Brand Storytelling Through Video: How to Make People Remember Your Brand
By Kevin Grafton, Director
Why stories outlast feature lists
Most brand videos list features and benefits. The ones people remember tell a story: someone wants something, something stands in the way, and something changes. The brand plays a part in that change, often a small one.
Thailand knows this better than most markets. Thai advertising has a worldwide reputation for emotional storytelling, and many of its best-known films barely show the product. This guide covers what brand storytelling means in practice, the branding basics that make a story recognizably yours, and how to plan a brand film that works across TV, YouTube and social media.
What a brand story needs
Every story that holds attention has the same parts:
A character the audience can recognize themselves in: a customer, an employee, a founder.
Something they want, and something in the way.
A change by the end, however small.
A role for the brand in that change.
The brand rarely needs to be the hero. When the customer is the hero and the brand helps, viewers feel the story was about them.
A Thai example: "Unsung Hero"
Thai Life Insurance's 2014 film follows a young man through his daily routine of small, unrewarded kindnesses to strangers, a street dog and a plant outside his building. The insurer's name appears only at the end. The film spread far beyond Thailand because viewers shared the feeling and remembered who made it.
The lesson for any brand: a strong story can carry the message, and the product does not need to fill the screen to be remembered.
The branding basics that make a story yours
A great story only helps your brand if viewers know it came from you.
Be consistent. Use the same colors, typefaces, music style and tone of voice across every video, so each one builds on the last.
Build recognizable brand cues. When Coca-Cola replaced its logo with people's names for its "Share a Coke" campaign, which began in Australia in 2011, the bottles were still instantly recognizable from the red label, the script lettering and the bottle shape.
Stand for one thing. Decide the single idea you want people to associate with your brand, and let every story return to it.
Four stories most brands can tell
The origin story. Why the company exists and what the founders set out to change.
The customer story. A real client and the problem you solved, told in their words.
The craft story. How your product is made or your service is delivered, and the care behind it.
The people story. The team behind the brand, which also works for recruitment.
Where a brand film earns its place
A brand film is rarely watched once. Plan for it to work in several places:
The homepage or About page of your website
YouTube, as the full version
Social media, as 15 to 60 second cutdowns in vertical format
Sales presentations, trade shows and events
Recruitment, to show candidates what the company is like
How to plan a brand film
Start with the feeling. Decide what viewers should feel at the end, then the one message they should remember.
Find the real story. Talk to founders, staff and customers before writing. The best material usually comes from these conversations.
Write for every format. Plan the vertical cutdowns at the script stage so the shoot captures what they need.
Keep your brand cues consistent in color, music and voice, so the film fits everything else you publish.
Leave time for the story. Scripting and approvals take longer for a brand film than for a corporate video. Our guide From Brief to Final Cut explains a typical schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What is a brand film?
A brand film tells a story about who a company is and what it stands for, instead of selling a specific product or offer. It is usually longer than an advert and is made to be watched by choice, on a website or YouTube, as well as in shorter cuts on social media.
How is a brand film different from a TVC?
A TVC is built for a fixed slot, usually 15 to 30 seconds, and often promotes a product or campaign. A brand film has more room to tell a story, and its shorter cutdowns can run as adverts.
How long should a brand film be?
Most run between one and three minutes for the full version, with 15 to 60 second versions for social media. Length should follow the story, so cut anything that does not move it forward.
Does storytelling work for B2B brands?
Yes. B2B buyers are people, and a customer story or a look behind the scenes builds trust faster than a list of capabilities. Our guide to video for B2B brands in Bangkok covers this in more detail.
About The Author
Kevin Grafton is the director at Digital Distinct, a production house in Bangkok. He has directed TVCs, brand films, social campaigns, and corporate videos for brands in both Thai and English
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