How Video Can Damage Your Brand Without Even Trying

With the proliferation of video online these days, it’s easy to make an assumption that video is video. As in, all video is the same and no one watches anything longer than 60 seconds, right? How much could quality really matter? If that’s your position, I don’t blame you, and yet treating all video as disposable content that’s watched and thrown out is shortsighted. Here’s when a video produced right really matters.

When Your Brand Is the Subject

Let’s start with Brand Anthem videos, which are pieces designed to show the world who you are and why you matter. Disposable? Probably not. These are more than videos, they’re stories that need to be done right. They're often the first thing a prospective customer, investor or partner sees when they want to understand your company. An anthem video that looks like it’s supposed to be a TikTok looks bush league and will most likely fail to impress, unless your demographic lives in that social media space. The risk is that it can actively signal that you don't take your own brand seriously. If you don't, why would anyone else?

When You're Recruiting at the Top

Ready to make a major mistake? Hire the wrong senior leader, that usually gets the attention of your team. The people you're trying to attract have options—often a lot of them. They're evaluating your business just as carefully as you're evaluating them. A low-quality recruiting video aimed at executives sends a message you probably didn't intend: that the organization doesn't operate with a lot of attention to detail or professional standards. The best candidates notice. And sometimes they walk.

When the Role Is Harder to Fill Than It Looks

Ask any manufacturer about finding skilled hourly workers who are reliable, talented, and a real fit for the work, and they’ll likely say that these roles are genuinely difficult to fill with the right people. A well-produced "day in the life" video can be a serious competitive advantage here.

It shows applicants exactly what they're walking into. What the environment looks like. What the team feels like. What a good day on the job actually means. A video that looks thrown together suggests the experience might be, too. Now, it’s important to keep in mind, this is an example when an amateur video can hold a lot of credibility. When it seems like a current employee is providing a peek behind the curtain, it can go a long way and the right, and wrong, prospective employee is watching.

What People Say Says A Lot

Capturing interviews and beautiful b-roll is part of producing high impact videos. Editing is the other half of the equation that really matters. Producing a video is really about a series of decisions about which moments to keep and which to cut. And that editing process—specifically around content—is where a lot of videos fall apart. Too long and it’s too boring. Too short, and the big picture is lost.

Knowing which sound bites carry the message, which ones are redundant, and when you have enough is a real skill. Videos that don't get this right end up bloated with meandering quotes, and 30 second exit rates. The result? Your brand looks unfocused, uninteresting and out of touch.

Viewers are impatient. If the content doesn't earn their attention early, they're gone—and they leave with an impression.

Not All Video Is Created Equal

Let's be clear about something: not every video needs a big production budget. Short-form social media content often performs better when it looks unpolished. Audiences on those platforms are wired to spot anything that feels too produced, and they scroll right past it. Raw and real wins there.

The problem shows up when that same casual approach gets applied to video that actually carries weight for your brand. That's where the gap between "good enough" and "good" can be a problem. The risk isn't just a bad, boring video that underperforms. It's bigger than that. It can become a statement of who you are as an organization. A weak and underwhelming video can quietly chip away at the credibility you've worked hard to build without you even realizing it's happening. It’s the candidate who didn't apply, the customer who didn't call back, the partner who chose someone else. Here’s the good news - it's an entirely avoidable problem. Know which videos matter and treat them like it.