They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about moving pictures? What would that be worth? Video can illustrate ideas or tell a story in ways static images just can’t. Video can evoke emotions, make complicated concepts easy, and track a tale through time. At BOLTGROUP we see more and more clients requesting a video component to new brand initiatives. We respond with videos that communicate their brand’s truth, value, and purpose. Here’s why we think brand videos work so well.

The human brain is hardwired to process visual information much faster than written or spoken words, and it retains that information much better. Watching videos is an immersive and interactive act that draws you in and engages you at a high level. This type of engagement ties directly to higher retention rates and can lead to increased brand awareness. Being able to harness this medium in an effective way can be a gateway to boosting your brand’s stature in the marketplace.

The eighth annual State of Inbound Report from Hubspot shows that video is a priority for business to consumer (B2C) marketers. Almost 50% of respondents said that over the next year they’d be adding videos to YouTube and Facebook as part of their marketing arsenal. Instagram is not far behind. Video use on that platform receives twice the engagement of static images. This is also true for B2B marketers—Weidert Group discusses some compelling issues of industrial manufacturing marketers, and they recommend video as “essential for helping prospects through their research process.”

So how do you employ video to make a connection with viewers that translates to your bottom line? Let’s use movies as a guide. What is it about your favorite movies that holds them in your heart and mind? Is it the strong and compelling story? If so, then what’s the best way to create such a story for your brand or product?

At BOLTGROUP, we start by looking straight to the core of the brand for the story. We ask these questions:

• How does the brand purpose set the tone of the video?
• Is the brand personality fun and lighthearted, or is it hardnosed and serious? Or something in between?
• Do the brand pillars suggest a set of truths that resonate with viewers that we can push to the forefront?
• Can the brand proposition convey a sense of value that rings true to the audience?

Taking these building blocks as the foundation of the story, we begin to fill in the details and flesh out the story into a captivating experience.

The Little Burros is a client that has embraced this process. When we worked with them to develop the original Little Burro, we created a brand video for the launch of their new product at the National Hardware Show. Little Burros earned the prestigious Retailer’s Choice for best new product at that show! Based on that success, when they decided to diversify their brand with the new Burro Buddy, we produced a second video. One that would help capture the magic of their product and set them up for another successful launch at the 2017 Hardware Show—again rave reviews.

Every brand’s story is different. Video is fast becoming the leading way to communicate that individuality to target audiences. Don’t hit pause on creating a powerful connection to your brand’s truths, values, and purpose. Instead, let your core principles write the story for you.