Corporate Video Production 101: Explainer Videos vs. Brand Awareness Videos

There is a lot of noise online. Too much of it. And now that noise is all video. And those videos come in all different forms – from commercials, to explainers, to longform YouTube essays, to short TikTok clips and IG reels. Frankly, it’s exhausting.

But you’re a small or medium-sized business. You’re looking to get your website or socials up to snuff. You want to make something eye-catching, but you don’t want to just get caught up in a trend that will look dated and unprofessional in a couple months. That's why, in this post, I want to answer two questions…

First, if your business is just starting out with your own corporate video production, what videos do you need? And what are the benefits of those videos?

Among the many types of video marketing, two stand out: explainer videos and brand awareness videos. While both serve essential roles in a business’ marketing strategy, they are designed to achieve different objectives.

In this article, we’ll explore the key differences between explainer videos and brand awareness videos, helping you decide which is the best fit for your goals. And we'll start with...

Brand Awareness Videos

You can consider this your grand unveiling. Who are you and why should we pay attention? You need to establish your style, tone, and audience. There’s a specific “voice” that you’ll want to identify and show to the wider audience, so people can get a feel for your brand and what to expect from your style of videos.

These are designed to introduce your brand to a broader audience and create a lasting impression. These videos focus on storytelling, emotions, and the overall ethos of your brand, rather than specific products or services. They aim to build trust, familiarity, and recognition over time. Brand awareness videos tend to be more visually creative and entertaining, helping your business stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Explainer Videos

These are most popular with SaaS companies, but can really be utilized with any service. These are short, concise videos created to explain a product, service, or concept in a simple and engaging way. They break down complex ideas into digestible pieces of information, making them easier for your audience to understand.

Typically, explainer videos range from 60 to 90 seconds and use clear visuals, voiceovers, and sometimes animations to get the message across.

This guides the viewer through the offerings, or the service that’s being provided and ends with a “call to action,” telling the viewer exactly how to get started. Making things easy and understandable is a perfect way to get people into your sales funnel, or to get people comfortable with your service.

Corporate Video Production: Animation or Live-Action

While explainer videos tend to veer into the animated category, brand awareness videos straddle the line between motion graphics animation and live-action.

Animation and motion graphics visuals can be very helpful in explaining complex or abstract topics or information to your audience. However, for less technical fields, like law firms, consulting, financial advisors, etc., you may lose that personal touch that clients are looking for with an animated video. It all depends on the client base.

Don’t Corporate Videos Cost An Arm and a Leg?

Yes, IF, and this is a big IF, you go with a traditional advertising agency, the prices can be astronomical. It’s what got us into this business in the first place: We saw a gap and wanted to fill it. UC Media was started by two entertainment industry professionals. We made videos constantly and knew we could service this underserved part of the small business space. You need video content, you don’t want to pay top dollar. We got you!

Contact us and we can guide you on the best strategy to get started with corporate videos and we can set a game plan for re-vamping your website, socials, or brand content.