How Brands Use Video to Forge Deeper Audience Connections

As technology makes it easier to create engaging videos, companies must keep up with the demand for this content across channels.

Image source: Adobe Stock / georgejmclittle.

From the gas pump to your social media feed, you can’t go far today without experiencing some form of video content.

More brands realize that video isn’t just nice to have — it’s a must-have for forging connections with audiences. The proof is in the numbers: Consumers watch five billion videos on YouTube and over 100 million hours of video on Facebook every day. Social videos generate 1,200% more shares than text and images combined.

As technology makes it easier to create engaging videos, companies must keep up with the demand for this content across channels. Here’s how brands like VICE, Showtime, and JLL use video to engage their audiences while creating content faster than ever.

Making genuine connections with audiences

Video is a hallmark of news coverage, but it does more than tell a story — it helps news outlets define their brands, establish trust, and make their content relatable for their audience.

VICE once was criticized for its reporters’ beards and tattoos, but that distinction is now an asset.

“We look like our audience, and that’s who we’re talking to,” explains Ben Baker, vice president of post production at Vice Media. “Our audience can see themselves in our reporters, which wasn’t happening with traditional news sources.”

Video also makes brands feel more human and approachable. When commercial real estate company JLL rebranded itself, it focused on making human connections rather than just showcasing the company’s buildings and capabilities. Video was the best way to connect with customers.

“There’s really no other media that can communicate our stories as well and evoke the emotional connection that we want our clients and customers to feel, while remaining very authentic to who we are,” says Becky Mikrut, creative director, Americas region, at JLL.

Keeping pace with content velocity

Advances in technology now enable more people to create video and to become storytellers. And as more people become content creators, it’s changed the competitive landscape. Showtime, for example, creates exclusive video content on YouTube, competing for views with an army of YouTubers who produce tons of content every day. To engage its online audience, Showtime relies on tools that streamline the content creation process.

“We’re excited about simplifying the tool set with new apps like Adobe Premiere Rush,” says Paul Nicholson, senior vice president of production and technology at Showtime. “This will help us create meaningful connections with new audience segments.”

Showtime relies on its promotional video content to increase subscriptions. And as the company expands to other streaming platforms, the demand for exclusive content increases along with it. “We’re creating exponentially more content in less time,” Paul says, “and the same deadlines for advertising and marketing apply.”

Finding new efficiencies is key to delivering high-quality content faster. VICE uses the audio editing features in Adobe Premiere Pro instead of switching to a different application, cutting down 80% of the audio mix time for “VICE News Tonight,” which airs on HBO. This means reporters can meet deadlines for content creation that were once impossible. Centralizing workflows also helps VICE quickly produce content for multiple platforms, which all require different formats and lengths.

As companies look to technology to support their production process, they’re also excited about incorporating innovations like virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence that will make video storytelling much more compelling to their audience.

“We are looking forward to seeing what’s next,” Paul says. “It’s a really exciting time for companies and their customers.”