Video production 101: what is branded content?

Branded Content

How do you get viewers to stop scrolling on Facebook or Instagram and take notice of your video above all others on their feed? It’s the Holy Grail for marketers and business owners alike, but within reach if you know how to tell your brand’s story well. That’s where the magic of branded content comes in.

What is branded video content? 

Branded content is any form of advertising that’s designed to build awareness of a brand by association, at the same time engaging with their audience on an emotional level. A ‘brand film’ refers to video content made by a brand that is entertainment based. They are narrative-driven, funny, heart-warming and relatable. They may be as short as a 60-second Tik Tok video or as long as a 90-minute feature-length movie.

Compel your audience to action

By prioritising a narrative and audience engagement over a sales message, branded content is sellings an ‘idea’ while your brand takes a backseat. Risky? Not at all. Brand recall is 59% higher for branded content than on digital ads, with viewers 14% more likely to seek additional content from an advertiser.  

Videos that drive higher engagement are more successful in building brand loyalty. Your videos not only stand out, but they’re memorable and shareable, boosting view rates and duration. 

Who’s creating branded video content?

Not long ago, only some of the world’s biggest brands including Nike, McDonalds and, Apple dared to experiment with branded video content. Every Christmas, the anticipated John Lewis brand ad leads retail giants in the battle for TV dominance. Arguably, Lego’s 2014 movie debut, The Lego Movie, is one of the most successful example of branded content, generating over £3 billion sales. But in recent years, branded video has been largely adopted by brands of all shapes and sizes. Whatever your budget, it’s easy to create branded content, but much time and emphasis is placed on concept and planning.

Branded video content for both B2C and B2B 

Nothing captivates an audience like a great story, no matter what industry you work in. That’s why branded content works for both B2C and B2B – in fact, 50% of B2B buyers are more likely to make a purchase if they connect to a brand on an emotional level.

Extend your brand’s tentacles

As user attention span continues to become ever-shorter, why stop at one video? Branded content video production agency, Skylark Media, often recommends a suite of snackable, spin-off video content to complement one hero video. By doing so, your brand can extend an ad campaign, tease storylines, serve custom variations and extend the journey of discovery for potential customers – subsequently increasing brand recall.

Brand video production

At Skylark, we collaborate with clients by kicking off with a discovery session so we can gain some insight into your brand and customers. Concept and storyboarding follows but you’ll also benefit from a video marketing consultation to help frame your video strategy. How will customers discover your videos and what interactions will they make along the way? 

Measuring branded video success

Branded video content is more than just telling a story. If you can take your customers on a journey, track touchpoints and gain insight along the way, it’s a win-win. After all, branded videos enjoy a longer view rate than other traditional videos. And with the rise of interactive, AR and VR video, why not extend the journey into other video formats?

Branded content video examples

We’re a nation of pet lovers and My Family Vets recognised that. To promote their affordable, ‘it’s a steal’ vaccine courses, they enlisted Skylark with the task – turning their concept into a reality.

Seeking to promote the ‘Astonishing Kingdom’ while introducing koalas to England for the first time, Longleatt asked Skylark for a new concept to attract visitors to the park. The result was a TV ad that placed visitors, not the park, at the centre of the narrative. By focusing on the reactions of visitors as they see koalas for the first time, the park was able to drum up excitement over their impending marsupial arrival.

Let’s start with your story

It can feel like a brave step, but if you put the story first, love for your brand will follow. If you’re looking for a video production agency in Bristol to create your branded content, get in touch at [email protected].