Types of corporate videos and their ocdes and conventions

1. Corporate videos are a type of informant that gives people information through
the use of a short film. Most companies use corporate videos to promote their
brand or a main product of the brand. However corporate videos can be used in
all areas of companies from training videos on the internal side of things, to
external issues such as brand exposure. Corporate videos are made with a
specific purpose, their existence isn’t to go t waste as it is such a valuable tool for
the brand and will be suited for a specific target audience.
Different types of corporate video
Product Launch/Marketing
Product promotion is key for the company because it is their way of selling a
product. How they market the product can make or break if the product is
successful. Companies will use their most creative and unique ways of getting a
product across from the corporate to consumer. They will need to feature a USP
(Unique selling point) that will make the product launch rememberable and also
make you want to buy the product. This interaction is paramount to the products
success, as the marketing will have to be of such a high standard so that it sticks
out from the rest, a really good example of this is BlendTec’s promotion. In which
they started a YouTube account and a series called “Will it blend” in which they
sell their blender based off what it can blend, to show the sheer power of it. This
is an example of viral marketing. A very important tool at getting a product out
there if there is a low marketing budget, as a YouTube account is free, it so very
much so possible to start off a free marketing campaign to sell a product.
Internal training
Internal training methods are important for companies because it can act as a
reminder to the people working their of the core values of the company, who
they are representing and how the company would like them to conduct their
self. This is a key tool used by companies, although many aren’t released to the
public. Many find these types of videos cheesy, boring and a waste of time. But
the main point of these videos is not to entertain, their purpose is to tell the
people watching this what they are doing wrong and how the company would
like for them to conduct themselves in the future, weather it be issues with effort
and even attitude. This way of communication is vital for employee satisfaction.
If say for example the video features the CEO of the company, there is much more
of a trust between CEO and the worker. They will be much more satisfied hearing
the message come from someone with respect.
Promotion of message or values
A promotion of a value or a message is typically used by such organisations like
political parties or charities. Who are not selling a product at all, and are instead
selling the idea of their message or values. A charity will do this by showing the
areas effected that they work in, the people it is effecting and the lives it is
destroying. They will then juxtapose all of this and flip the videos theme to a
different dimension and then talk about how public and private donations have
allowed the charity to improve the quality of life of the people effected, this is a
key part a tugging at the heart strings of the viewer as it conveys the ideology a
lot more emotionally than literally. Political parties will also use corporate
videos to show their stance from a political perspective. They might keep it short
and concise and talk about points of the policies, a new manifesto or solutions to
large problems that are going unsolved with the current political powers. Politics

2. parties have a duty to look after the people, and by doing this it ensures that
people are well informed of what the party is trying to do and how it wants to
effect the country in a positive way.
Conference openers or showreels
Conference videos are an important feature of corporate videos because this is
for the people who know a lot about the brand, the company and the product and
are eager to see what is next for them, hence why they are at a conference for
this brand. Videos here will feature a lot more in depth statistics or more higher
terminology words as the people in the audience are familiar with the product,
and the challenge for corporates is that they have to sell their brand again, show
the people how the company is progressing and what they are doing to open a
new chapter for themselves. They usually do this by reflecting on their past
achievements that people in the audience will know all about and they will then
justify their new product and brand exposure.
Internal communications
Internal communications are how you sell the idea of the product to people on
the inside, rather than the wider audience it applies to the stakeholders of the
organisation. An example of internal communication videos are hard to find
because they are not public, they are usually private types.
Event Coverage
Event coverage is an important media type in terms of showing people how the
company or event staff manage and run a large-scale event, how many people
turn up and their thoughts on the day about everything. This is a key piece of
research in terms of going forward and seeing how they can improve in the
future. An example of a large event coverage would be something such as Comic
con, in which hundreds if not thousands of people turn up dressed up as their
favorite character whilst going around and spending money on stalls. To cover
all of this is important because it shows the CEO or the creator of the project
what was happening on the floor and what people are saying in regards to how
the day has gone so far and what could be improved. This is a key feature in
terms of going forward because it directly informs the hierarchy about what
needs to change. The other aspect that this type of video has is its representation
of the company as a whole. If someone wants to invest in the company, set up a
stall there or even just wants to go as a customer, event coverage videos are
important as they detail everything that happens on the day.
Idents and animated logos
Brand identity is what makes this area of corporate videos important, title
graphics, animated logos and idents are all important because they reinforce the
values that the company has and exposes you to their colour scheme, logo and
maybe in some cases their tagline all so that you can represent the logo and bran
with a certain colour, sound, or motion.
Codes and Conventions of corporate videos
All in all there are many different ways of showing how a corporate video is
shown and how it operates. However, all of these videos have different aspects in
common. These are the codes and conventions of these films and how they’re
used in current practice. I will be giving examples based off three different
corporate videos that vary in style and technique to sell their brand, these videos
are:

3. Ambuja Cement – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK90Sa9pbwk
Microsoft – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjo20qYsXqc
Volvo Buses – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPc6-B546HQ
Animated Graphics for Brand Identity
Animated graphics for brand identity is important for corporates because it
enables them to put their title and graphic logo on digital media so that people
can recognise brand logos with corporates.
Brand identity is important for corporates due to the rush in the market to make
recognisable and unique branding logos. Some don’t even need words. They can
be as simple or as complex as the creator wants but the main focus is that it has
to be rememberable.
Brand identity graphics are used heavily in the Microsoft corporate video, this is
because the entire video itself is about Microsoft putting their name and logo
onto a downtown Los Angeles building. With this area already being full of
different and big company brands, its safe to say that Microsoft needed
something that really stood out from the rest and the use of this logo is key
throughout the video as we are constantly reminded who Microsoft are and that
this is their video. Brand identity is key, especially with a huge brand such as
Microsoft as they are constantly trying to remind people always about them with
their simplistic but recognizable logo.
Even when they
interviewed people on the project, they framed the shot just so that the new
Microsoft logo was in the bottom left of the screen looking over our main subject.
Ambuja cement also uses animated graphics for a brand identity more
conventionally, they use the opening seconds of their video to have a small
animation sequence of their logo come into the screen, this 1is key because right
from the start we are able to understand who’s making this video, and what type
of company they are (cement) that quick association informs the user of what to
expect already and leaves no guesses as to who the company are. And this brand
identity is what makes this video a success

4. Graphics to show information
The use of graphics is important to a corporate videos success because it allows
you to put lots of information on the screen at once. This also is less time
consuming than if you have a narrator or presenter reading it as we can read
faster than we can talk and get information across to the audience.
An instance that this is used in a corporate video is during the internal training
video about confidence. This works as a success because it removes the fourth
wall effect between a presenter and the audience so that they do not have to
connect with the presenter to understand what they are trying to get across,
moreover it allows you to put more information on the screen at any given time
so that in a short amount of time you are able to make the audience more
interested and adhere to short attention spans.
An example of this is in Ambuja cement’s video, where there is a heavy emphasis
on the graphics in their video. They have a high production value as in some
cases the background is motion tracked, so it looks like the graphic are part of
the background as the camera pans over. This is very effective, especially when
the colours are like they are because they really do stand out as a contrast from
the background colours of the environment surrounding it. Ambuja cement does
this so that it can fit as much information on the screen as possible and inform
the viewer of statistics and facts throughout. These can be by little statements
that are followed up by the voiceover, or tables with lots of information on,
where there is too much information for the voiceover to read and it is more
efficient at just showing the graphic.

5. Motion tracked graphic
Table with lots of information on
Music and graphics to segment information
Music and graphics used to segment information is a good way to separate
points between the corporate video so that there is a clear indication about
points beginning and ending. This is good for the viewer because it allows them
to make the clear assumption that the videos point have began. With corporate
videos primary function being to inform. Their need to transmit information is
paramount to their success.
Music and graphic segmentation are used in two of my Examples Volvo and
Ambuja. Volvo uses this effectively in this example. They have a voiceover lead
the narrative in which the main key points are signposted with a graphic. In this
example it is ‘Quality.’ This is used repeatedly throughout and works effectively
because they inform the viewer about a key area of their company such as safety,
quality, environment etc. But then elaborate on that point. And the
representation of this simple graphic is very effective because it enables Volvo to

6. break up their points into different segments, which they then elaborate on in
the visuals. Following the graphic. After quality, in which the voiceover talks
about the quality of the products they make, it shows their workforce in the
factory assembling busses. This is key because it shows the attention to detail
and care within the companies it shows them actually building the busses with
quality and efficiency rather than just tell the viewer about it.
Graphic Break
Visuals to back up after the graphic
Presenter or voiceover
By using a presenter to tell them the information it creates a fourth wall break
that invites the viewer and audience into their world, and makes the transfer of
information a lot more easier to do because of the audience connection to the
presenter. A voiceover could also be used to, so that a human aspect of the video
is involved. And isn’t just primarily all graphics and text based information.
A presenter or voiceover is a key asset of getting information across and
appealing to the target audience. For example in Ambuja cement, they use an
Indian man to voiceover the working class Indian cement company. This allows

7. the normal every day person be able to connect with the voiceover. As this
company it seems have had safety issues in the past in which people may shy
away from working for that company, it seems that this new plan has came about
and they want to inform the masses and stakeholders about their new safety
initiative that will bring new horizons to the company, and by getting a male,
Indian lead as the voiceover, who is directly injecting all these different facts and
statistics throughout it means that a connection can be made between audience
and video
Interviews with key stakeholders
Interviews with key stakeholders are important because they give a personal
insight into the corporation and how it operates. It can tell the audience why
they invested in the corporation or product. That this company is so important to
them that they put a lump sum of their own money into the business. These
stakeholders would need to be the actual stakeholders however, actors would be
hard to transmit the feelings and emotion a real stakeholder would have for the
company they put their money into. They can talk about the companies potential,
its current status and what its vision is for the future.
All three videos include interviews, albeit Microsoft includes a video only with
the design team of the project. However Ambuja and Volvo directly interview the
people at the very top of the hierarchy within the company. For example, within
26 Seconds we are introduced to the CEO of Volvo busses, who is riding a bus
with his voiceover going over the soundtrack. His voice is much more effective
than just a voiceover because this is the voice of someone at the top who
deserves the respect of being listened to. His points about shaping the future, no
congestion emission and noise is a key part of his speech and it drives home the
idea of Volvo a lot more than all of the voiceover because it is coming straight
from the mouth of the CEO.
Scenarios which tell a story
The use of a scenario to tell a story is almost like a miniature movie. Rather than
just tell the audience the statistics on the screen or being presenter led this can
be tedious and not a creative way of getting across information. The use of a
story is a creative way of using storytelling in such a way so that it relates
directly to the information. It can either be visually cued, with the use of what is
on the screen through the cinematography or graphics, or the use of audio telling
the audience.
Ambuja cement use the scenario of safety to drive their story. From what we are
told on the video by interviews or voiceover, Ambuja cement had previous
issues, and a major incident in 2013 that resulted in casualties. This video is
almost a sales pitch not only to the workers, but stakeholders, potential buyers
of their product and much more by informing them about their new horizon. The
use of a story is shown here by showing the steps that this company have taken
to ensure that worker safety is top priority, all the workers are trained to work
in this environment and that the WeCare plan is carried out beyond its potential.
This story driven video is important because without it the sense of timing in the
video would be lost. By starting off talking about the past with a moody track,

8. which I talk more about on the next point, they are able to set the tone of the
video straight from the start. Only to then completely juxtapose it when they talk
about the new WeCare plan. This is clearly signposted with a music sting and
more worker based visuals. The tale of a bleak past and a much more bright
present with an even brighter future is a key element of how this company sells
themselves to the general public and potential buyers, by showing they have
turned into a completely new company in terms of safety.
Music Track to create a background
Music track to create a background is important so that the video can set a mood
and a tone to the video as a whole and make the video comply with the other half
of film making being the audio. This is important because the mood of the video
can directly reflect the statistics and data behind what it is about. You wouldn’t
put a happy track on a dark, moody topic likewise you wouldn’t put a downbeat
track on a positive topic.
Music is used to segment information and is used effectively when there is a
contrast between the past and the future. As we know, the first half of the video
is all about the previous issues with the company and what they used to do and
what was the trigger point to start a new initiative. This is when the We Care
plan was brought to life. This is signposted in the video by using a music sting
when the logo is brought onto screen, as the narrator leads up to the concept of
this, a visual of three workers walking up a flight of stairs is shown. This is like a
visual representation of the dawn of a new horizon, that they are ascending from,
what they used to be in, and looking towards the future.
Legal and Ethical Issues
With corporate and promotional videos there is a high emphasis on legal and
ethical issues that may arise with the production of the video, as this directly will
represent the company in either a good or a bad light.
Companies will be legally obligated for any information that will be distributed
by the company is factual. For example in a charity video, the charity would be
needing to provide the real statistics and facts about their charity, what they do
and such things as numbers being correct or they would risk severe implications,
weather that be with companies or stakeholders who fund them or the general
public.
Privacy is also a concern when it comes to legal issues. Lots of corporate videos
like the show their workforce, consumers or people that they engage with. If a
company was to secretly film someone for example working in a factory, and
don’t have their consent, legally they cannot show that clip unless the person in
the video has signed the correct documentation to say that they do not mind
featuring in any video regardless of where its distributed. This is known as the
Privacy Law.
Moreover there is also issues with licensing, Corporate videos usually feature a
soundtrack or jingle in the background to create either a theme, a mood or drive
a narrative. The correct documentation is needed for this video with the original

9. author if this video is collected from another creator. This could lead to large
financial implications in the future. This is known as the copyright and
intellectual property law. This also applies to any other form of media that is
created, owned and distributed by another company or person. The same steps
would have to be made if it, for example, was a film clip used instead of audio.
Ethically companies are also obligated to satisfy etiquette within their videos by
adhearing to ethical boundaries within their videos. These are much more loose
than legal roles, but by creating an ethical issue you give off a seriously immoral
message in your video as a whole.
Initially there is the ethical issue of fairness. This could possibly link to the law of
privacy, where a company may tell its workers in advance that people will be
filming whilst they are working. This shows good manager/worker work ethic as
it shows that there is nothing going unsaid within the company and the workers
are kept in the loop and feel more valued as a team player in the video.
Another issue is the issue of Race. IF a video is set in an area where there is a
high racial dominance, it would make sense for that production to heavily focus
on that race. For example in the Ambuja cement video, there was a heavy focus
on the working class of India throughout. So they used mostly Indian individuals
to be in their video. This can also be applied in an opposite way. If for example
Ambuja cement was set in London, there would be a high level of multi-
culturalism and diversity amongst the actors so that the video appeals to all
different races when it is set in an area with high diversity.
Gender is also an issue that corporate video producers must work with, in that
they do not discriminate any actors or people in their video based upon their
gender. As we see in the Volvo video, where they focus on Engineering as it is
about their new bus system, a female lead voiceover is used not a males. This is
to appeal to the female audience and eradicate any ethical issues with the gender
problem.