Brand Films: Does Your Nonprofit Need Them?

3 min read
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Brand films are not just for for-profit organizations; nonprofits can also use them to advance their mission and impact. Your team may have already experimented with video storytelling and seen a positive return on investment.

If so, you may want to consider incorporating brand films into your nonprofit communications strategy. Using this specific tool could be the thing that raises the profile of your entire organization.

What are brand films?

They are a communication tool driven by narrative or documentary storytelling.

Brand films focus on building awareness and emotional connection. Their length ranges from a few minutes to mini-documentaries of 10 minutes or more. They allow for deeper storytelling and emotional connection. They also allow others to see and experience your mission in action.

In Running Up for Air, a community of runners rises in the face of an air quality crisis in Colorado.

Trust building is the critical result of brand films.

According to Demand Metric, 66% of viewers watch videos to learn more about a product or service. People are seeking information, education, entertainment, and trust. The essential ingredient is trust, which leads to donations.

When you create a brand film, there's a positive exchange between your organization and your audience. Your organization trades an engaging experience (story) for trust and connection with the audience.

Unlike video advertising, which directly promotes a product with a short, action-oriented message, a brand film is an indirect or no ask. Brand films tell a story that builds an emotional connection with the brand's values over a longer format.

For your nonprofit, brand films are opportunities to increase empathy and rally for your mission and values. It's a win-win for both parties.

So, does your organization need a brand film? Indeed, if you answer yes to the following statements.

  • My org has completed the top 5 evergreen stories.
  • My org regularly invests in video storytelling.
  • My org is ready to dive deeper and tell other stories.

If you didn't answer yes to all three statements, it's not time to invest in brand films or episodic content.

Focus on telling your cornerstone stories, which are the primary and foundational stories that anchor your organization in the minds of others. These evergreen stories help your audience understand what you do, how you do it, and why you do it.

Learn more about the 5 evergreen stories for your nonprofit.

Once you have your cornerstone stories and you're investing in regular video storytelling, move on to tackle a story only your organization can tell.

For example, suppose your org helps people overcome food insecurity. What's the larger story you can tell using your perspective and experience? Could that story be a great follow-up to the documentary A Place At The Table?

Conclusion

In conclusion, brand films represent the next level of storytelling for nonprofits. They are a powerful tool for organizations ready to go beyond essential communication, offering a more profound, impactful narrative experience.

If your organization has mastered its foundational cornerstone stories and consistently engages in video storytelling, exploring brand films is your next step. This advanced storytelling brings your mission to life more profoundly, fostering stronger connections and inspiring more significant support.

To learn more about storytelling for your organization, check out our insights page.

We're a Minnesota-based storytelling agency following the story wherever it takes us.

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