A video is for life, not just for Christmas

Film and Media: Limitless

Coined in 1978, this catchy couplet was devised after thousands of puppies were bought as gifts over the Christmas period, only to be abandoned soon after when the reality of dog ownership became clear.

That basic, worrying premise can also be found in my industry.

Unfortunately, I see so many video ‘puppies’ left to fend for themselves after the novelty has worn off. They sit on a LinkedIn profile or a brand website, with no constructive plan in place, only to be ignored when a buying-motivated customer is looking for reasons to choose this business rather than the equally bland one in the office next door.

The story I hear of these once-exciting campaigns is curiously similar to that of a parent gifting their child a puppy they’re unprepared for. Fresh from a corporate retreat or a swanky rebrand, a business owner thinks: “I’ve had a fabulous idea, let’s make a company video! Aren’t I a clever clogs?”

At which point they go and find their local production house or, even worse, their sister’s mother’s cousin’s friend from Bingo whose grandson “does TikTok”. Then, two months and a few thousand pounds later, they’re the proud owners of a slick-looking yet completely useless brand video.

Make it count

Video on its own isn’t an asset; it’s an ornament.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

A well-considered concept that addresses the full sales and marketing mix, not just the novelty of a new video, can build a media system that consistently brings you new leads, sales and growth long after the edit is done.

It does, however, require a strategy-first approach to ensure everything the project needs is captured on the shoot day. There’s no point realising in October that you needed a Meta ads variation when the camera went away in June!

Measurable results

Strategy first. Film always.

And the question that unlocks this insight is: “Where are you losing revenue?” Is it a lack of leads leaving your sales teams hungry? Is it the gatekeepers who can’t tell your story to the decision-makers who are stalling the deal? Maybe it’s the complex list of services that needs to be clearly explained that’s leaving your prospects bamboozled.

Whatever it is, that’s the problem you need a video to solve. Not a nice-looking montage for the website, but a powerful tool that will actually grow your business.

If you can’t measure what it was meant to fix, you can’t say if it worked.

So, remember, a video is for life, not just for Christmas.

A well-trained campaign with a shiny coat and a waggy tail can be a man’s best friend in business growth; you just have to take the right approach.