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June 17, 2021

There’s an Art to Video Storytelling. We are Master Artists

Tony Treadway

Video Storytelling for brand development

We were asked by a client recently of examples of our video storytelling capabilities and to provide a few examples. They were a startup brand that had purchased several storied brands that would be their portfolio. As I looked through our current and archived library of video stories, some of which made me literally cry when I first saw them, it reinforced my belief that Creative Energy is a master of the art of telling a story on video. That’s important.

As Much Science As Art

In a day of skepticism post-pandemic, it’s vital to tell a story behind an authentic and emotional brand. An essential in building cult brand loyalty, the story must connect with a target’s own beliefs.

This process of engagement is more science than art as mirror neurons in the brain relate to a meaningful story (it’s why we sometimes yawn when we see someone else yawn). A Princeton University study found that when you listen to a well-told story, your brain connects past experiences so that you become part of the story being told. A great story engenders empathy that releases oxytocin the great bonding chemical that leads to feelings of trust and connection. Making a powerful connection to the storyteller, thus the brand.

Telling the story of how a brand doesn’t just offer food, but a connection with generations within a family, was the goal of this story.

Telling A Story On Video Is Like Writing A 2–5 Minute Book

Crafting a story on video has many of the elements of a great book that can contain hundreds of pages, yet studies of video viewership on Facebook show that telling a story on video should be done within two to five minutes. Today, about 16% of all posts on Facebook have video content. The bigger your brand, the more important video storytelling becomes. Social Insider did a study of more than 10 million videos on social networks and found that 71% of videos were posted by brands with more than 100,000 fans.

Total videos posted graph.
This time limit for maximum engagement means a very efficient approach to the story which is an art.
  1. Zero in on the target audience. What is their age, income, lifestyle, and likely life experiences that will connect with them?
  • Who’ll tell the story? Ideally, a great story is told by those within the video, not a voice-over and not by an actor.
  • What will be the emotional triggers? What images and words within the story will spark the desired connection with your audience that emotes an emotional connection and trust?
  • How will you promote the video? There should be a plan to deploy the video for maximum exposure to the audience you intend to impact.

Examples Of Great Stories Told

The best way to demonstrate our expertise in crafting compelling and relevant video stories for our brand partners is through sharing some of those stories directly with you. Here are some examples and you be the judge.

Forever Oceans – A story of how technology will help feed the world with fish of higher nutritional benefits and flavor. A story is delivered in six segments. This one is designed to align a growing global employee base, retailers, and restaurant operators of the company’s mission.

One of six stories about a new seafood company, it’s CEO discusses its vision.

Texas Pete® – A story about the connection of an iconic BBQ restaurant in the heart of Crimson Tide country, and a hot sauce. The target is other independent restaurants that leverage sports and customer loyalty.

Dreamland BBQ is a Southern icon. We told its story, and its connection with a client’s brand.

FLAT® – How do you tell the story of relevance to restaurant owners of why to make an investment in their tables?

Tying the story of customer joy to a table device is apparent in this story.

Texas Pete® – A story about North Carolina restaurant pioneers who planted an iconic brand in Oregon. The target is others who hold true to their brand, no matter the location.

Three restaurant pioneers on a mission to bring Southern flavor to Portland tell their story.

Storytelling Is Key To Cult Brand Leadership We build cult brands and the fulcrum for igniting brand loyalty is our ability to tell great stories. Our team has been telling them for nearly 30 years. If you have a story to tell we should talk.

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