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A corporate video is not one thing. It can win customers, align a team, attract talent, or tell your brand story. The ten types below cover the range, so you can pick the format that fits your goal instead of making one video and hoping it does everything.
By
Larry Mutenda
What is a corporate video? It is any video a business uses to communicate, from brand films and explainers to internal and recruitment videos. The right type depends on your audience and what you want them to do.
Each type below includes what it is, when to use it, and who it is best for. The first is the brand film, the video most companies build their story around. No company needs all ten types at once. Pick the two or three that match your current goal, then expand as your needs grow.
Some corporate videos face customers, like brand films and product videos, while others face your own team, like internal comms and training. Knowing the audience shapes the tone and the length.
Win customers: brand, explainer, product, and testimonial videos. Align your team: internal comms and leadership videos. Attract talent: culture and recruitment videos. Extend an event: conference and recap videos.
A quick side by side of every type, with the job it does best. Click a type in the list below to jump to it.
| # | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brand film | Brand & reputation |
| 2 | Company overview video | Awareness & sales |
| 3 | Explainer video | Consideration & product pages |
| 4 | Culture and values video | Brand & engagement |
| 5 | Recruitment and employer brand video | Hiring |
| 6 | Internal communications video | Internal alignment |
| 7 | Product and service video | Consideration & decision |
| 8 | Customer testimonial & case study | Proof & decision |
| 9 | Event and conference video | Reach & recap |
| 10 | Leadership and CEO message video | Internal & investor |
Jump to a type: 1. Brand film · 2. Company overview video · 3. Explainer video · 4. Culture and values video · 5. Recruitment and employer brand video · 6. Internal communications video · 7. Product and service video · 8. Customer testimonial & case study · 9. Event and conference video · 10. Leadership and CEO message video
A brand film tells the story of who you are and what you stand for. It leads with emotion and lives on your homepage, in pitches, and at events. The example here is our brand piece for Fujitsu. Best for: brand and reputation.
A short overview explains what your company does, for whom, and why it matters. It is the video you send when someone asks to learn more. The example here is our company overview for Blockdaemon. Best for: awareness and sales.
An explainer breaks down a product, service, or idea in 60 to 90 seconds, often with animation. It makes something complex easy to grasp. The example here is our corporate explainer for Providius. Best for: consideration and product pages.
A culture video shows how your company works and what it believes. It builds trust with customers and pride inside the team. The example here is Atlassian’s video about how its values work in practice. Best for: brand and engagement.
A recruitment video shows what it is like to work at your company. It attracts the right candidates before the first interview. The example here is a day-in-the-life film from Google’s Life at Google channel. Best for: hiring.
An internal video shares news, training, or change across the organization in a consistent way. It scales better than an all-hands email. The example here is our workplace accessibility piece for Small Business BC. Best for: internal alignment.
A product video shows what you sell and the value it delivers. It supports sales conversations and product pages. The example here is our 3D product video for Contruent. Best for: consideration and decision.
A testimonial lets a real customer explain the outcome they got. It is the most persuasive video near a purchase. The example here is one of our own client testimonials, with Chris Peters at Tourism Burnaby. Best for: proof and decision.
An event video captures the energy of a launch, conference, or milestone, and gives it a second life online. The example here is Adobe’s recap of MAX London. Best for: reach and recap.
A leadership video puts a human face on strategy, results, or change. It carries weight that text cannot. The example here is United’s message from incoming CEO Scott Kirby. Best for: internal and investor communications.
Decide what you want the video to do and who it is for. A recruit, a customer, and an employee each need a different video.
Match the type to the goal. Do not make a brand film when you need an explainer, or an all-staff video when you need a product demo.
Animation suits ideas, products, and data. Live action suits real people, events, and emotion. Many companies use both.
One shoot or one animation can produce several cuts for the site, social, sales, and internal use. Plan those versions up front.
The most common are brand film, company overview, explainer, culture, recruitment, internal communications, product, testimonial, event, and leadership videos.
A brand film tells your story and leads with emotion. An explainer breaks down a product or idea and leads with clarity. Many companies use both.
Start with a company overview or brand film for the homepage, and an explainer for your product or service. Together they cover most first impressions.
Cost depends on length, style, and whether it is animated or filmed. Ask for a fixed quote based on your brief. Animated explainers are often the most predictable to budget.
Most external corporate videos work best between 60 seconds and two minutes. Internal and training videos can run longer when the viewer needs the detail.
Animation suits ideas, products, and data and avoids filming logistics. Live action suits real people, events, and emotion. The right choice depends on your goal and budget.
The best corporate video program is a small set of videos that each do one job well. Start with the story and the goal, choose the type that fits, and reuse each video across the channels where your audience already is.
Related: Corporate video production, best corporate video production companies, and best animated corporate videos.
Larry is the founder and Chief Storyteller at Creamy Animation, founded in 2009. He leads a team that creates story-driven videos for businesses and nonprofits. 15+ years in video strategy and production, specializing in SaaS, B2B, and nonprofit storytelling. A marketer, designer, and animator, Larry has overseen the production of more than 1,500 videos for Fujitsu, Logitech, Warner Brothers, NFL, Blockdaemon, Astronomer, Canonical, and 370+ others.
For Larry, God is first, and everything else is a blessing that comes from serving Him. When he’s not working, he’s hanging out with his wife and three kids, playing the piano, or pursuing his filmmaking side hustle.Â
