An Honest Comparison
Three Kinds of Business Video
"Video for my business" can mean very different things. A company profile, a promotional video and an advertising campaign do different jobs, and they are often made by different kinds of producers.
A company profile often helps people who are already looking at your business make a decision. An ad campaign is usually aimed at reaching people who may not know you yet. They can work together, but they aren't the same job.
Side by Side
Corporate Video vs. Advertising Campaign
| Area | Corporate / Profile Video | Advertising Campaign |
|---|
| Purpose | Explain who you are, what you do and why to trust you. | Reach new audiences and drive a specific action. |
| Length | Usually 2 to 3 minutes, sometimes longer. | Usually seconds, sized for each ad platform. |
| Lifespan | Several years, if the business and message stay relevant. | Depends on the campaign; ads are often tested and refreshed more regularly. |
| Where it lives | Website, proposals, recruiting, presentations. | Paid placements on social, video and other ad platforms. |
| Distribution | You share it where people are already looking at you. | Media buying and paid placement. |
| Testing | Reviewed and refined before release. | Ongoing testing of versions, audiences and placements. |
| Who usually makes it | A video producer, agency or marketing team, depending on the campaign. | An agency or team that handles creative, media buying and reporting. |
When to Choose Each
When Each Makes Sense
When You Need an Advertising Campaign
If you need paid reach across several platforms, with media buying, testing and regular new versions, hire an agency set up for that. That isn't what I offer.
- Large multi-channel ad campaigns
- Media planning, placement and buying
- Frequent new ad versions and testing
- Ongoing campaign reporting
- Brand campaigns aimed at people who don't know you yet
When You Need Corporate Video
If people need to understand your business before they hire you, buy from you or apply, start with a corporate or company profile video.
- No clear video on your website, or an outdated one
- Proposals, bids and sales presentations
- Recruiting and showing your workplace
- Explaining a technical or unfamiliar business
- Building trust with customers who are already looking at you
A promotional video sits between the two. It is shorter and more focused than a company profile, usually about one product, service, event or offer, but it isn't a full ad campaign with media buying behind it. You might post it on your own channels, play it at a trade show or use it in a sales email.
Promotional pieces often come from the same planning and footage as a corporate video, which keeps the look and message consistent.
Short Ads From a Profile Shoot
A company profile shoot usually gives us more footage than the main video needs. With a little planning, some of that footage can become shorter social clips or ads that match the main video.
- The Starter Business Video includes one 15 to 30 second cutdown.
- The Company Profile + Customer Stories package includes three cutdowns.
- Extra cutdowns from existing footage: one for $250, three for $600 or five for $900.
You or your marketing partner can run them as ads. I produce the clips; I don't place or buy the media.
How I Work
How I Approach It
I start by asking who the video is for and where it will be used. If you need a company profile, I plan it to tell the story of the business clearly, and plan the shoot so useful short clips come out of it too.
I handle every project directly, from planning and filming through the final edit. If what you really need is a large ad campaign with media buying, I will tell you that an agency is the better fit.
01
Talk
Who needs to see it, where, and what it needs to do.
02
Plan
The company story first, with short clips planned into the shoot.
03
Film
Interviews, the workplace and the work itself.
04
Edit
The finished profile, then cutdowns sized for the platforms you use.
Real Work
A Full Company Story
Posh Outdoors
For Posh Outdoors, a glamping company, I produced a company video of about four and a half minutes. That length gave the business room to show the experience properly, which a 15 second ad can't do on its own.
That is the job of a company profile video: give someone a better sense of the experience before they decide whether to book. See the Posh Outdoors case study
Past work across different scales has included CBC, Molson, TELUS, Alberta Health Services, Ledcor and Travel Alberta, along with small and mid-sized businesses across Alberta.
What Does It Cost?
My corporate video packages are published in Canadian dollars, plus GST. The Starter Business Video is $2,500: up to 4 hours of filming at one location, up to 15 hours of editing, one 60 to 90 second video and one 15 to 30 second cutdown. The Company Profile + Customer Stories package is $4,995: up to 8 hours of filming, up to 35 hours of editing, a 2 to 3 minute profile, two 60 to 90 second testimonials and three cutdowns.
Packages include my standard production kit, local travel in my service area, licensed music, colour grading, branded titles, captions and two rounds of revisions. I do not add a separate rental fee for my standard kit. Full details are on my video production pricing page.
Common Questions
Corporate Video vs. Advertising FAQ
Is a company profile video the same as a commercial?
No. A company profile explains who you are and why to trust you, usually in 2 to 3 minutes, and lasts for years on your website and in proposals. A commercial or ad is short, made for specific ad platforms and usually backed by paid placement.
Do you do media buying or run ad campaigns?
No. I don't do media buying. For large multi-channel ad campaigns with media buying, testing and reporting, an agency is the better fit.
Can short ads be cut from my company profile video?
Yes. Some packages include cutdowns, and extra cutdowns from existing footage are $250 for one, $600 for three or $900 for five. You or your marketing partner can run them as ads.
What is a promotional video?
A promotional video is shorter and more focused than a company profile, usually about one product, service, event or offer, without a full ad campaign behind it.
Which should my business make first?
If people need a clearer picture of your business, a company profile is a sensible place to start. You can then use that story and footage to support later promotions or ads.
Not Sure What Kind of Video You Need?
Tell me who you are trying to reach and where the video will be used. If you need a company profile, I can plan, film and edit it. If you need a full ad campaign, I will tell you that too.
Keep Reading
Compare Your Options
