Branding + Video

Creating the Branding Experience using Film and Motion Graphics

This month we are doing a deeper dive into how film and motion graphic can specifically be used to promote your business, organization, service line, or product. You’ve heard us talk about how film and motion graphic can specifically benefit your business here and here and maybe you even read our post about Explainer Film and Motion Graphics blog last week.

The 2 important elements of preparing for your Explainer Film  are (1) determining the appropriate length, and (2) establishing your film and motion graphic’s personas. Those are important elements of preparing for your Branding Film and Motion Graphic too, so jump over here to brush up on those steps before reading on.

This week we are going to talk about Branding Films. What they are, how to prepare your team to express the essence of your brand effectively, and why you might want to consider a professionally executed Branding Film.

We can not only assist with producing effective and engaging videos, but we can place them strategically in your overall marketing efforts too.

Branding Film and Motion Graphics:

In this post, we explained that Branding Film and Motion Graphics are focused on explaining the brand of a company – rather than the products that you might sell. These film and motion graphics—when they are done well—evoke emotions, thoughts, and actions from the viewer that help them connect with your brand.

Now, before we move on—let’s make sure we are all on the same page with what a “brand” actually is…and what it is not:

 

So that last point may leave you scratching your head thinking, “then why even try?” Well, because the customer may define your brand story, but YOUR team gets to establish the plot elements and then use your influencer network to expand that understanding of your brand to a wider audience.

Enter the Branding Film…

Film is one of the BEST ways to help customers and prospects “experience” what your brand’s promise to the customer is. And the essence of a brand? It is essentially that: The overarching promise you are making to every customer you have.

Here are some examples of Branding Films we did for North Mountain Farms, Appalachian Running Company, and Kramer’s Piano Shop. As you watch them, write down how you FEEL, what you are THINKING, and what you want to DO as a result of watching… Go ahead, we’ll wait for you…

 

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This experience we just took you through is the essence of how we want to prepare your team to prepare the essence of your branding film. If your brand is the overall “experience” a customer has with your organization, and those experiences are made up of thoughts, feelings, and actions, then to create an effective branding film, your team needs to define what they want the audience to think, feel, and do.

Ready?

THINK.FEEL.DO ACTIVITY

Gather key representatives of your team in a room and go through the following questions in groups. After you have done this in 3 groups, come back together and summarize the most important results.

Think

1. What logical thoughts do you want viewers to have about who your organization is?
   1. What information are you presenting to them to help back up conveying this information?
2. What information do you want to share that viewers may not know?
3. What do you want to educate the viewer about as it pertains to your organization?
4. Is there any false information in the public about your organization?
   1. Where did it come from?
   2. How should you re-educate the viewer about this information?
5. What is the bottom line piece of information you want to convey about your organization (write it down in a one-sentence format)?

 

Feel

We know that buying decisions are often made on “feel” verses “thoughts” or “data.” The good news is, a Branding Film is typically a top of the funnel interaction so viewers are probably not at the stage yet of making a buying decision. Your goal at this point is to get the viewer to “feel” something about your brand.

1. What 3 emotions do you want your viewer to “feel” after watching the film?
2. Why are these feelings so relevant to your specific brand?
3. Think about past customer interactions with your organization and how people have explained feeling after that interaction. Are those feelings that you want to promote or counteract?
   1. If promote: find out what happened to encourage the positive feeling.
   2. If counteract: define the opposite of the feeling and talk through how to produce that feeling using film and motion graphics.

Do

1. What actions do you want your viewer to take as a result of watching the film? (engage further, read a blog post, tell a friend)?
   1. List all of the possible actions that could be taken and then narrow them down to the top 5.

This may take more than one meeting, but it is vital information to be able to pass on to your film production team as they determine the creative direction for your Branding Film. Still not sure how to proceed in creating a great Branding Film? We are here to help!

Not sure where to start? Contact us today. We’ve helped tons of organizations like yours get started on the right foot with films and motion graphic.