Online branded video is riding high. Mobile company Three, for example, has concluded that "silly stuff matters", using its dancing Shetland pony to show that this is the stuff that online friendships are largely made of. Judging by this, it seems that brands pretty much have the art of video sharing down pat. But what they may still be unsure of is how to move beyond the "silly stuff" and tell serious, provocative stories that will set them apart from their dancing pony rivals in 2014.
As brands develop their content strategies for the coming year, they have a real opportunity to create meaningful conversations – and even movements. Some brands are starting to get their heads around the magic trifecta of creation, distribution and shareability; and content strategies that can do all three really have the power to do more than just entertain, they can inspire and engage deeply with consumers and staff.
The most impressive examples of this are not the most recent, which highlights how branded documentaries have been the domain of only the most forward thinking, and those that welcome the risk that comes with such reward.
A film that has made an impact to this day is the Waitrose-backed feature, The End of the Line, which in 2009, exposed the threat to the world's oceans by over-fishing. The supermarket had no editorial control over the film, but its name was then irrevocably linked to this cause. The then editor of Marketing magazine, Lucy Barrett, called it "leading-edge thinking" and "the best piece of CSR" she had seen. Surely worth more than the short-lived hype surrounding the Christmas ad race our supermarket brands are now embroiled in?
Yet among the buzz around cartoon bears and Alice in Wonderland, it's Sainsbury's with its Christmas in a Day crowdsourced YouTube film that has taken the crown in my opinion. This feature-length film, directed by the Oscar winning Kevin Macdonald, features touching moments such as an elderly man cooking and eating Christmas dinner on his own, and a family who receives a surprise visit from their soldier father. It has had an astonishing 815,684 views (and rising) – compare that with the average 1,000 or so maximum views that corporate videos on YouTube tend to achieve.
The social strength of Waitrose's The End of the Line project is echoed within our Wind for Prosperity initiative we launched this month with the global wind energy firm, Vestas. We are creating a true multi-platform campaign to help spotlight the issues of energy poverty with a long form documentary and nine short films for YouTube.
The Vestas corporate brand is not the focus – the spotlight is on the people in the communities whose lives will change by now having stable access to electricity. Unlike traditional advertising, the documentary does not lecture people on how wonderful Vestas is. We are telling the story of real people, and the difference that something as simple as electricity makes – yet millions in the world to this day are still living without it.
What do all these collaborations show that we need more of in this industry? Courage. Courage from brands to be bold in exploring story-telling and courage to allow filmmakers to tell authentic stories. If brands can be brave enough to invest in great – and real – stories around compelling subjects that matter to their market, the connection will be deep and lasting.
Johnny Webb is managing director at Sundog Pictures
Get more articles like this sent direct to your inbox by signing up for free membership to the Guardian Media Network – this content is brought to you by Guardian Professional.
