Connecting with your customers isn't always as easy as it sounds. It takes finesse, careful messaging, empathy-driven content. That's why more and more companies are thinking outside the box and using unconventional tools like branded short films to communicate with their customer.
Branded short films are powerful marketing tools because they associate your brand with a story to connect with customers. Branded videos help audiences relate to a company because they demonstrate its values and purpose.
If your company needs to break free from common stereotypes or has an important message to share, it could benefit from using branded short films to elevate its mission and values.
In the guide below, you'll learn what branded short films are, as well as the different ways they can drive in new business.
What Are Branded Short Films?
Branded short films convey a brand's role in a greater purpose and communicate how it is a part of a bigger story, not the central character. A short brand film focuses on conveying a cause that transcends a product or company while demonstrating how the brand supports and connects to it.
A Branded Short film is a documentary-style ad that shares the human side of a company and helps customers engage with an organization emotionally.
When a brand shares what they believe and the values they uphold, consumers find tangible aspects of a business to identify with and support. When this occurs, a brand is no longer just a product or service to a consumer; it becomes a community.
Brands need to manage diverse communities that weigh in at every level to power growth and drive advocacy. This balancing act means building products, serving experiences, and telling stories co-created with a brand's community. - talkinginfluence.com
Branded documentaries tell true stories related to your business. They help consumers connect with your company's mission beyond sales, products, and services. They invite your audience to be a part of a community and not just a customer.
A brand video can connect with your audience on both an emotional and intellectual level. This type of marketing eliminates the feeling often related to traditional advertisements.
Branded content should elicit a strong emotional impression and provide a call to action for potential consumers to consider.
How Long Are Branded Short Films?
A Branded short film typically ranges from a few minutes to half an hour. Branded short films are different from traditional, fast-paced, brief advertisements. Branded video content aims to communicate a story relevant to your brand that engages the audience.
To successfully capture the story, it must have time to connect with the audience, articulate the vision, and provide a call to action. Given these factors, the sweet spot for the length of a branded documentary can depend on the nature of the story, budget, and marketing objectives.
Shorter videos can improve click-through rates as customers feel an impulse to take action or respond.
Longer videos can increase brand loyalty and engagement with your brand as customers become more deeply connected to a story or cause.
The success of a video is not as dependent on length as it is on content and value. Authentic stories with subtle branding and creative narratives always perform the highest, no matter the length. - truefilmproduction.com
Working with a professional video production company can help you assess the ideal length of your branded short film. Iron House Studios can guide the creative process and craft stories that highlight your brand's purpose to identify with your target market and invite them to engage with you.
Contact us today to discuss branded short films in-depth or ask questions.
Why Branded Short Films Are So Effective for Marketing
Branded short films are effective marketing content because they don't feel like advertisements. Most consumers do not like aggressive advertising. Potential customers want to understand how you can help solve a problem they face and know if you are a trustworthy brand.
Great content is an important asset. It can create positive experiences for your potential customers and compel them to return for more. It's your ticket to capturing your audience's attention and continually reinforcing a positive brand impression. - hubspot.com
Using branded short films, you can share valuable information in a nonabrasive, empathetic way, making your brand relatable to people.
Even if a person never buys your product or service, the video should still offer value and benefit to a viewer.
Consumers are far more likely to do business with brands they trust, and providing helpful content is one of the best ways to build credibility.
The Benefits Of Using Branded Content To Communicate About Your Business
Businesses that use branded content effectively connect with customers because story-driven communication is the best way to engage people's emotions and minds.
The Nielsen analysis showed that consumers recall brands more after seeing branded content than pre-roll ads. When comparing the same brand marketed as both branded content and pre-roll ad, the branded content generated an average of 86% brand recall among viewers. - nielson.com
When audiences enjoy the content, emotionally connect, and believe in the cause, they will naturally identify with it and respond accordingly.
3 Valuable Benefits Of Using Branded Short Films
1. Branded video content is emotionally engaging.
Emotional engagement is the number one reason people come back to a particular video or share it with their friends. Whether it's making them laugh, cry, think, or all three at once, it will stick in their minds more if it stimulates their emotions.
Emotional connection plays a significant role in the choices we make as consumers. As reported by Psychology Today, "functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) shows that when evaluating brands, consumers primarily use emotions (personal feelings and experiences), rather than information (brand attributes, features, and facts)." - forbes.com
2. Branded short films communicate your business values quality.
Customers are savvy. They can tell when a company cuts corners or skimps on marketing efforts. Customers appreciate companies that consistently provide high-quality, valuable content.
3. Branded storytelling invites consumers into a relatable community.
Short films can help strengthen the community surrounding your brand by communicating the values and efforts of your business. Additionally, engaging content lends to people sharing, liking, and commenting.
The world's biggest brand communities give their members the tools to bring other like-minded individuals into the brand's story, the motivation to keep them engaged, and the power to spread the love as far as they can. - smile.io
When people engage with and support your brand, it will, of course, drive traffic to your website, social media platforms, about or contact pages, and even brick and mortar storefronts.
So Really, How Can Branded Short Films Help Market Your Business?
Branded short films emotionally engage your audience and strengthen the brand's community with impactful storytelling. They also demonstrate that you value quality and vision beyond your products and sales.
Branding is all about making a connection with potential customers. Forging a strong emotional and intellectual connection is the best way to build a relationship with your audience; storytelling is the most effective way to do so.
To create a custom video that highlights the story of your business, the values you possess, and efforts you support work with branded video production professionals.
Iron House Studios is an expert storytelling and video production agency. We have all of the top-of-the-line equipment to produce high-quality content for your brand.
Creating a professional branded short film could be the missing piece in your marketing plan. With the right messaging and captivating visuals, you can significantly impact your brand and customers.
To get started, schedule a brief call with us today.
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