava stone tables, counters, and tiles from France. Her clientele includes some of the most highly recognized architects, designers and decorators in the world while her products attract the most prestigious magazines. In addition to participating in exclusive design shows like the Javits Home Design Show and The Hamptons, Catherine maintains a showroom in the New York Design Center.

Catherine uses Animoto to support her business in some innovative ways, and she recently shared her secrets on how to use Animoto to showcase her products, stand-out from the crowd, and drive sales.

Why did you choose Animoto to showcase your products?

The New York Design Center space I occupy doesn’t have room to showcase the wide variety of products and applications of our enameled stone products. It’s difficult to have a variety of samples on hand for a large, customized, product. I can showcase the surface and finish of the stone but rely on images to show home installations.

I wanted a way to highlight uses of our product in a large format and draw attention to our space. The display needed to do our product’s vibrant colors justice and exude a professional, high-quality feel. The sleek look of an Animoto video on DVD proved perfect.

What are the challenges of incorporating video into a showroom?

Our showroom had to maintain an aura of luxury which made high quality video a must. Large televisions can easily destroy an aesthetic, but with Animoto we achieved a production quality that really enhances our space. I absolutely think that consumers today respond to video in a retail environment, but they have also become more sophisticated. The challenge is to create sophisticated, captivating, content that doesn’t remind viewers of an infomercial.

You’re using still photographs of your product offering, how might you begin incorporating video clips?

I would like to obtain shots of the quarries and workshops in France where the products are created. Detailed video tours of homes with pictures highlighting the construction and quality of the lava stone installations would be great. Actual video is very powerful and would add a lot to the professional quality of our Animoto videos. Today, you can shoot excellent video with higher-end cameras so businesses should increasingly integrate video into their marketing and displays.

What tips can you give others considering a video installation?

Be careful when sacrificing design and professionalism for scale in any marketing materials. If you have a brand, or are establishing a brand, you have to make sure you are projecting an image that will reinforce it. Whether it’s a pamphlet, a catalog, a website, or a video installation you want it to look great. Luckily, there are more and more tools and services to help you achieve this lower costs than ever before.