As we’ve seen in the recent election, even a tainted brand can do well if it is able to connect with and address the concerns of its audience. As long as it can do that better than its rivals, it can win even if it lacks in several different categories including overall likability and integrity.
Unless you’re the “Soup Nazi”, most brands won’t survive a toxic reputation, and its common sense, and just the right thing to do, to treat people well. So we don’t expect to see in the marketing world what we just experienced in the election. The reminder, though, is that brands need to understand and connect with their audience better than its competitors. Yes, it’s Marketing 101, but often missed, especially now with the increase in technological aids.
As for video marketing, here are a few key reminders to ensure your videos are relatable in 2025.
Authenticity is key
User-Generated Content is king in this realm of social media. If your brand is big or lucky enough to have them, ride its coattails to the promised land. But if you’re not quite there yet and need to produce marketing videos, it’s important to have the same level of authenticity as UGCs.
Don’t strive to make videos that are simply eye-catching or have viral potential. More likely than not, they won’t be. Know your audience and speak to them. That doesn’t mean the videos be only talking heads or low production value. They can be creative, fun, concise, or quirky. What matters is that regardless of the concept you develop, the sole focus is that you show the audience that you get them.
With the right people, testimonials can provide a high level of authenticity. Here’s an example:
Don’t rely completely on technology
AI can create an entire video for you, but is that a good thing? It definitely saves time and money to use generative AI, but it often lacks what we discussed above – authenticity. We know the technology is improving at lightspeed but as of now, these videos still need attention.
As we previously discussed, AI is a tool and can help to create some amazing work, but it’s not a complete replacement when it comes to reaching and connecting with your audience.
Don’t forget that your audience are people
Videos are a very impersonal medium. We create them and then post them and we have no idea when and who are watching and what their reactions are. Unlike in a public presentation or even a Zoom pitch meeting where we can see the reactions of the prospective buyers, it is easy to forget that there’s an actual person watching the video.
Even now, we get distracted when creating a video. We want to tell our story and we’re so focused on spewing out information that we forget that a person will have to sit there and listen to it all. We can’t gauge a person’s response while they’re watching the video and so we can’t make adjustments to our story like during a presentation or pitch meeting. It’s important, then, that the video has that personal touch from beginning to end.
This means being clear on purpose. There’s no one size fits all. If you’re doing a brand video, leave out the weeds. If you’re creating a marketing video for investors, don’t also try to make it a recruiting video. Have unity of purpose and focus on the person you’re trying to reach.
Here’s a video where we had a clear purpose and addressed its audience in a way that addressed their concerns and provided relevant information:
In recent years, there’s also been a heavy reliance on stock footage, cookie-cutter animation, and other repurposed material. Sometimes it’s a budgetary necessity – we understand if you only have $300 and can only afford someone on Fiverr to create that animated explainer for you. But of course, these videos get made and are lost in a day. They don’t connect. They’re simply there because you read online that you need one of those videos.
Don’t do it in 2025.
Rather, if you don’t have a budget, it’s preferable that you record yourself on your phone talking about a product and how it will help. That’s much more of a personal touch, and much more effective.
But…if you do have budget for a video, Picturelab can help. We do all kinds of videos and can create the right video for you and your audience in 2025 and beyond.
We’re a full-service creative video production company with offices in Mountain View, CA, and Irvine, CA. We service all of the San Francisco Bay Area, the greater Los Angeles and Orange County regions, and we have clients all over the world.
Contact us at info@picturelab.com for a free estimate.