They’re often confused, yet their goals, audiences and visual codes are radically different. Before launching your next video project, it’s essential to understand what separates a corporate film from an employer brand video — and when to choose one over the other.
The corporate film: speaking to your clients and partners
The corporate film — also called the institutional or brand film — is aimed primarily at your clients, prospects and external partners. Its goal: telling who you are, what you do, and why you do it differently.
A good corporate film answers these questions:
- What is the company’s history and values?
- What makes your offer unique in your market?
- Who are your teams and what’s your culture?
- What’s your vision for the future?
The visual codes of the corporate film tend to be more formal, controlled, cinematic. It aims to inspire trust and make people want to work with you.
The employer brand video: speaking to your talent
The employer brand video addresses a radically different audience: potential candidates, talent you want to attract, and current employees you want to retain.
It answers different questions:
- What’s a typical day like at your company?
- What career opportunities do you offer?
- Why have your current employees chosen to stay?
- What’s the atmosphere, the vibe, the internal culture?
The codes are different: more authentic, closer to the employees, often less formal. The goal isn’t to impress but to make people want to join the journey.
When do you do both?
For high-growth or transforming companies, it often makes sense to produce both types of films — at different moments in the client or candidate journey. The corporate film establishes credibility and aspiration. The employer brand video humanizes and seduces talent.
AG2R La Mondiale, with whom SIGNS. collaborates regularly, uses both formats: institutional films for their macro positioning, and employer brand video series for their recruitment.
And brand content in all of this?
Brand content is a category of its own: it’s no longer about talking about the company, but about creating content that intrinsically interests your audience — a mini-series, a brand documentary, a social format. The company is in the background; the value brought to the viewer is in the foreground.
Our recommendation
Before defining the format, define the goal and the audience. A well-set brief — that’s the first step of our process at SIGNS. — always helps choose the right tool at the right time.
Let’s talk about your project or explore our portfolio to see how we’ve handled both formats for our clients.