You’ve probably noticed a new trend emerge over the last five years or so. The movers and shakers of the corporate world are pushing out corporate videos at what seems like an astonishing rate. Getting in on the act are retail behemoths Walmart, file hosting giants Dropbox, and of course mega-giants Google. Along with many thousands of others.
It’s fair to say the world of corporate video production is truly booming. And this has brought a number of big advantages in what is becoming a buyers market in some ways – those looking to commission corporate videos have plenty of excellent options. But the boom has also brought it with a handful of pitfalls.
While there are a huge number of packed-with-talent studios out there to produce your video, there are also some that unfortunately won’t meet the standards you’re looking for in terms of direction, production and story-telling. To help you side step this, here are four key pointers to focus on before you commission your corporate video production.
Plan, plan, plan
This may seem blindingly obvious, and it is, but it’s so important we had to mention it. And when we say plan, we mean think about absolutely everything. Sure, there are the bigger questions, such as how do you distill your core values, key message and brand identity, and accurately reflect them in a video no longer than two minutes?
But you can’t forget the basics either, such as who are you aiming the product or service and video at, and what is the best narrative to connect to them? Why are you doing what you’re doing and what are your goals from the corporate video production? What do you want the video to look like? Meticulous planning will ensure you get what you want and need from your corporate video, giving you the best chance of both value for money and a powerful impact from it.
Shop around
The booming world of corporate video production has led to a spike in the number of studios and – as in any industry – they fall on a sliding scale of professionalism. There are a few simple steps you can take to make sure you end up on the right end of the scale. Take your time to check out the options available to you and don’t make a hasty decision. Look carefully at each studios’ portfolio or work and client list. Read reviews online and look out for testimonials to give yourself the best chance of striking find the perfect balance between value and quality.
Consider an animated corporate video
Animated corporate video production makes up a huge chunk of the market, and many of the most memorable and eye-catching corporate videos are animated. Properly produced, an animated corporate video will give you extra room for creativity in getting your message across. They can also be super-watchable and shareable – which is exactly what you should be looking out for to make a big splash with your video.
Make sure the aesthetics match your brand
Whether or not you opt for an animated corporate video or a more traditional format, make sure the visual and sound aesthetics – including the colours, shapes, patterns, soundtrack and so on – perfectly reflect your brand identity and the image you want to portray. The video should be prominent on both your website and your social media pages, as well as featuring in your ongoing marketing efforts, so it has to be pitch perfect and fully aligned with your brand. It should explain your product clearly and concisely, but also pique the viewer’s curiosity enough to want to engage more.
Final note
Commissioning a corporate video for your company is no mean feat, there are a huge number of options out there for studios and myriad factors to take into account. However, if you keep these four pieces of advice at the forefront of your mind you give yourself a great shot at an amazing end product.
