If it's visual, it's a winner.

Yep, video is exploding online, people can’t get enough.

Think ‘how-to’ videos on YouTube, those wacky Reels on Instagram and of course the TikTok short-form storm that erupted during the 2020 lockdown. But also think of bona fide product and promotional videos. How brands have been using rich content to keep us swiping and clicking and viewing. These days there’s an online video for just about anything you may want to know about or laugh about.

It’s undoubtedly the most powerful tool for promoting your brand and getting your story out there.

Ever wondered why we love it all so much? It’s not just because we have become extremely visually sophisticated and therefore demand more – it’s also because we can process visual information at higher speeds.

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And video is a multisensory form of communication that speaks to the viewer at three levels – visual, audible and emotional – making it very engaging and persuasive. And even if you take sound out that (we are now also very comfortable to watch video without sound,) pictures still shout louder than words.

Think back a little – from caveman drawings to silent movies –  visual storytelling has been a trusted way to educate, engage, and motivate audiences for centuries.

And consuming video is not unlike our most basic experience of communication. When we watch a video we see, we hear and we feel, just like when we talk to others.

Albert Mehrabian’s research into human communication identifies the three main elements of communication clearly –  body language (non-verbal cues that others will see), tone of voice (auditory cues others will hear and feel because this contains the emotion of the speaker) and words (verbal cues others hear). And putting these three cues into percentages can be contrary to what you’d expect.  

His findings are that 55% of the meaning through from what people see in your body language and facial expression;  38% comes through what people feel when they hear your tone, and only 7% comes through your words. And this is especially true when there’s a conflict between the words spoken and the non-verbal messages delivered. Think for example of when someone apologises to you, but their voice and facial expression don’t convey any remorse. Or when someone says “I’m fine” but their body language and tone tell you they’re upset or distressed. As a listener you immediately doubt the authenticity and sincerity of the message.

Sincere communication is paramount to building trust because sincere communication is honest and authentic, it’s where the non-verbal messages (visual) and the overall tone and meaning of the message, align.

And this is true for your brand too. Your video communication needs to be authentic and true to your companies’ values and brand image. There needs to be consistency of imagery, sound, script, message, logos, props, backdrops, location, etc.  – in fact all elements should work together to convey one, single-minded, brand-true message, to build trust with your audience.

Big brands like MacDonald’s, Nike, HSBC and Samsung have very detailed, extensive brand and style guidelines for brand videography and/or photography, across all of their content. Their branding is consistently displayed through filming styles, special effects, colour grading, choice of music, choice of voice over artist and even sound effects. It’s all carefully planned to deliver messages that resonate harmoniously with their brand – it’s no coincidence, it’s been planned to the finest detail for this specific reason – building trust.

At Zoomfilms we have extensive experience working with large corporates (like the Avis Budget Group), SMEs and even tiny start-ups to create sincere video messages and brand stories which ring true, build trust and get results. Want to build trust in your brand but not sure where to start? Need help defining what your brand stands for? Interested to see what video can do for your brand?

Contact us at hello@zoomfilms.co.uk for a no obligation conversation.