You’ll know by now from our other blogs that when you make a commercial video
you need to focus on emotional involvement and engagement through story-telling to
ensure you snare those viewers. However, inevitably, there’s still plenty more to the
art of producing a compelling video, and in this blog we’re going to look at building a
brand identity, which is vitally important but especially so if you’re intending to
release videos on a regular basis.
Your brand identity is a collection of components which defines how your business
presents itself to the world. A common mistake is to assume your brand identity is
how the outside world perceives you, but that’s back-to-front; it works from the inside
outwards, not from the outside in.
The components include visual cues like the logo, typography and colour scheme,
the core values and mission, and the tone of voice and ‘personality’ of your business.
Your brand identity should jump out from your website, brochure, packaging – and
from the videos you produce for all the platforms you’re on.
So what are the key points to remember about building a brand identity when you’re
planning to enhance your marketing with regular video releases?
Purpose
You’d be surprised at the number of commercial videos which are launched without
any specific reason. ‘Let’s put a video out about our new bookkeeping service’ –
great idea, but there’s a difference between that and ‘Let’s make a video for local
SMEs in the hospitality sector to show how our bookkeeping service helps them
comply with legislation about tipping and gratuities.’ To be consistent in your brand
identity you need to know precisely why you’re making these videos and what the
message is you want to hammer home. And that’s the next point:
Consistency
This is really important for building recognition and familiarity. Your clients need to
see every video you put out as part of a comprehensive whole, not as an individual
entity. If every time you met someone they came across as a completely different
person from the last time, it’s not only confusing but difficult to remember. It’s no
different with your business videos.
Effective use of your logo, colour palette and typography emphasises that your
message is consistent, builds familiarity and creates a sense of trust and authority.
When viewers see a video – and as we keep saying, you only have seconds to grab
their attention – they need to know, instantly, that it’s from your stable. Another
important thing to keep consistent is your tone, which leads us neatly into . . .
Personality
The tone and feel of your business is a big part of how your brand identity builds
loyalty. Do you want to come across as formal and professional, confident and
reassuring, casual and chatty, informative, aspirational, friendly? A firm of solicitors is
going to need a very different approach to a company selling party accessories or an
upmarket hotel chain. That personality and tone should reflect your business
precisely. It also needs to be relatable, so that viewers immediately understand why
they need your product or service in their lives.
Authenticity
Keep your brand authentic. Video is a telling medium – there’s no point trying to be
something you’re not because viewers will see through it. Authenticity and
transparency help establish those vital emotional connections we keep going on
about, as well as building trust and driving customer loyalty.
Evolution
We’ve said you need a consistent brand identity when it comes to regular video
output, and you do. But that doesn’t mean you should get stuck in a rut. Your brand
identity, while retaining its core values, may well gradually evolve in order to stay
relevant and competitive in the digital arena and reflect market trends.
That all sounds quite complicated . . .
It is rather. And it’s not easily done in a spare half an hour by the CEO on their
smartphone.
A one-off commercial video is a rarity. Most businesses, when they venture into this
medium, realise that the production of regular video updates is a marketing tool
which will give you an unparalleled reach – if you take the time to build your brand
identity and get it right for each specific digital platform.
That’s where we come in! We have the expertise and vision to produce video content
which builds and establishes your brand identity and positions your business exactly
where you want it. Get in touch with us for a chat about how we can help you brand.