Consistency is one the most important criteria for aligning your business around its purpose. It’s important for your team to see and hear your corporate purpose regularly. Executive communications, email and in person, is at the top of the list for sharing and prioritizing your purpose. A close second, however, would be video. So, I sat down with Andrew Emery, partner and creative director at Outsider Video + Motion Graphics, to get his advice on producing a compelling brand video.
Think Big Picture
The first piece of advice Andrew offered is to think about the big picture. “A single project can be leveraged in a variety of ways. With some planning upfront, a highlight or kick off video can quickly be turned into a marketing piece or used in talent recruitment, sales or social media. We’ve also learned over the years, and especially in 2020, that there’s a lot of value in capturing and documenting historical moments.”
Andrew suggests before starting any video project, write down all of the ways you can use your video or the footage.
Mix It Up
Throughout my career, I’ve been witness to some great brand videos and some not so great videos. So, I asked Andrew for his ideas on how to make a brand video fun and high energy. His secret: diversity.
“The key to creating a fun and compelling brand video is to mix it up. Great videos usually have a mix of angles, people and content,” said Andrew. “Today, we’re almost always using multiple cameras to capture different angles and then finding ways to incorporate drone footage, photography or animated motion graphics.”
Andrew went on to suggest mixing up the content and the people in the video. “Shift between shots of products or facilities to imagery that represents your team and culture.” He also reinforced the value of a diverse mix of people. While executive presence is important, sometimes it may be appropriate to look beyond the c-suite. “Consider ways to bring a cross-section of employees into your video. Give them a chance to share their stories or experiences.”
Bring Your Purpose
Video is a great way to demonstrate and reinforce your purpose. So I asked Andrew to share a few tips for incorporating your purpose into your brand video. He offered three really good pieces of advice.
First, Andrew encourages his clients to incorporate what they do and why they do it into their videos regardless of the audience. “We see videos shared out of context all of the time. This is a good way to ensure you’re sharing your purpose with whoever sees it.” Andrew went on to add, “For those familiar with the brand, it reinforces your value. For those unfamiliar with the organization, it serves as a meaningful introduction.”
Andrew also recommends that you set up the problem and then show how you’re solving it. “This problem-solving approach has become increasingly important (and effective) during COVID. For our non-profit clients, it’s been helpful to remind people that these important issues still exist and how they can help. The same is true for businesses. You can remind your team about the problem, how you’re solving it and why it’s important. In many ways, the video becomes a team rallying cry.”
Finally, the third piece of advice Andrew shared for creating a compelling brand video is to focus on the fun. The numbers are important, but video is visual. “Highlight the people and things that make your organization a compelling place to work and reflect your brand purpose. Bonus if you’re able to capture photos and video of these events throughout the year.”
Sharing your purpose consistently means maximizing opportunities to build it into your existing channels and creating new ones. Video is an important part of this strategy.
A huge shout out to Andrew Emery and the Outsider team for offering their advice on building purpose into your next brand video. You can connect with Outsider at www.outsidere.com or on their social channels. We’re also including some great examples to get your wheels turning:
Pelotonia Year in Review 2020: https://vimeo.com/489197314
National TV Commercial (based off of year in review): https://vimeo.com/489198146
Delaware County: https://vimeo.com/393471853
