The Power of Storytelling in Branded Content Video Production

We exist in a reality in which individuals remain glued to their screens, endlessly scrolling and seeking the next stimulation. As people who make content for brands, we know how hard it is to get someone to actually stop and pay attention to what we create.

The secret weapon we have found is storytelling. Everyone enjoys well-told tales, which is why, even without movies or television, our predecessors could be found sitting around campfires sharing tales. We had movies or TV shows and our ancestors sat around fires telling stories to each other. This same basic human need for stories is what makes branded content video production work so well today.

Why Stories Beat Regular Ads Every Time

Remember the last video ad that made you feel something real. It probably was not someone talking about how great their product was. It was more likely a story that made you laugh or maybe even cry a little.

Stories work because they tingle the emotions right off the bat. We as humans have the capability of empathizing with stories and scenarios. While watching something, our body releases certain hormones and chemicals which allow us to connect and relate with it.

We have been making videos for brands for years now and we see this happen over and over. Product demos seem boring at first, but if you pair them with a good story and the main thing is, it’s now something your audience would want to hear about. Rather than saying something is for sale and expecting a sale, we actually help them understand if it is for sale and how it is even useful to them.

What Makes Brand Stories Actually Work

Good brand stories all have some things in common. These are the pieces that make people remember what they watched and take action afterward.

Use Real People With Real Problems

The stories that stick with people feel true because they show real people dealing with real stuff. High-level VFX quality should be the main focus. As the user-generated video phenomenon illustrates, the most effective marketing campaigns provide the deepest insight into how customers relate to our brand and delve into our company culture.

When we plan our branded content video production, we always ask who this story is really about. Is it about our product or is it about the person using our product? The answer should always be the person.

Show How Things Change

Every story worth telling involves someone changing or growing in some way. They start with a problem and end up in a better place. In brand stories, this change might be small, like fixing something annoying in their day or big like completely changing how they see the world.

The videos that work best for us show this change clearly. People watching can imagine themselves going through the same good experience.

Keep Things Simple

Movies can have complicated plots but branded videos work better when we keep the message clear and easy to follow. We want people to get the main point in the first few seconds and feel good about what they just watched by the end.

Simple does not mean boring though. We can still surprise people and make them smile or think. We just make sure they are never confused about what they just saw or what we want them to do next.

How Video Creates Real Emotional Connection

Videos work because they show and tell at the same time. When someone watches your video, they see what's happening and hear the story too.

The music makes them feel something. The person's voice sounds friendly or excited. Their face shows if they're happy or serious. All these things together make people feel connected to what you're showing them.

Words on a page can't do this. But a video can make someone laugh, get excited, or think about something new. And they'll remember it later because it made them connected with emotions.

Show Instead of Tell

Rather than saying our product makes life easier, we show someone using it to solve a problem they actually have. Instead of claiming we care about customers, we show real customer stories or film how we go out of our way to help people.

This feels more honest than regular advertising. People can see for themselves if what we are saying matches what is really happening.

Pick the Right Music

The modulations of emotions attached to videos change completely depending on the music used. A faster tempo and happier-sounding music can trick the audience into believing the content of the video is dynamic and fun. Slower music gives the audience a feeling of calmness and makes them more trustworthy.

Even small things like background noise or natural sounds make videos feel more real and draw people in.

Mistakes That Kill Good Stories

After making branded videos for a long time, we’ve noticed some mistakes. These mistakes can really hurt how well the videos perform.

Making Our Brand the Main Character

This might sound weird but our brand should not be the hero of our story. The customer should be the hero and our product should be the helpful tool that lets them win.

When we make our brand the star of the show, people feel like they are watching a commercial instead of a story they can relate to.

Leaving Out the Human Side

Features and benefits matter but they should not be what our story focuses on. People connect with other people not with lists of specs or technical details.

We try to find the human angle in everything we make. Even when we are talking about the most technical product, there is usually a person behind it who had an idea or wanted to solve a problem.

Moving Too Fast Through Emotions

Good stories need time to build up an emotional connection. If it is the case that someone is indifferent as to whether our audience engages with an issue, that means we have a problem.

Before we can discuss a product's advantages or value propositions, we must have analyzed the story and constructed the characters, setting and exposition in sophisticated detail.

How to Make Better Brand Stories

Now, let us talk about how to actually use these ideas in our own video production house.

Find Out What Your Customers Really Go Through

The key question we would frequently ask in user interviews is to outline what change we would like to achieve and what problem this solution would solve in our day-to-day interactions. These ideas formulate powerful, authentic stories.

We ask you what emotions and attitudes you experienced before, during and after the utilization of the product, especially after identifying the problem you aimed to solve by employing the product.

Plan Out the Emotional Journey

Before we start filming we map out how we want people to feel at different parts of our video. Do we want them to feel frustrated at the beginning so they understand the problem? Should they feel hopeful when we show the solution? Excited about the results.

Having this emotional plan helps us make decisions about everything from how fast we edit to what the video looks like.

Try Different Story Styles

Not every story will work with every audience. We make different versions of our main messages and test them with small groups before we spend money on full production.

Sometimes funny works best. Other times people prefer something more serious or inspiring. Testing helps us figure out the right tone for each specific group of people.

Checking If Story Content Actually Works

Making great stories is only part of what we need to do. We also need to track if our storytelling approach is actually getting results.

Look at More Than Just View Numbers

Views are important but they do not tell us much about emotional connection. We pay attention to things like how long people watch and if they share or comment because these show that people are actually engaging with our content.

When people share our videos or leave real comments that means our story connected with them emotionally.

Track How People See Our Brand Over Time

Story driven branded video content production often has effects that go way beyond immediate sales. We ask our audience regularly how our content changes what they think about our brand over time.

Do people see us as more trustworthy now. More relatable. More innovative. These changes in how people see us can be just as valuable as direct sales.

Watch How Stories Affect the Customer Journey

We track how story videos influence the path people take to eventually buy from us. Do people who watch our story content spend more time on our website? Are they more likely to sign up for our email list or contact our sales team?

Understanding these connections helps us put our time and money into the types of stories that drive real business results.

What Comes Next for Brand Storytelling

As people get used to seeing more and more content every day the brands that win will be the ones that can tell great stories quickly and honestly.

We see more brands trying shorter story formats and interactive elements and content made by their actual customers. The tools and platforms keep changing but people will always need connection through story.

The key is staying focused on what our audience needs and experiences instead of getting distracted by whatever new trend or technology comes. When we center our branded video content production around real human stories we create content that works for years.

Starting Your Own Story Driven Content

If you want to add more storytelling to your video content start with something small. Choose one customer story or one problem your product solves and create a short video around that.

To find a narrative that resonates with others, you don’t need to spend a lot of money or hire professional performers. We have seen some of the most successful brand videos captured with minimal resources featuring ordinary individuals expressing authentic stories.

For Wild Camel, the most important thing is staying true to your brand values and your customers' real experiences. When honesty meets good storytelling technique, that is when branded content video production becomes truly powerful.

Prioritize assisting your audience and the results for the business will come. The most effective marketing does not feel like marketing. It’s a narrative that captures the attention and needs to be told and spread.

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