"We'd like a video for the company." That sentence can mean three quite different things. The owner pictures a brand film, sales wants a product introduction, and marketing needs an ad to run. Each has its own purpose and is made differently; one video trying to satisfy all three usually satisfies none. Separate them first, then decide the order.
How the three differ
Brand film
- Purpose: to make people trust the company. Who we are and why we do this.
- Audience: prospects, partners, investors, candidates.
- Length: ninety seconds to three minutes.
- Where: the website, the start of a pitch, trade shows, company events.
- Lifespan: two to three years, so leave out anything that dates quickly.
Product video
- Purpose: to make the product understood. What it is, how it works, what it solves.
- Audience: people already interested and comparing.
- Length: one to three minutes.
- Where: product pages, sales meetings, show stands, distributors.
- Lifespan: the product's life cycle; a new version means an update.
Advertisement
- Purpose: to stop someone who doesn't know you and prompt one action.
- Audience: people who weren't looking for the product.
- Length: 6 to 30 seconds, in several versions.
- Where: paid placements.
- Lifespan: one campaign, usually weeks to months.
Which to make first
- Sales are often asked "what does your company do?": the brand film.
- Customers know the company but not the product, and every explanation takes half an hour: the product video. For software, see software and SaaS product demo videos.
- Product and website are ready and traffic is what's missing: the ad.
- A trade show or launch is coming: a short brand film and a product video; see looping videos for a trade show stand.
- Raising funds or meeting investors: a two-minute film on the problem, the answer and the team, between a brand film and a product video.
B2B companies mostly start with a brand film or product video, because decisions take time and rest on explanation and trust. For consumer brands, ads come higher up the list.
Can one set of material produce all three?
Yes, and it's the efficient way. Gather the material once and cut it for each purpose:
- The brand film as the master.
- Product sections taken from it, with feature explanation added, as the product video.
- The strongest shots recut as 15 and 30-second ads; see cutting 6, 15 and 30-second ads.
- Interview extracts as social clips; see one video into ten shorts.
The point is that these are several videos, each with its own structure, not one video carrying everything. List them at the start so the material and the post-production plan are complete.
The material doesn't have to be newly filmed
Chipscat does editing and post-production only. A company's material can come from existing event and product footage, new footage shot by staff or a hired crew, product images and 3D renders, slides and charts turned into motion graphics, and scenario shots made with AI video production. See the corporate video materials checklist.
Four things to tell whoever makes it
- Who the video is for.
- What they should do or remember afterwards.
- Where it will be shown.
- Any fixed date, such as a show, a launch or a campaign.
The full format is in the corporate video brief template; all business video types are in commercial video editing for businesses.
FAQ
Can the brand film simply be run as an ad?
It can, but it rarely performs well. A brand film is paced for people willing to watch; ad viewers decide in the first seconds whether to skip. Cut a separate ad version.
We are a small company. Do we need a brand film?
Size isn't the question. If customers need to trust the company before deciding, as with high-value, long-term or bespoke services, a brand film earns its place.
Do the owner or staff have to appear?
No. Real people speaking is more persuasive, but voice-over, picture and text can carry it. Get consent from anyone who appears.
