What is a corporate video?

A corporate video is professionally produced visual content for a business or organization to communicate with its intended audience. Unlike traditional advertising, these videos are not primarily for direct sales. Instead, they serve multiple purposes. 

Corporate video production can be used to: 

• Introduce new employees to your company culture
• Showcase testimonials from happy customers 
• Create learning and development training 
• Promote your business with digital marketing campaigns
• Highlight notable company milestones

Corporate videos aim to build brand awareness, explain products and services, or convey complex information in an easy-to-digest manner. Whatever the focus, the goal is to strengthen the company’s relationship with its customers, employees, and stakeholders.

The benefits of corporate video production

There are many different types of corporate video production, and whichever you choose, the advantages are undeniable:

• Improve information retention. About 95% of viewers are more likely to remember the message of a high-quality video. It’s an effective tool in your marketing strategy—one that makes sure your target audience can recall your brand and its values.
• Build trust and credibility. Through testimonials and stories that showcase real people, corporate videos create a personal touch that helps humanize your brand and foster trust. It’s an important part of any relationship with customers and stakeholders.
• Get your point across quickly. Video content delivers your message in a concise, effective way that gets through to viewers who have multiple demands on their attention. It’s why many businesses use it for internal communications, such as training videos and onboarding new employees.
• Diverse content types. A corporate video isn’t just one thing: it could be an animated video, an explainer video, a live-action brand video—whatever best fits the story you want to tell. That flexibility helps vary your content and how you present your brand.
• Strengthen company culture. You can use corporate videos to showcase your work culture, which engages new hires and motivates existing employees. You can also use recruitment videos to showcase the values and ethos that your business video aims to promote. 
• Expand reach. Video marketing isn't limited by geography. A New York-based video production agency can promote a video project on many different channels across the world. That gives you optimal return on your investment. 

How much does producing a corporate video cost?

The short answer: It varies. A corporate video can cost as little as $2,500 and as much as six figures. At the end of the day, it depends on your budget and what your goals are for the video. Corporate video production company Start Motion Media estimates that for a 2- to 3-minute professionally produced corporate video, you’ll probably spend between $20,000 and $70,000.  

On average, pricing comes to $800 to $4,000 per finished minute of video, which factors in the video type, the length of the video shoot, any special effects, and the size and rates of the production crew. 

4 types of corporate videos

Brand videos

Brand videos are the cornerstone of a video marketing strategy. They showcase your company's mission, vision, and values. Rather than selling a product, the goal is to tell a story that clearly communicates your brand identity. They’re best for establishing a connection with your target audience. 

Think of a video that Microsoft might produce to highlight its commitment to innovation. If you look closely, it's not just about their products, but the story of their brand's evolution and impact on the world. In this example, the brand video highlights Microsoft's commitment to innovation and its impact on technology and work culture. 

Product or service videos

Product videos are helpful when launching a new product or promoting an existing service. They're used to explain the features and benefits of a product by using live-action demonstrations or animated visuals. 

These videos are an integral part of any product launch because they offer a clear and engaging way for potential customers to see the product in action. A solid product video not only showcases the product, but also integrates a call-to-action that guides the viewers to the next step—whether it's making a purchase or visiting your website.

A great example is Apple's introduction of the iPhone 15 Pro. It’s a quintessential Apple product video that showcases the phone’s features and benefits using live-action footage and graphics.

Training and onboarding videos

Internal communications are vital for any business, and training and onboarding videos are prime examples of how video content can be used in-house. They provide new hires with a consistent and comprehensive introduction to company procedures, culture, and employee expectations. 

A well-produced training video is a step above lengthy, text-heavy manuals with engaging, easy-to-follow visual content. This significantly enhances the learning experience for new employees.

Zendesk’s onboarding video is designed with a humorous tone to give potential hires and new recruits a taste of the company's culture and work environment. The video effectively trains new employees on the "Zendesk way" of doing things by showcasing the company's history and values.

Testimonial and case study videos

Testimonials and case study videos feature real customers or clients who have had positive experiences with your company. By sharing their stories in video form, you'll provide social proof and can influence potential customers' decision-making. 

A high-quality testimonial video highlighting customer satisfaction can significantly boost your brand's reputation and encourage others to follow suit. They usually center on a client's journey, challenges, and how the company's service or product provides a solution.

For example, Yum Yum Videos offers a range of testimonial examples—including this Phelps Agency testimonial. 

Corporate video production phases

1. Pre-production

Pre-production is all about meticulous planning and preparation. The production team will determine the target audience, the video's core message, and how it aligns with the company's brand identity. This is also the stage where you decide whether to create animated videos, live-action shots, or a combination.

In this phase, you’ll likely be working on: 

• Casting talent
• Scouting locations 
• Scheduling times to shoot 
• Planning a storyboard 
• Writing a video script

2. Production

This is when the action happens and your video content comes to life. This phase can range from a single-day video shoot for a small promotional video to a week-long project.

The video production team usually includes a director, videographer, and other supporting crew members. They all work in tandem to capture high-quality video and audio. Lighting, camera work, and direction all play pivotal roles here. 

In this phase, the team must stick to the storyboard and script while remaining adaptable to any changes or challenges that may come up—sometimes, budgets or deadlines don't end up being what were initially planned. Stick as close to the original plan as possible. 

3. Post-production

Post-production is where your corporate video gets polished into a professional final product. Video editing is a significant part of this stage, involving cutting, arranging footage, adding voiceover, and possibly integrating motion graphics. The editor might also do color correction, audio mixing, and music. 

This stage is also where additional footage (AKA B-roll) can be added. Plus, you can weave testimonials into the narrative, create snippets to use on social media platforms, and add a compelling call-to-action that convinces the viewer to do something.

How to make a corporate video

While making any type of video content is a nuanced process, creating a corporate video generally involves four steps. 

1. Set your goals and ideal customer profile 

Start by defining the purpose of your corporate video. Are you aiming to boost product awareness, share company culture, or provide training? This directs the type of video you’ll create. 

Once the goal is clear, you want to take the time to identify your ideal customer profile (ICP). Your ICP is a detailed description of who your video is targeting—think of job titles, industries, or even specific problems they might face. For example, if your goal is to attract top talent, your ICP may be recent graduates in the tech industry.

Alternatively, if your goal is to influence company perception, your ICP may be customers who buy and use your products and services. 

2. Sketch a script and storyboard

Next, develop a video script that conveys your message clearly and concisely. The script should reflect your brand’s voice and resonate with your ICP. Then, create a storyboard—a visual representation of your script. 

Descript’s suite of video production tools allows you to do both. Start by writing your script directly in your project, then:

• Use the “/” key to break your script into Scenes, and then arrange visuals the same way you’d work with slides
• Select from a gallery of layouts, title sequences, and social clips—or create your own templates and save them for reuse later
• Free access to millions of premium stock videos, images, sound effects, and music tracks to add nuance to your storyboard

Generally, corporate content follows a specific protocol—the look, feel, and messaging for any given company are pretty well-defined. With that in mind, features like Descript’s built-in and custom templates make corporate video production much more streamlined. 

3. Film your corporate video

With your script and storyboard, it's time to start filming. This step involves setting up the scenes, directing actors or presenters, and capturing the footage. Be mindful of lighting, sound, and composition to ensure quality results. 

If you're creating an explainer video, you might film a subject matter expert discussing your service, then add transitions with visuals or animated graphics that help illustrate their points.

As tempting as it might be to turn the camera off when you think the scene is over, keep it rolling and capture as much footage as you can. You can always edit it out in post-production, but you can’t always go back and re-record something you missed. 

4. Edit and refine your video 

After filming, combine the footage, add music, and ensure the pacing matches the tone of the video. Here is where you can incorporate any voiceovers, on-screen text, or motion graphics. 

The edit should align with your storyboard but remain flexible to improvements. For example, you might decide that a certain testimonial in a brand video needs to be placed earlier to engage the audience sooner. 

Corporate video production: Do’s and don’ts

Do tell a compelling story

Your corporate video should be more than just a visual brochure for your company. Stories are more engaging than facts and figures. In your corporate video, craft a narrative that connects emotionally with your viewers — whether that’s customer testimonials or a creative narrative of your company’s journey.

Do add a strong call-to-action

A clear call-to-action (CTA) is non-negotiable. Whether your video aims to drive sales, urge viewers to learn more about a new product, or attract potential new hires with recruitment visuals, the video’s CTA should guide viewers to the next step. 

A good CTA is concise, persuasive, and relevant to the video content. Viewers should know exactly what they should do after watching it. 

Do focus on visual aesthetics

Never underestimate the power of visual appeal in your video content. High-quality graphics, a cohesive color scheme, and professional-grade filmmaking techniques should all be integral parts of your production. These elements contribute to the overall perception of your brand and help keep viewer attention. 

Descript helps you enhance your video visuals with the Canvas, where you can assemble and edit videos in a similar fashion to slides in a presentation app. You can add:

• Titles
• Fancy captions
• Images
• Shapes
• Transitions

Don't make it all about your brand

While it's important to showcase your brand in a corporate video, don't let it overshadow your message and feel more like a sales pitch. Instead, provide value and relevance to your target audience. Balance mentions of your brand with relevant information as well as supporting visuals that engage and benefit the viewer. 

Don't ignore video length

A lengthy video might bore your audience, while a too-short one might not convey the full message. Though there’s research to show video success isn’t determined by length alone, you should still be mindful about how much time your video content takes to convey messaging or information. 

Generally, the shorter the better. Keep your content concise and pay attention to where your video will be posted. Different platforms will call for different video lengths. TikTok users, for example, prefer short-form content, whereas YouTube viewers usually have more time to spare. 

Don't overlook lighting and sound

Poor lighting can distract from even the most compelling message, and bad sound can make it unintelligible. As part of your corporate video production, invest in proper lighting and sound equipment, or hire professional video producers to ensure your corporate video meets professional standards. Attention to detail reflects the quality of your brand, which influences perceived value. 

Easily create corporate videos in Descript

There’s no shortage of video editing tools out there. And it’s for that reason that you want software that centralizes every editing tool you might need in one intuitive dashboard. It’s one of the best ways to optimize production and produce corporate content with professional consistency. 

Descript’s powerful video editing capabilities make it possible to produce corporate videos that resonate with your target audience and meet business goals. With it, you can:

• Edit video footage like you’d edit a Google Doc 
• Add titles, shapes, lines, arrows, transitions, music, and images to your video
• Collaborate with your team with native commenting features 
• Remove “ums,” “uhs,” “you knows,” and other filler words with one click
• Create a digital voice profile for your video narrator and clone it for future projects

Ready to create your next video? Explore the tools available at Descript and take your corporate video production to the next level.