There’s a trend going around: Branded Content. We’ll tell you how brands and companies can use documentary films in content marketing.
How do we define documentary style?
Imagine a documentary you see on the internet. It’s a topic you like, for example, an extreme athlete doing an expedition on a road bike. Imagine that a company has taken the initiative to commission this film and distribute it for free on the Internet. That’s Branded Documentary – or Brand story – simply explained. Branded Documentary is spreading more and more, in very different forms. From short portraits to entire films.
Why does Branded Documentary work so well? Instead of commissioning a commercial, which not only costs a lot to produce but also to distribute, Branded Documentary or Branded Content is cost-effective. And if the brand is smart about it, the distribution is native. That means the topic and the style are good, the crowd shares it automatically – virally.
Why is branded content so popular right now?
Video content is king!
It’s nothing new that video is the undisputed king in content marketing. Statistics show that 60% of online consumers watch a video before reading a text, and video has the highest click-through rate of any form of digital advertising. But video has other benefits as well: they are distributed across social channels and are 1200% larger than just links and text combined. Any company that is serious about marketing will know how to take advantage of the many benefits of video, especially when it comes to communicating their brand identities and stories.
Commercials and image films have been around for a long time. but in recent years, many change. Long videos and “classic” image films are becoming less common. Users don’t want long foreplay, they want information on point. With one exception – people like to watch good content for longer. This is where branded content and branded documentary come into play. Because the content comes first. The brand is only communicated subconsciously and secondarily.
Quality instead of quantity
So brands have to be fast in order not to lose touch with users and potential online consumers. This works very well with content that is relevant to the target group and that they engage with. This is how a bond is built or strengthened. Video is great – but simply producing lots of standard video content is no longer enough. The challenge for brands now is to produce high-quality video, rather than as many “half-good” videos as possible. Video content creation needs to be better thought out and strategized. As the focus shifts to more meaningful and memorable content that consumers actively want to see and that social channels will reward, the documentary-style corporate video takes on new meaning.
The evolution of branded content and branded documentary.
Everyone says it, everyone wants it: storytelling. Ultimately, it means nothing more than telling a story. Preferably one that is not directly related to the company’s great achievements, but to an exciting person, development or situation. The documentary-style product video starts exactly here. Branded content offers the opportunity to use other people’s stories to indirectly communicate something about the company and the brand. By using the lstorytelling format, companies can make the most of dramatic and emotional elements to attract and engage viewers. Brand stories give brands the opportunity to be creative, target specific audiences with innovative content, and most importantly, stand out from the crowd.
How we do it?
Every film is individual – whether branded content or not. We start by getting to know you: who are you, what does your company do, where do we find an approach. In the next step we go into the editorial conception. We find a story to expand the storytelling. Once we have the story, we have half the battle. Then we talk about the visual storytelling style and start planning.