Jay Hynd

April 19, 2024

Our Guide To Branded Video Content

Someone editing branded video content on a phone

As a business owner, branded video content is one of the most important factors in building a brand. In fact, 90% of video marketers say video has helped them increase brand awareness.

There is no denying the power of video marketing, especially in a time where attention spans are limited and peaking interest is becoming harder than ever. Every popular and successful social media channel has video content available to its audience; thus, if you can create professional, well-structured brand videos, you’ll be well on your way to reaching new audiences.

That’s why, in today’s article, we’re going to be breaking down branded video content as a whole, from what it is, the different types of branded videos, how you can use them to benefit your business, and much more. Here’s your expert guide for everything you need to know!

Table of Contents

What is Branded Video Content?

By definition, branded video content is where your brand will use video content to share its mission, vision, and values with your audience without hard selling the products or services. Instead of focusing on pushing sales, you’re focusing on generating brand intrigue and aligning your audience with what you’re trying to achieve in your space.

The branded video content will clearly state what your company does, display how you can help the masses, and show the viewers why your brand differentiates from others in its industry.

Not only that, but branded videos also give you a great chance to show off your unique personality, which is oftentimes where relationships, trust, and loyalty are built.

Then, later down the line, when you have a loyal fan base that loves you, you can begin to market your products and services – but it is all about being patient and trusting the human-like nature of this marketing strategy. However, if you stick with it and produce high-quality video content for everyone, it’ll be one of the best business growth opportunities you’ll ever have.

The Different Types of Branded Video Content

With digital branded video content, six types of content can be produced for a company looking to increase their brand awareness:

1. A Film About Your Brand

The purpose of your brand film is to tell the story and values of the brand in a way that engages your audience and builds trust and relationships between you and them.

It’s like a short brand story that showcases what your company stands for, your personality, and what sets you apart from others. Essentially, you want to use it as your chance to stand out, rather than just being like every other business in your industry. Here’s an example of how IKEA created a brand film for buying back old furniture on #BuybackFriday:

2. A Testimonial

If you decide to use testimonial videos, this is a great way to show an audience that you’re trustworthy and that you’re actually capable of what you say you do, because there is social proof of someone succeeding with your company, via the testimonial. These videos will be real and authentic reviews from clients or customers who have used your product/service. Here’s a great customer testimonial example from the team at HubSpot:

3. A Case Study

Similar to testimonial videos, you will be using real-life customers and clients. However, case study videos are more in-depth and focus on the story element of helping your customers/ clients, with real results being shown within the case study.

Rather than a customer or client telling your audience how good you are, case studies show your audience how you’ve changed their lives, and the results can really influence the purchasing decisions of the people watching. Here’s an example you may not have heard of from Nurture Digital with Nike being their case study:

4. A Product Demonstration

A product demonstration video is solely focused on showing your audience how your product/service works, rather than going into detail about the brand. You’re solely driven to help your audience learn about your best products. Product demo videos are one of them corporate videos where you can be creatively free-spirited and Tag Heuer does a great job:

5. A Product Explainer

An explainer video hones in on a deeper level of understanding your product, rather than just showing what it does. Instead, an explainer video shows the pain points of your customers, showcases your brand’s reasoning behind creating the product, provides the solution (your product), and gives them tutorials and ‘how-to’ videos on how to put it into action. Here’s a great explainer that Apple did for their products:

6. Your Company Culture

Possibly the most exciting branded video is creating company culture videos. Here, you will showcase the behind-the-scenes work that goes into your business day in and day out.

The purpose of this is to not only show the viewers how your company works, but the amazing personalities within your business, the fun and passion you have for your job, the ups and downs of your industry, and more. You will find that often you may attract applicants who want to work with you, along with those who want to come out to your company and see it live in action. This is a brilliant way of showing company culture, just like Zendesk did:

Benefits of Using Brand Videos

As you begin delivering your high-quality brand videos to a wider audience, you will notice some clear benefits immediately. Here are some of the main advantages you’ll see:

More human-like: Branded video content feels natural and authentic, resembling regular marketing content rather than intrusive advertisements. This human-like approach makes it easier for your audience to relate to and engage with you, creating a stronger connection between your brand and the viewer.

Non-disruptive: Unlike traditional ads that interrupt the viewing experience, branded video content seamlessly integrates the brand’s message into the content. By being non-disruptive, it allows viewers to enjoy the content without feeling like they’re being sold to at all times.

No hard-selling: Branded video content focuses on storytelling and entertainment rather than aggressively pushing products or services. By taking a softer approach, it respects the viewer’s intelligence and preferences, creating a more positive impression of the brand.

Builds brand awareness: This type of content can effectively communicate your brand’s values, mission, and personality. This will help to increase your brand’s recognition and recall among audiences, ultimately strengthening your brand’s presence in your industry.

Builds real trust and relationships: By delivering content that resonates with viewers on a personal level, branded video content can create genuine trust and loyalty towards the brand. This authenticity creates long-term relationships with customers, who feel valued and understood by the brand.

Examples of Great Branded Video Content

As you can see from this example, it takes you through the entire process of what to expect from the LFC experience. If you’re a hardcore Liverpool fan, this may be something you have wanted to do but do not know how to do. Now, with this branded video experience, you know exactly what to expect, what to look forward to, and why you should do it.

With this example from our work with Uber Eats and Aros Kitchen, we were able to create a lovely brand video on Aros Kitchen, showing an insight into what they offer, why they do what they do, and learning more about their brand’s mission and values so the audience can connect with them on a deeper level.

Tips For Your Brand Videos

Before diving into making your first brand video blindly, we have compiled a list of tips to use when making your first brand video, as it’s not as straightforward as turning the camera on and recording:

Understand your audience

If you don’t know who you’re targeting, you’re going to lose their intrigue immediately. Tailor your branded video content to resonate with their interests and preferences.

Show emotion and passion

You have to let your passion for your brand shine through in your videos. Emotions are contagious, so if you create feelings of excitement, joy, or inspiration, it will connect with your viewers on a deeper level.

Stick within your expertise

Sticking to topics and themes that align with your brand's expertise and values is vital. It helps you establish credibility and trust with your audience, positioning your brand as a knowledgeable authority in your industry.

Create a strong narrative arc

You must plan a captivating story that intrigues viewers from start to finish. This could include creating characters, conflicts, and resolutions that keep viewers engaged and emotionally invested in your brand message.

Invest in production quality

High video production quality improves the professionalism and credibility of your branded content. If you invest in good equipment, skilled professionals, and attention to detail to create polished and visually appealing videos.

Distribute content effectively

Don't just create great content, you have to make sure it reaches your target audience. Using a mix of social media platforms, email marketing, and partnerships to distribute your branded video content to the right channels will maximise its reach and impact.