Driving Success with Video Marketing Services
Video marketing is often misunderstood, with many assuming it’s all about glossy, high-budget commercials with little substance. But that narrow view sells short one of the most powerful storytelling tools in marketing.
“Video is a foundational tool for storytelling across channels like web, social, internal communications, email, recruiting, and beyond,” said Strategic America (SA) Director Creative Services, Brandon Troutman.
Sometimes, businesses hesitate to commit to video marketing services, whether that’s because of the perceived costs or the flashy stereotypes. But when video is done right, it’s not an expense, it’s an investment with tangible returns. With video marketing, businesses can get higher levels of engagement, conversions and awareness. SA’s video team focuses on helping clients see the long-term value and ensures that each dollar their clients spend is working strategically toward their business goals.
What to expect from SA’s video team
“At every stage, our goal is to build strategically-aligned content that is thoughtful, effective and rooted in the brand’s voice — content that works as hard as it looks good,” said Troutman.
When businesses partner with Strategic America for video content, they’re getting more than just a production team. They’re getting access to a full-service agency that understands how video fits into the marketing and branding ecosystem. The team starts by navigating their client through a highly collaborative and strategic process rooted in the client’s goals. The creative and video team take the time to understand their client’s brand, audience and message before anything is shot to ensure every piece of content is intentional, impactful and aligned with the client’s larger campaign goals. By collaborating with designers, writers, media planners and digital specialists, the video team ensures the video content is high quality and purposeful. They provide visual references, maintain open communication and explore multiple edits to deliver the most compelling content possible.
“Ultimately, our goal is to create on-brand, purposeful video content that delivers results across every platform it’s deployed on. We are always guided by the client’s goals and strengthened through our collaboration.”
Is video right for your brand?
SA approaches every video project with a brand-first approach. If the client has a clearly defined brand story and platform, the team can activate video production with clarity and intention. If a client does not have a defined brand story, SA’s creative team can conduct a brief brand-overview exercise to:
- Define objectives and audience.
- Outline core messages.
- Establish timeline and deliverables.
From there, our client service and strategy team members can then develop a strong and clear creative brief to get the creative and video teams started.
“A strong strategy is only as effective as the knowledge and understanding it stems from. That’s why we rely on detailed, insightful creative briefs. These help our team ensure every video [whether a large-scale commercial or short-form social content] aligns with the brand’s goals, resonates with its audience and serves a strategic purpose rather than just filling space,” said Troutman.
To support strong video marketing client service and strategy, SA’s video production team has developed a comprehensive video marketing toolkit. This resource equips our teams with the knowledge they need to speak confidently about our video services. It acts as both a playbook and a reference guide, covering:
- Compelling video marketing statistics that underscore the impact of video across platforms.
- Descriptions of different video types — from commercials to explainer videos to social shorts.
- Video pricing considerations and a sample pricing chart.
- Sample timelines to help set realistic expectations.
- A curated collection of example videos to spark ideas and show what’s possible.
With this depth of insight, the SA team ensures every video recommendation is grounded in client-specific needs — whether that means driving awareness, engaging audiences or supporting conversions. Ultimately, the video team wants to help clients understand when, where and how video can be most effective for their brand.
Defining success with video marketing
On the creative side, success is measured by staying on budget, meeting strategic goals, and delivering a smooth, collaborative experience. “We take a holistic, cross-functional approach to measuring the success of video marketing,” said Troutman.
Whether it’s a broadcast spot, a social video or a web-driven campaign, SA evaluates metrics like engagement, conversion and user behavior. The video team takes the time to understand their client’s audience and the type of content working for them. They also get insights from SA’s media, social and web teams to track the performance of their video content across platforms — gaining a more well-rounded understanding.
“Success is measured not just by views or awards, but by the video’s ability to move the needle on the client’s core objectives — whether that’s awareness, engagement, conversions, or brand loyalty,” said Troutman.
SA Video Highlights
For Troutman, there have been many memorable video projects, but a few stood out to him as truly memorable experiences and represented “success”. These projects pushed Troutman, the creative and video team not only creatively, but also emotionally and logistically.
- American Heart Association “Face the Facts” – This campaign was powerful and purpose-driven. The creative and video team featured real stroke survivors to help raise awareness and educate the public on the signs of stroke.
- Nebraska Corn Board Del & Ed Campaign Drone, GPS, Winning – This project took the team to Tampa Bay, Florida, where they shot three broadcast spots using cutting-edge volume stage technology. Being able to film indoors for two straight days without worrying about weather, lighting, or time of day was a game-changer. The combination of planning, scheduling, and high-end production tools made it a career highlight experience for Troutman.
- Iowa Lottery – “Kickoff to Kinnick” & “Countdown to Carver”- These spots were just plain fun for the team. The Iowa Lottery is a fantastic client, and their projects allowed Strategic America’s team to work with some top-tier vendors. “As a lifelong Hawkeye fan, filming on the field at Kinnick Stadium and courtside at Carver-Hawkeye Arena was an absolute dream come true,” said Troutman.
According to Troutman, these shoots reminded him why he loves working with the team at SA and what sets SA apart from other agencies.
The SA Difference
What truly sets SA apart is its integrated approach and deep commitment to client success. The video production experts at SA collaborate with their creative, digital and strategic specialists to ensure every video is perfectly crafted to meet clients’ goals while maintaining a visual appeal.
Businesses can expect a team that’s experienced, passionate and fun to work with. “We bring honesty, creativity and a team-first mindset to every production,” said Troutman. “And yes, we believe the process should be enjoyable.”
Brandon Troutman is the director of creative services at Strategic America (SA), an integrated marketing and communications agency in West Des Moines, Iowa. Learn more about our creative and branding services.
