How to create brand awareness through video

The Strategic Power of Brand Awareness Videos

In a digital landscape saturated with people and products being shoved down your throat, aggressive direct-response ads, and the dreaded… courses… the art of simply being seen and known is often overlooked. For marketing managers and CMOs, the pressure to deliver lead gen in an instant can sometimes overshadow the most critical phase of the customer journey: Awareness.

Without a foundational layer of brand recognition, your performance marketing has to work twice as hard. Brand awareness videos are the strategic solution to this problem. In a world where it usually takes 7-15 interactions before a person purchases from you, awareness videos serve to fill the top of your funnel and prime your audience to trust you before they even know they need you.

The Awareness Paradox:

The most effective brand awareness videos often don’t mention a product or a price. Their goal isn’t to sell a solution today, but to ensure your brand is the only one remembered tomorrow. It’s about emotional connection from a place of common understanding, which we’ll get into more in this article.

What is a Brand Awareness Video? (And What It Isn’t)

One of the most common mistakes in corporate marketing is trying to force too many objectives into a single video. It’s like pasta… it’s always better with less ingredients. To create an awareness asset that actually works, it helps to first define its boundaries.

An awareness video is a campaign or asset designed specifically to help audiences recognise or recall your brand name, creative identity, and core messaging. Yes it’s long term, but as with any investment it compounds over time. Think of it like the video version of an ETF fund, slow stable growth, but reliable throughout.

To understand this better, we must look at what an awareness video is not:

It’s not a Promo Video: It doesn’t focus on discounts, seasonal sales, or limited-time offers.
It’s not a Product Demo: It isn’t meant to showcase features or UI. In many world-class awareness campaigns, the product may only appear for a split second or not at all.
It’s not an Explainer: While explainers educate on complex topics, awareness videos focus on emotional connection and resonance.
It’s not a Demand Gen Asset: You won’t find a “Shop Now” or “Book a Demo” CTA here. The objective is recall, that’s it.

So, no hard sells, no feature lists, no direct CTA’s, and definitely no price mentions. Take these Yeti documentaries for example, it’s just pure storytelling and the engagement became industry folklore:

Why Feelings Beat Features Every Time

Here’s the cold, hard truth: nobody cares about your product features in an awareness video. They care about how you make their lives easier, cooler, or less stressful. It’s a vibe check, not a check list.

To win hearts (and minds), your video needs to tap into a human emotion. Make them feel, not necessarily think.

Be Memorable: It’s better to be bold and polarising than safe and invisible. Get people talking in the comments below.
Be Human: Show the faces behind the brand. People trust people, not faceless corporations. Or use people that people trust – creators, influencers to some degree, artists and athletes if possible.
Be Visual: If I muted your video, would I still know what’s going on? It should look as good as it sounds. This is very true of modern era where up to 90% of people watch videos on silent mode.

The “How-To” (Without the Headache)

Creating a video shouldn’t feel overwhelming and we’re experts at guiding your through the process. For now, here’s the simplified roadmap we use at Story Machine to get results without the stress:

Find Your One Big Idea: Don’t try to say everything. Pick one message and stick to it.
Keep it “Short & Sweet”: You have about 3 seconds to grab attention before they scroll. Don’t waste them on a slow-fade intro – we see this all too much!
Invest Where it Counts: You don’t need a Hollywood budget, but you do need professional lighting and clear audio. “Good enough” usually isn’t.
Tailor the Suit: A video that kills it on LinkedIn might tank on TikTok. We help you tweak the format to fit the platform; we call it our hybrid strategy.
Test It: There’s no harm in showing friends, family, colleagues, and so on. Honesty counts and it’s better to tweak now than pull it later.

Where to Put It (and How to Know It’s Working)

So you’ve done all the above and got a killer video. Now what?

The “Must-Have” Placements:

Your Homepage: Put it right at the top. It’s your digital handshake.
Social Media: Pin it to the top of your profiles so it’s the first thing new followers see. People are lazy, your top 3 videos are your biggest entry point.
YouTube, Meta, and LinkedIn Ads: These are the gold standards for getting your brand in front of the right eyeballs. Luckily these platforms do the distribution work for you. BUT, the content still HAS to be good.

The “Winning” Metrics

Forget sales for a second, for awareness videos it can usually be misleading. If you’re running an awareness campaign, look at these traits instead.

Views & Completions: Are people actually watching the whole thing? If not, where is the drop off?
Brand Searches: Are more people typing your name into Google? Check before and after your campaign through Google’s services.
Shareability: Use brand analytics in platforms like Instagram to check your reach.

Make Your Brand Last

Building a brand shouldn’t feel like a chore, nor should you waste money on content that doesn’t perform. At Story Machine, we specialise in taking the guesswork out of this process. We’re here to help you tell a story that doesn’t just fill a slot on your content calendar but actually moves the needle for your business.

Whether you’re in healthcare, tech, or the non-profit world, we’ve got the tools and team to make you stand out.

Ready to get started?

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Blake Dubler

Blake brings over a decade of experience across advertising, live events, and commercial content. He has led award-winning feature films, TV series, and global campaigns for some of the world’s most culturally defining brands. He ensures every production is delivered to the highest standard, with a smooth process, on time and on brief.

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“Story Machine's project gained over 247 thousand organic views through digital platforms. They have been easy to work with, thanks to their transparent and responsive communication process. They also exhibit flexibility with their content processing by asking the right questions for each output.”

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Our clients consistently describe Story Machine as one of the best video production companies in Sydney, known for our creativity and high-quality content. They praise our ability to bring their visions to life with stunning video production, seamless editing, and clear, structured processes. Our exceptional project management and communication ensure a smooth and stress-free experience from start to finish. To read the full reviews, visit our Clutch profile.

Speak to an expert

We’re here to help every step of the way. Whether you’re looking to elevate your brand with stunning video content or have questions about the process, our friendly and creative team at Story Machine is ready to bring your vision to life. Join the many clients who trust us to tell their stories and deliver real results. Contact us today, and let’s create something extraordinary together!