Commissioning a promotional film: A guide to production and strategy

How much does it cost to have a promotional film made, how does the production process work – and when is it worth the investment? This guide answers the most important questions before you start a project.

A corporate film – often referred to as a company film – is now a key visual tool for conveying a company’s values, culture, expertise and character profile in a way that resonates emotionally. In the age of digital communication and cross-media branding, this format is becoming increasingly important: according to Wyzowl’s Video Marketing Report, 91 per cent of companies use video as a marketing tool. Having a professional corporate video produced is therefore a strategic investment in the perception and differentiation of one’s own brand.

What is a modern promotional film?

Modern corporate films are no longer the traditional ‘we’re the best’ videos. They are strategically conceived short films that offer authentic insights into the company and focus on storytelling rather than promotional staging. The focus is on target audiences – from potential customers and recruitment candidates to partners and investors.

Typical areas of application range from corporate websites and LinkedIn profiles, through presentations at trade fairs, to cross-media employer branding and recruitment campaigns. It is particularly important to note that promotional videos are now used across multiple platforms and should therefore be produced in a modular format.

Corporate film, promotional film or product video? The distinction

There are many video formats in circulation within the business world that are easily confused – yet each serves a different purpose. A corporate film focuses on the company and its ethos, rather than a single product or service. In contrast, a commercial specifically promotes a product or a promotion and is clearly designed to drive sales. A product video explains the features and benefits of a specific product, whilst an explainer video presents complex topics or processes in an accessible way – often using animation. The recruitment film, on the other hand, is a specialised corporate image film focusing on the employer brand and appealing to job applicants. If you know from the outset which format serves which purpose, you’ll avoid the most common mistake: producing a film that tries to do too much and ultimately fails to convey anything clearly.

Objectives and benefits: Why commission a corporate film?

Commissioning a corporate film does not directly contribute to short-term sales targets, but acts as a strategic communication tool, particularly in brand and relationship management (awareness, consideration). Typical objectives include strengthening brand identity by authentically conveying values, mission and ethos. Equally important is employer branding: it showcases staff and corporate culture – a key factor in attracting skilled workers. Added to this is competitive differentiation, whereby the company clearly positions itself against competitors and highlights its unique strengths. Last but not least, an image film builds trust because authenticity and transparency foster credibility among customers, partners and job applicants. And it has a long-term impact: a well-produced film provides lasting momentum and supports brand-building over several years.

Style and structure of modern promotional films

Today’s corporate film does not follow a set formula – successful films are documentary-style, emotional, individual and modular in design. Stylistically, the focus has shifted: documentary-style rather than staged, because authentic scenes, real voices and genuine working environments create credibility. Emotional rather than promotional, because the focus on people, stories and values has a stronger impact than on product features. Personal rather than generic, because employees, founders or customers act as narrators, making the company more approachable. And short rather than rambling: the ideal length is usually between 60 and 120 seconds, supplemented by shorter versions for various digital channels.

The narrative structure also follows a tried-and-tested pattern. It begins with an emotional opening that serves as a hook, based on a feeling or a question (‘What defines us?’). The focus is on the people: scenes from everyday working life, interviews or personal stories provide an insight into the company’s culture and values. The brand message is subtly woven into the narrative, rather than being presented in a heavy-handed manner. And the piece concludes with a clear resolution or Call to action – an invitation to get in touch, apply for a job or explore the website further.

This is how a promotional film is produced

A professional promotional film is produced in five clearly defined stages. If you’re familiar with the process, you can plan your budget, timeframe and own involvement realistically.

The process begins with the briefing and strategy, for which around a week is usually set aside. This is where the objectives, target audience, core message and distribution channels are defined – it is at this stage that it is decided whether the film will have an impact later on or remain inconsequential. This is followed by the concept and script phase, which usually takes one to two weeks. The strategy gives rise to the storyline, including the script, storyboard and the selection of locations, protagonists and tone; this phase determines the lion’s share of the film’s eventual quality.

This is followed by the filming, which takes between one and three days depending on the scope of the project and is carried out on location by a professional team using camera, lighting and sound equipment – supplemented, for example, by interviews, drone footage or staged scenes. In the subsequent post-production phase, for which two to three weeks is a realistic estimate, the raw footage is turned into the finished film and its shorter versions: editing, colour grading, sound design, music, graphics and subtitles. The final stage is ongoing distribution with its various aspect ratios, i.e. platform-specific adaptation to 16:9 for websites and YouTube, 9:16 for Stories and Reels, and 1:1 for the LinkedIn feed. Overall, the process from concept to finished film usually takes four to six weeks.

The right briefing: What needs to be clarified before filming

The quality of a corporate film is not determined on set, but during the briefing. Before the first camera starts rolling, the fundamental questions should have been answered – and the most important one is not ‘What are we selling?’, but ‘What defines us as a company?’. Who are we, what drives us, and what is the story behind our company? It is only on this foundation that the finished film can later be built.

Building on this, a good briefing sets out the key strategic points: what specific objective is the film intended to achieve, and how will its success be measured? Which target audience is it intended to reach? Through which channels will it be distributed, and what formats and lengths will this entail? How does the film fit into the overarching marketing and communications strategy, and does it authentically reflect the values of the corporate identity? What is the budget? In larger organisations, it is worth involving the relevant departments – such as management, marketing and sales – at an early stage and securing their approval, so that the project enjoys broad support from the outset. The more clearly these points are established in advance, the more smoothly and efficiently the entire production will run.

Multi-use: one shoot, many assets

The greatest advantage of modern corporate video production lies not in a single, long film, but in the consistent reuse of the footage shot. Instead of editing just one main film from a single day’s shoot, a whole package of assets is created: the full-length corporate film, shorter snippets and shorts for social media, vertical cuts for Reels and Stories, teasers for adverts, as well as stills and photographs from the same shoot. In this way, the one-off investment in concept, team and filming is leveraged to maximise reach and is rolled out across all relevant channels over a period of weeks – rather than producing a single film that runs in just one place. This asset-oriented approach significantly reduces the cost per piece of content distributed, whilst ensuring a consistent brand image across all touchpoints.

Distribution & Areas of Application

A modern corporate video is a versatile medium within the context of a multi-channel strategy. On your own Website It is prominently featured on home or careers pages to engage visitors. On social media, it is particularly effective on LinkedIn, but also on Instagram, Facebook and recruitment platforms such as Personio or kununu. At trade fairs and events, it is a striking feature of presentations and displays. And in recruitment, it is used specifically in employer branding and performance marketing campaigns.

How long should a promotional film be?

The ideal length depends on the platform – as a rule of thumb: as short as possible, as long as necessary. The standard length for a main video on a website or YouTube is between 90 and 180 seconds. For LinkedIn and Facebook, shorter versions of 60 to 90 seconds are suitable, whilst Instagram Reels, Stories and Ads can be as short as 15 to 45 seconds. A trade fair loop that plays without sound is best kept to between 30 and 60 seconds. From a cost perspective, it makes the most sense to edit multiple lengths and formats from a single shoot, rather than producing new content for each channel.

How much does it cost to have a promotional film made?

It is not possible to give a flat-rate figure for the cost of a promotional film – the cost depends directly on the concept and the scale of the production. Four broad categories have become established as a guide.

The price range of around 4,000 to 8,000 euros generally does not cover full-scale promotional films, but rather ‘impression shots’: atmospheric footage and short clips that convey a first impression without telling a carefully crafted story. A genuine corporate video starts at around 8,000 to 15,000 euros – within this range, a concept-driven film is produced without major additional costs, i.e. without elaborate location hire, without cast protagonists and without professional voice-over artists. A medium-sized production featuring locations, selected protagonists, voice-over artists and higher production standards costs between 20,000 and 40,000 euros. Large-scale productions with elaborate staging, several days of filming, animation or 3D, as well as extensive campaign output, can cost up to 100,000 euros.

The price is determined primarily by the complexity of the story, the number of shooting days and locations, the size of the crew and the equipment required, as well as the scope of post-production – with animation, 3D and motion graphics being the most expensive individual items. If you want to cut costs, it’s best to start with the planning rather than the technology: using your own premises instead of a studio, your own staff instead of actors, and a clear concept without subsequent changes can save entire days of filming. And because a single shoot can be used across multiple channels through multi-platform distribution, the cost per piece of content broadcast is reduced even further.

Should you have a promotional film made or produce it yourself?

In principle, a simple corporate video can be produced in-house using modern technology, and this may be sufficient for initial, quick content on social media. However, as soon as the film is intended to represent the brand, have a lasting impact over the years and remain effective across multiple channels, the difference becomes apparent: conceptual depth, dramatic structure, professional lighting and polished post-production are difficult to achieve as a side project. Investing in equipment and training usually only pays off if you’re producing content on a regular basis. For a high-profile corporate video, working with an experienced production company is therefore generally the quicker and, ultimately, more cost-effective decision.

Choosing the right agency: What to look for in a production partner

When you commission a corporate film, you’re not just choosing a product, but embarking on a shared journey – and the choice of partner has a decisive influence on the outcome. What matters is not so much the latest camera model as the ability to develop a compelling concept from a company’s history. Production value comes from storytelling and approach, not from the number of pixels.

When making your selection, it’s worth taking a look at their portfolio to date: do their reference films tell genuine stories, or do they simply string together interchangeable images? Does the partner understand the strategic level – that is, the connection between brand, target audience and message – or do they think purely in terms of shooting days? By the pre-production meeting at the latest, it will become clear whether the concept, schedule and expectations are aligned. Ideally, you want a partner who understands strategy, concept and Production provides everything from a single source, as this ensures that the brand and the film remain consistent and eliminates friction between multiple service providers.

Measuring success: How to recognise the impact

A brand film contributes to brand perception and relationship-building – yet its impact can still be quantified. In terms of reach, views, playback duration and the watch-through rate show how many viewers actually watch the film right to the end. In terms of engagement, likes, shares and comments provide insight into whether the film is resonating with the audience. And in terms of impact, specific effects can be identified: longer time spent on the website, more qualified enquiries or – in the case of a recruitment film – a higher number of applications. It is important to define the relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) right from the briefing stage, so that success is not left to gut feeling later on.

Thinking of brand and film together: the real ROI driver

The greatest impact is not created by the film alone, but by the interplay between the brand and moving images. At pechschwarz®, we produce corporate films with creative excellence that generate a measurable brand impact. This is clearly evident in our projects: campaigns and adverts that build on a strong, brand-consistent film perform noticeably better – in some cases up to four times as well. This is precisely where the business ROI of a corporate film lies. It does not lie in the individual video, but in the combination of brand strategy, film and consistent distribution across all channels.

Great role models: promotional films that set the standard

If you’re planning your own corporate video, you’ll find the best inspiration in productions that show just how far this format can go.

A an outstanding example is HORNBACH’s brand film ‘No Project Without Drama’ (2025), which stages a bathroom renovation as a mini-drama in five acts, thereby celebrating the pride and hard work involved in genuine DIY projects. The film deliberately avoids product promotion and focuses entirely on attitude and emotion – a prime example of how a brand can make an impact through a story rather than through its product range.

HORNBACH

The engineering sector proves that powerful promotional films are not the sole preserve of major consumer brands: The Strautmann’s promotional film Under the guiding principle of ‘Hands on’, it focuses on the people and the family-run business’s decades-long tradition of craftsmanship – proof that emotional storytelling works even in the B2B SME sector.

Strautmann

The University of Bern is a prime example of just how much impact a well-crafted promotional film can have: Its promotional film was awarded the Silver Dolphin at the 2022 Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards and achieved a reach many times greater than expected within its first few months – proof that concept and quality have a measurable impact on visibility.

Practical examples from our work

Three projects from pechschwarz demonstrate how these principles can be put into practice.

For CIMCO, a long-established electrical contracting firm with roots dating back to 1827, we have a Series of promotional films developed to highlight the many facets of the demanding work carried out by electronics engineers and to position the brand in a contemporary light within an increasingly digital world.

For the Bergischer Handball Club, the start of the 2025 season was the focus of attention not only from a sporting perspective but also as a media event. We devised a integrated seasonal campaign From trailers, event films, social media photography and 3D opening animations – a prime example of how a single film shoot can be used in multiple ways to create a holistic brand experience that mobilises fans and reinforces the club’s identity.

And for Schmid Floor Coverings, a Promotional film, including accompanying photographic and video content, which authentically showcases the company’s craftsmanship and quality.

Common mistakes and factors for success

Among the most common sources of error are a lack of clearly defined content objectives, content that is too promotional or generic, a poorly structured storyboard lacking a recognisable narrative arc, excessive length (for online films, anything over two to three minutes), and the absence of a clear call to action. Conversely, the keys to success are authentic stories rather than purely promotional messages; a focus on real employees and genuine work processes; a modular approach tailored to different channels and target audiences; and professional post-production with precise colour grading, editing and sound design.

Current trends in commissioning corporate videos

Developments in the field of corporate videos are fast-paced. Hybrid projects combine live-action footage with animation or 3D to explain complex content in a clear and engaging way. Short-form versions provide shorter snippets for Reels, adverts and social media. The employer image film is establishing itself as a focused format for engaging candidates, often featuring testimonials from real employees. Storytelling from the perspective of founders or employees places people at the heart of the narrative. And the use of AI is becoming increasingly important – for example, for voice-overs, automated editing or optimising content for specific target audiences and platforms.

Frequently asked questions about commissioning a promotional film

Conclusion: Having a promotional film made pays off

Commissioning a corporate film means investing in a versatile communication tool that can be used over the long term, strengthening your brand, recruitment efforts and visibility all in one go. If you plan strategically, draw up a clear brief, focus on multi-platform use and entrust the production and storytelling to professionals, your corporate video will resonate emotionally and leave a lasting impression. Would you like to have your corporate video produced? Then Have a chat with our team.