Brand Story: The One Video Every Business Needs
In my quest to find a suitable lawyer for my company, I spent what felt like forever sifting through countless websites and Google searches. It was like swimming through an ocean of identical corporate websites that appeared to be built by the same SEO company that only cared about being at the top of Google.
Then I landed on one website that stood out from the rest. These guys had a video right on their homepage. It wasn't anything fancy or over the top, just a straightforward, down-to-earth introduction to the team. Watching that video felt like I was meeting them without even leaving my house. Their values resonated with mine, and they presented themselves in a genuine, no-nonsense way. In that moment, I felt a connection and a surge of confidence that they would be the right fit.
A simple video can make a world of difference when you're wading through a sea of wordy websites.
If I could recommend only one video for a business, big or small, it would be a brand story video. Brand story videos go by many names, including corporate videos, company overview videos, or video business cards. These are 1 to 3 minute videos that tell the story of your business, introduce the problem that you are solving, a visual showcase of the company and what highlights what makes your company valuable.
Brand story examples
Pacific Solutions Contracting
Here's an awesome brand story video from Pacific Solutions Contracting that really stuck with me. The video shows the founders, their love for their work, and the culture and values they believe in. You get to see them working on job sites, in their workshop, with their team and all this builds trust around their business. After watching, I’m left with the feeling that these guys are not only really good at what they do, but they're also incredibly passionate about it.
La Crema
Here's another great example of a brand story video, which also doubles as a corporate video. I say this because it explores all aspects of the company. This could cater to both the consumers of the wine and the company's investors. It dives into numerous facets of the business including the backstory, production process, and leadership, offering a comprehensive overview of what they do. The professionally-made video and pleasing visuals help establish La Crema as a high-end product.
Harbr
Here is a brand story video from a tech company that takes a bit of a different approach, but for good reason. In a way, it's like they've made a testimonial video about themselves. Right off the bat, they discuss the issue their customers are facing, and then introduce the solution - their own company. This style can be quite effective for tech companies because it puts the spotlight on the solution they're offering, not just the founders.
Why do you need a brand story video?
You need this video for the simple fact that you’re going above and beyond what everyone else is doing. Your audience doesn't just hear about your company, they get to meet the key players, see the employees in action, see that they are happy, and visualize the environment and tools they work with. It's like giving them a virtual walkthrough of your company. This insider perspective can be incredibly impactful, allowing your audience to establish a connection with your company. This approach can attract the right talent, build trust around your business, and foster rapport with potential customers even before their first direct interaction with you.
How to do it right
Understanding your business
When we started our business, we tried to film a brand story video on three occasions. It didn’t work. We didn’t know enough about our customers, we didn’t know enough about ourselves, and we didn’t know exactly what we were selling. Understanding your customers, the problem you’re solving, and you’re product or service will be the crucial first step in developing a brand story video.
Interview the right people
When filming a brand story video, it's all about picking the right spokespeople. You need insiders who can speak confidently and who really understand the company's vision and values. Usually, these are the folks at the top because they usually have a solid understanding of all aspects of the business. The best candidates for this are usually CEOs, founders, directors, and salespeople.
Ask the right questions
What questions you ask will be very dependent on the business, but here are some general questions to get you started.
Introduce yourself and your company, including a brief description of what you do.
What is your company's most important core value and what does it mean to you?
What sets your company apart from its competitors in the industry?
Could you share a story where your company significantly impacted a client's situation?
Who are your customers, and why do they come to you?
Can you share the story behind the company and how it came to be?
Can you discuss how the company has evolved since its inception?
How does your company stay at the forefront of industry practices?
What is the core problem your company aims to solve for its clients?
At the end of the day, what puts a smile on your face?
My favourite thing to do at the end of an interview is to ask, “Any final thoughts?” This triggers the interview subject to summarize everything in a nutshell, and honestly, it’s usually the most powerful part.
How to use your brand story video
Your brand story video works great in the 2nd or 3rd section of your homepage, or right there on your about page. But that’s not all! There are a bunch of other spots to use it:
It's a powerful tool for your sales team
You can put it in your email signature
Include it in your newsletters
Share it on social media like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and so on
And even then, there is still more you can do with it. You can chop the brand story up into multiple parts for social media, each one focusing on a different aspect of the video. Plus, you can take just the visuals from the video and use it as a looping banner video on your website.
From a video production standpoint, shooting these videos usually takes about 1 to 2 days, with each interview lasting 15-30 minutes. That's going to leave you with loads of raw footage that didn't make the final cut, not because it was bad, but simply because it didn't fit the main narrative. There'll be hidden gems in those interviews that you can rework for different types of videos, perfect for scattering across your social platforms.
So, when you film a brand story video, you don't just get one single video. You get a pile of content that you can use again and again for a variety of different purposes.