7 Corporate video marketing examples

Best practices for successful B2B corporate video campaigns

Online video marketing has come a long way in a relatively short space of time. What started out as secretly watching YouTube clips in your room or furtively sneaking a peek on your work computer has quickly developed into a practice suitable for the boardroom. In fact, a recent Forbes report stated that the majority of CEOs now prefer to watch a video than other types of content if both are on the same webpage.

Consequently, there’s been an upward trend in video marketing for B2B businesses, in both effectiveness and popularity. However, B2B video marketing campaigns have been slow to shake off their boring, corporate image, which consists of them focusing solely on their product or service with stiff, emotionless campaigns. Here are 7 examples of companies where brands have added personality to corporate video, we particularly like the approaches that Intel has evolved.

Intel's ‘Look Inside’ campaign

In June 2013, Intel retired its ‘Sponsors of Tomorrow’ campaign in order to focus on the present. A nod to the brand’s longstanding marketing slogan, ‘Intel Inside,’ it’s chosen two simple words that express the Intel story. ‘Look Inside’ is rooted in heritage and a rich legacy – namely that all the best computing devices have Intel inside them. The tagline is also a commanding video Call-to-Action.

The ‘Look Inside’ campaign is at the cutting edge of marketing, with the brand choosing to target not the primary buyers of their technology, but the buyers of the finished product – which has their technology as its heart.

The video marketing campaign consists of a number of short films, encouraging people to look within themselves to find out what makes them special. The focus of the campaign is highly people-centric, giving them a platform to tell some wonderful stories.

The following video, ‘It’s What’s Inside That Counts,’ demonstrates the essence of the ‘Look Inside’ campaign.

The film begins with a succession of closed boxes – a mailbox, jewellery box and ring box. As each box is opened, we see that it’s the inside that matters. Inside, we learn, lies the heart and soul, as a piano is opened to show the beauty of the music comes from within, a dancing couple emerge from the jewellery box, the ring box is opened to reveal a diamond ring, and a pearl is extracted from an oyster. Power is shown in the form of an engine under the bonnet of a car, and magic comes from the heart of a firework and a cuckoo in a clock. Each scene is carefully designed to appeal to human emotions as we’re shown what really counts is our heart.

Only then do we see an Intel processor being made, with the message that what’s inside lies at the heart of everything they do too. ‘Look inside’ is meant to be an emotional concept, as well as a physical one, a message which fosters an invaluable connection between consumers and the brand.

The campaign is also about unleashing potential, so it’s only fitting that it coincides with a move towards tablets and smartphones – something Intel addresses by showing their processor at the heart of laptops, smartphones and tablets.

Emotional Human Stories

While the video discussed above demonstrates the essence of the campaign, most of the short films are dedicated to a single person and the incredible feats they’ve achieved by believing in themselves and drawing on their core strengths and beliefs.

First up is Jack Andraka, a fifteen-year-old boy who made an incredible breakthrough in cancer testing.

After losing an uncle to pancreatic cancer, Jack was dismayed to learn that deaths could be prevented if there was a better method of early detection. Inspired by a biology lesson at school, he sets out to develop a better test. Turned down by 199 of the 200 science laboratories he contacted, he was eventually given a lab spot to work in after school. And he developed a test 168 times faster, 400 times more sensitive and 26,000 times cheaper than the medical standard.

This heartwarming film tells the story in reverse, and while Intel technology has little to do with the story, they are the headlining sponsor of the International Science and Engineering Fair that awarded the grand prize, and the story captures the essence of their message.

The next example is adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, in a tale that gives a subtle nod to the branded adventuretainment that’s been so successful for the likes of Red Bull's video production and GoPro.

Erik is filmed climbing a mountainous summit with two friends as we learn his story. He is one of only 118 people who have climbed the top seven summits worldwide – and the only blind man who has accomplished this. Along the way, he proclaims that the greatest discoveries are not what’s outside, but what’s within.

The stories of Jack Andraka and Erik Weihenmayer may be different, but their core message is the same – that if you look within yourself, you are capable of achieving amazing things, regardless of who you are and what obstacles you face.

Intel’s Global Reach example

The beauty of Intel’s marketing campaign ultimately lies with its simple core message, but part of its success can be attributed to the manner in which this cohesive message has been distributed to reach a kaleidoscopic audience.

In teaming up with FC Barcelona, Intel has tapped into a large existing fan base, thereby ensuring the campaign receives global recognition, cultural relevance, and a strong emotional connection.

The video opens with a young child singing a Barcelona song, before going on to examine what the team means to its supporters, and to its players. Again, we receive the same core message: that it’s what’s at the heart and soul of the club – commitment, passion and magic – that’s responsible for its success.

Intel China look to Lin Dan, 2-time Olympic champion, 5-time World champion and a man often referred to as the greatest badminton player ever, for their campaign story. However, this video looks beyond his sporting prowess to look at the significance of his tattoos, which are still taboo in his native China.

The tattoos come to life in this beautiful video, each telling a story of love, belief, courage, family support, and power, to demonstrate how Lin looks in himself for the inspiration behind his success.

In addition to the main video, there are five interview films, telling each story in detail, including this one, describing how the love for his girlfriend spurred him on to Olympic glory.

His films celebrate the potential in each of us to do something truly remarkable, and they demonstrate that belief comes from within.

The reasons for the success of these example video campaigns?

The effectiveness of Intel’s ‘Look Inside’ campaign lies in the simplicity of its message, and the well thought-out human story at the heart of each media offering. By referring to the processor as the heart and brain of a computer, it brings with it a simple, emotional appeal, and gives consumers a genuine reason to care about the brand.

‘Look Inside’ is also a strong Call to Action to consumers to look within themselves for the belief that they have what it takes to achieve something special.

The campaign reflects Intel’s belief that people are turning to technology for knowledge, creativity, and to uncover new ways of overcoming challenges. In a world where people can be crippled by their fears and doubts, Intel’s campaign places the product and the consumer as the hero, a move that holds an invaluable appeal for people, and fits with the way computing is developing and evolving to become more about what you do with the device, than the device itself.

Thanks to Neil Davidson for sharing his advice and opinions in this post. Neil Davidson is the Founder of MWP Digital Media, a leading Corporate Video Production Company. He also runs My Web Presenters who specialise in creating video spokesperson videos. They work with businesses of all sizes to create and market compelling and emotive videos that get specific and clear results. If you would like to have a conversation about how to create video for the web then please contact Neil here. You can also follow him on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.