So you want to make a brand video. Here are 5 things to consider before you start.

It stands to reason that every brand (company, organization, personality) needs to have a compelling brand video. But is this actually true? Well, yes and no. Before we dive into how to make a great brand video, we’d best go over what a brand video is and the reasons for making one.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF VIDEO ANYWAY?

When we take an elementary view, a video is no different than any other media: it’s a form of communication. The copy (text) we write, the images we post, are all meant to transmit information. Often in marketing this media will be structured in a way to..

1) grab attention

2) increase desire 

3) persuade the taking of an action.

Video tends to be a top choice for such marketing purposes because it’s hard to beat the attention-grabbing power of visual movement, and the seeing and hearing at once gets across more information than mere images and text alone.

The role of video is just another piece in the marketing puzzle. It certainly can be a major piece, yet it is supplementary and in service of the overarching marketing strategy of a brand. Given that the marketing strategy informs all communications, it’s important to set that foundation first before getting into the production of any marketing content. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be super complicated!

It’s all about the values.

In today’s marketing landscape the overall consumer trend is ever moving towards values based companies, which is to say that people tend to buy from companies that align with the same things that they care about (example: the ESG movement). Some bold examples are Gillette’s toxic masculinity or Nike’s Colin Kaepernik commercials, which (while being controversial) have shown the world that they care more than just about making a sale.

In both of those examples they used the medium of video, specifically commercials. There is a good reason for that! On top of the previously mentioned attention-grabbing qualities and information efficiency… by combining the right words, music, and sequencing of images, the medium has the ability to stir emotions. And decades of marketing studies have shown us that feelings are the strongest driver towards the taking of actions, and our perceptions of certain brands. As smart as we think we are, most of our decisions are made emotionally, while our clever brains are predominantly used to justify those decisions.

Is a brand video important?

To circle back around to the question of needing a brand video, it somewhat depends on the type of business we’re in. Fundamentally humans desire connection with other like-minded humans, and emotions will always have some amount of weight in all our interactions. From that view it would stand to reason that having a compelling brand video is always beneficial so that potential customers can easily tell if we are the right fit for them or not. However this is less true in some contexts where persuasion less important. Is there stiff competition for the product or service we are providing? Could personal feelings make the difference between choosing us vs a competitor? If the answer to those questions is a confident NO, and the situation is unlikely to change, then a brand video is not a critical piece in our marketing puzzle. 

How to structure a brand video.

Same as in the aforementioned commercials, the main point of a brand video is to get across a feeling we want associated with our brand. Most times it is more important to capture interest than it is to fully inform. A video doesn’t need to always be about a brand either, but can link itself to ideas, life moments, current events, or simply images and sound that convey a vibe. This latter approach may or may not be adequate depending on what we’re offering.

Let’s consider how simple our product/service is to understand. If we’re a food/beverage product there is a whole lot less to explain than if we’re running a counselling service. For the former you would lean fully on emotion using a fictional narrative approach, while the latter would need to be structured carefully to balance the right emotions with required information. We hesitate to prescribe any kind of template for this (rules are meant to be broken after all!), yet here is a basic approach that has worked well for us on many projects:

The opening

Somewhat counter-intuitively, it’s best to jump right into the heart of your subject rather than starting with an introduction that eventually gets to the point. Since we all have limited attention spans, we want to know if a piece of content is relevant to us quickly or we will move on. Therefore it’s important to identify the relatable or ‘I want it’ aspect of our product/service and show it early. If we’re solving someone’s pain point, we start off with that pain point. If we’re offering something exciting, we try to bring the ‘wow’ in as early as possible.

The introduction

Now that we have their attention, it’s important for them to understand what we’re talking about. This is a great place to get across what we do/offer, or why we do what we do if the ‘what’ is obvious, or ideally both. It doesn’t really matter which goes first, but it’s critically important that people understand what they’re watching (sometimes the initial grab leaves a lot out).

The icing

If the viewer has made it this far, we can assume that they are interested, and so the next step is to make them desire what we’re offering. This is the place to list off the features/benefits that will make your offer even sweeter, and hopefully provide enough reasons to convert them into a potential customer. Some features are so unique and understandable that they will be persuasive all on their own, though generally it’s most effective to lean into the benefits. A bike isn’t just a sports item to own, but a personal fitness challenge, an escape from everyday city life, and an opportunity to connect with like-minded people. As much as possible we want to put ourselves in our customers’ shoes and imagine all the ways we’ve enhanced their lives.

The closing

There is a biological phenomenon at play called ‘mirroring’, where seeing another person sad or happy will evoke the same emotions in us. We also tend to remember the last thing we see, so we want to be intentional about the note we finish on. For this reason we often save the most powerful/emotional soundbites for this section, and it almost always has to do with someone’s personal experience/feelings. For example, it can be a glowing testimonial, or a form of validation or expression of support, or even a paraphrase of the initial grab. 

Here is a great example of this structure being employed in a video where a longer explanation is required. We begin with multiple relatable pain points, explain who the service is for, we go into features/benefits, conclude with an emotional touchpoint, and tag on a call to action.

 What a brand video isn’t.

All too often we have noticed clients wanting to cram their brand videos with all sorts of details about their process or how a thing works, probably because they themselves are well past the introductory phase of their own brand. Generally that is not the role of a brand video. The goals are for a viewer to understand what our brand does, what makes us unique, and make them want what we’re offering (not necessarily in that order). After that they (ideally) get invited to find out more or take the next steps in their journey.

It’s also important to keep context in mind. Here is an example of a brand video we produced that lives on the page of a gravel bike tour company. 

It goes without saying that we don’t need to explain what the company offers since the video lives on their homepage. Therefore we began and ended the video with ‘wow’ moments, and filled the middle with details about the experience. Our goal was to get across the feeling of the experience, while all the granular details of the service was left for the site to handle.

Closing Thoughts

If there is a single idea that I would like to leave you with, it would be just how important it is that you understand your brand (your brand pillars/values, how you enhance peoples’ lives) as well as your target audience. Knowing who you are and who you are for is the bedrock of authentic communications, and will make sure that you’re not going astray in your marketing efforts. Marketing isn’t about convincing people to buy from you, it’s about flying the right colours so that the customers who want you can find you (they’re out there!).

Bonus

With every piece of content that you plan on creating, be it a brand video that lives on your home page or a social media post, be clear on what function it serves. Is it a top of funnel piece that ultimately leads a customer to an online store or booking page? Or is it simply a brand awareness piece that displays brand values? Is it for a cold audience or one that is already familiar with your brand? All of the pieces should be working together in a harmonious ecosystem that creates an enjoyable journey with minimal annoyance or confusion along the way. When done intentionally, these pieces will work together to serve the goals you are working towards and save a lot of wasted effort.

Our superpower is marketing brands in meaningful ways, so if you feel that you need a hand or a boost, get in touch with us through our website.