There is a long-running debate in video advertising about whether the message of a video should target rational decision-making or attempt to engage the emotions of the audience. Emotional or Rational? Both have their place, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that the consumer prefers a more emotional connection with media than simply being bombarded with facts and figures and claims about scientific proof; yet it is the rational approach that is the most common.
Making the Right Decision for Your Business Video
How you intend to pitch the story of your video should be the first consideration of the script. Some advertising analysts and consultants recognize that appealing to rationality has become the default position. It certainly has its place, but studies in recent years have shown that most people are less rational and more emotional than they perceive themselves to be. We utilize both “sides” of our brain in a decision-making process, balancing our rationality of the facts presented to us against the appeal of emotion; yet, most video advertising prefers logic over intuition.Under what circumstances does each approach benefit the most? Logic: When convincing the potential customer of the usefulness of something. A sales video for a new product such as a smartphone will attempt to demonstrate that it is more convenient, more powerful and therefore better than the product you already have. Emotion: Non-profits tend to use a more emotional approach. They demonstrate suffering of a group (cancer sufferers, people without food and water trapped in a natural disaster zone, abused animals and so on). As consumers, we are less concerned about the logic of giving as we are about listening to the message.
Business Video Marketing is Complex
What makes an effective video marketing campaign – whether selling a product or service, creating a recruitment video or training video – is the effective blend of both elements into a memorable campaign. Humor plays on our emotion, as will the fear of missing out. Solid information about benefits appeals to our rationality. Identifying (or suggesting) a problem and offering a solution engages both aspects, arguably making an emotional decision appear rational.An important element of video marketing in the 21st century is brand identity or company image; these are not things that can be marketed in a rational way – you are engaging the emotion of the viewer to have a positive perception of your business and its interests. An example of this are businesses who present themselves as “small and family run”, “the little guy” or as an innovator who will shake up the industry if you simply give them a chance. This has been particularly useful for craft beers, organic farming and small producers of almost anything. Here, they are appealing to your desire to see the underdog succeed against all the odds in a competitive market.
