When Nic De Castro and I synced over our intro call for an episode on the podcast, he posed a great question: When is it appropriate for a startup brand to start producing “those beautiful” brand films that industry juggernauts create? When is it time? When is it effective? And is it something he should be considering as he leads LandTrust, a tech-enabled platform connecting people to private land for recreation? That question set the stage for our conversation. And while we bounced around between topics, we kept coming back to this idea: When does a brand film actually become effective in a brand’s growth journey?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But if you’re asking yourself the same thing, here are a few things to consider:
You can split hairs around brand maturity and the right time, but the most important part of any great brand film is the story itself. It doesn’t matter how big your company is, how much you spent, or who you hired; you have to remember that your audience doesn’t care about your content just because you made it. You have to give them a reason to care. This means you have to tell a great story. Larger brands often have built trust with their audience, which gives them more grace when their content underdelivers. Startups don’t have that luxury. You’re playing the same game but with higher stakes.
Here are a few specific questions to ask yourself:
- Is your brand clearly defined and differentiated?
Do you know what makes your brand unique? Do you have a clear point of view? If your foundation isn’t rock solid, it’ll show up in the film. - Do you have an audience?
This one’s tricky. Brand films can build awareness, but if no one’s paying attention yet, who are you telling the story to? - Are you seeing audience spill?
Audience spill happens when your product starts attracting people beyond your core customer. That’s often a sign your brand is growing and might be ready to take the next step. See Jonathan McKenzie’s (the CMO of Turtlebox) episode about spill and brand maturity. - Can you do this without betting the farm?
Can you start small and iterate? Can you produce something meaningful without putting all your eggs in one basket? It’s okay to take smart, calculated risks, just don’t go all-in on one shot. - Who will care about this story—and why?
This assumes two things:- That you have an audience who will care (or can find one)
- That the story itself is actually good enough to earn their attention
- Can you afford it?
Great storytelling costs money. If you can’t afford to do it right, don’t do it. Don’t settle for average just to check the box.
If you’re going to play in the branded film space, keep in mind: you’re not just competing with your direct competitors. You’re competing with Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, and every piece of content fighting for your audience’s time and attention. (See Charlie Grinnell’s podcast episode) Because the competition is steep, it also means that producing a great story is just the beginning. Here are some best practices that are critical to do right to set your film up for success.
- Optimize for YouTube.
Don’t just upload it and hope for the best. Use strong titles, custom thumbnails, and create content that plays into platform algorithms. Titles like “X Brand Presents: Random Person’s Name” aren’t going to cut it anymore. - Maximize distribution.
Are you spending as much on distribution as you are on production? Ideally, your marketing budget should be 1:1 or even 2:1. Partner with nonprofits to expand distribution. Involve athletes and ambassadors. Talk about the film on podcasts. Enter festivals. Host screenings. Build a 360° campaign. Use the film as a long-term asset—even after you’re sick of it, your audience probably isn’t. Don’t let it fade after launch. - Capture sales assets from the same production.
Offset some of the cost by capturing evergreen product or marketing content while you’re on set. Be efficient.
If you're a startup and this write-up is making you second-guess a brand film, that's probably smart. But if you tell a truly unique story, nail the execution, and play the YouTube game well, it is possible to ride the coattails of virality. It’s not a strategy, but it’s a possibility. Should you risk your whole business on that? Probably not. But crazier things have happened.
More importantly, just because a full-blown brand film might not be the right investment right now, that doesn’t mean you should ignore content altogether. Social-first branded content, short-form storytelling, or traditional ad campaigns can be just as effective, if not more so, for building early traction. These tools can launch a startup from zero to one hundred fast, and you can learn a lot in the process.
Remember, it’s not so much what tool you use as it is important to be remembered and stand out. Use whatever tools you can, but the real risk is not standing out. This will undoubtedly lead to a quick end to your business. Listen to Cole Heilborn’s episode about taking creative risks and the real risk behind creative risk.
Cole Heilborn
Creative Director
