In the battle for attention and reaching new customers, some companies end up doing more harm than good with their video content.

 

Why is this happening?

 

Video content, whether it’s TV commercials or simpler online content, represents one of the key tools in the race against competition. Video is used in numerous ways in marketing today, and those who aren’t investing in it are almost certainly losing potential consumers to competitors. There is ample evidence of video’s importance as an advertising tool – Research Gate, Smart Insights, and Digital Marketing Institute.

 

To maintain their market position and reduce costs, some companies compromise on the quality of their video content. But this can lead to a new problem, one you didn’t have before releasing the video.

 

Today’s consumers are demanding and quickly notice poor quality on both a conscious and subconscious level. A low-quality video is often equated with a low-quality company. On the other hand, professional video content can contribute to a better company reputation.

 

Ask yourself: can you tell if something looks professional or not? Most people can. They may not be able to explain why, but they can still almost instantly judge the quality level of a video.

 

Let me give you two seemingly diametrically opposed examples. The first is a TV commercial we produced for Triglav Skladi, where it’s probably clear to everyone right away that it’s not amateur production. Cinematic imagery, excellent actors, beautiful locations… we can all likely agree that it was a serious and large-scale project for a reputable client. The second example is our original online ad for Pivovarna Mali Grad, which, based on the script alone, could seem like a simple project anyone could film. However, without excellent direction, interesting set design, and professional post-production, it would quickly look like a poor amateur product. And it certainly wouldn’t elevate the reputation and recognition of our clients or win an award at the Slovenian Advertising Festival.

 

Tomaž Kos Commercial and Events Photographer.

Most people also don’t realize that creating video content that will have a positive impact on branding and marketing requires a lot of learning and experience. Producing marketing or advertising video content that will achieve excellent results requires:

• Technical knowledge and skills for production elements such as lighting, camera technique, editing, special effects, graphics, etc., which can only be developed through years of work.
• Creative ability to visualize and achieve the set vision.
• Business knowledge and experience for seamless organization and project flow.

 

Without these, the final video will almost certainly look unprofessional or subpar, which can be risky for your company.

 

As we mentioned earlier, some companies try to compromise on video content production, which risks having the opposite effect on their reputation than they intended. Here are some situations that can harm your company’s reputation:

 

1. You are considering filming the video yourself.

Almost all of us have HD cameras on our phones, and your IT department knows how to use a simple editing program, while also reducing costs. But here’s the problem: sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know. Take lighting, for example. There are many videos with poor lighting, where creators are unaware of it, but viewers perceive such videos as amateur. And consequently, this perception transfers to your company’s reputation.

 

2. You are considering hiring someone who does this in their spare time.

Many people are involved in video production or, more precisely, filming videos nowadays. Cameras are affordable, and it presents a good way to earn extra money. However, unfortunately, most of these people lack the knowledge, technical experience, or business skills to create a professional, high-quality video. Of course, their service will certainly be cheaper, but this will undoubtedly reflect in the final product.

 

3. You are considering hiring a production company that offers a very low price.

Perhaps you’ve found a production company that is significantly cheaper than other offers you’ve received. But unfortunately, there is a reason why their prices are so low. In video production, the saying that you get what you pay for holds very true. It’s highly likely that very affordable productions simply lack the skills, team, and equipment to produce professional, high-quality video content.

 

In all the above cases, you expect to receive a high-quality video at the end of the process, but this is unfortunately very unlikely. Creating and producing an effective video ad involves many different but equally important elements that require years of learning and experience from the team. And this applies even to the simplest video content.

 

For example, for our production of the ad for NLB Okvir Pomoči, which at first glance looks like a simple statement from a good speaker in a beautiful location, there was actually an experienced director of photography working in the background, mastering natural lighting, and a sound technician ensuring clean and understandable speech despite wind and other outdoor noises. Additionally, a lighting technician knew how to manipulate the fickle weather and ensure cinematic lighting in all conditions.

 

In the end, there’s only one thing that matters: if you want to maintain or even improve your company’s reputation, don’t make compromises and always choose quality. Video can be an incredible marketing tool if approached correctly and with an experienced, professional team.

 

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