Videos for Branded & PR Storytelling

Video Storytelling drives powerful brand engagement

We create social and press videos as well as short-form documentaries where branded story content drives audience engagement, trust and loyalty.

Great stories cut through the noise of everyday information overload. Nothing helps to differentiate brands more. Quite simply they can inspire, influence, persuade and retain memorable impact.

But they need to be simple, different and compelling. They must support brand values and hook people in and use a variety of techniques to build a brand relationship that audiences care about.

For PR, they must be very short, topical, highly shareable and have lots of ‘wow’ factor.

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Storytelling Video Training

To the videos

The best brands are built on great video stories. Why?

Stories drive new business
They create a sense of brand direction
They help to differentiate your brand
They build trust and long-term loyalty
They persuade, captivate and influence
Stories emotionally engage and inspire
They are memorable and have more impact
As a result they create stronger product awareness and authenticity

The basis of a good story

Don’t try and directly sell within your story
Keep it simple and unique
Create a hero with a journey
Often a brand story is about your customers- where they are the “stars” and your brand is the supporting actor
It must create a compelling challenge – for you and your customers
Your story must be full of personality
It should be honest and believable – and have a relevant reason for being told
The journey often starts with a problem, seeks a solution and presents a successful outcome
Your audience needs to buy into your story- to feel part of it and care about the outcome
It’s not just about what is said, but also about the tone or voice of the story
Where possible, encourage your customers to tell your story – i.e., how your products have changes their lives

Every story should have a narrative arc

Set out the problem in the world before the story starts
Create a “what if” consideration- possibly considering why this might be better
Search for a solution with antagonists, challenges, ordeals that push back against the drive for change
Create a turning point
Climax / resolution
And finish with the world after the change – e.g., future rewards

Think about the everyday real-life situations that form the content for your stories

How many times we have failed before we got it right
We had to break the rules to help us make a breakthrough
How we decided to work with our customers to find the right solution
We were just on the edge of giving up when a new opportunity opened up for us
Topical or local stories that lead to a powerful branded intervention
How this affects peoples’ lives- what this means to them

Questions you must ask yourself in developing your story

What is the reason for the story?
Who is the audience?
Why should they care or what’s in it for them?
Who is the main character – and the other protagonists that are affected?
What title are you giving to your story- and is it attention grabbing enough?
What conflict/ contradiction does your story have?
Will your audience identify with this?
What emotions are your trying to evoke?
What personality are you injecting- does this reinforce the personality of your brand?
What are you going to show to support your story? Is it visual enough?
What information are you going to provide?
Is it enlightening? Educational? Inspiring? Innovative?
Is the resolution clear enough?
Will it help you rise above the crowd of fierce competition?
Is your story too ‘selly’?
Where are you going to place your story?
Does the story need to be refined for different platforms of communication?
How can your story be told with many different perspectives?
Can your story be broken down into sub-stories?
How can you add value and let others tell your story to spread to every possible connection?
Will your story help drive a sense of brand/ product community where your audience can participate in helping to share it other peers?

How will you communicate your story/ stories?

Social media
PR
Press or publication sites
Presentations/ events
Online video distribution
Blogging
Podcasts
Email marketing
Thought-leadership niche websites
Via influencers

The science of storytelling

With FACTS we use two parts of the brain… with STORIES we use multiple parts and our senses
Stories produce Dopamine which is connected to REWARDS
Stories produce Oxytocin which is connected to PLEASURE
Stories produce Serotonin which is connected to SENSE OF WELLBEING
Stories trigger neural coupling, which means that similar brain patterns happen with the storyteller and the listener

In recent years we have created storytelling videos for brands such as Starbucks, Syngenta, Microsoft, Callaway, TJ Fridays, Maserati, Lenovo, Avon, Coca Cola Enterprises, Axa, McVities and KPMG.