Let’s Talk About the “Corporate Video” (It Ain't What It Used to Be)
Corporate videos aren’t what they used to be. Here’s a fresh look at how companies today are shifting toward real stories, real people, and more authentic communication.
Jonathan Galbraith
9/15/20252 min read
It might be time to address the elephant in the room: the corporate video.
Yes... those videos.
The ones many of us grew up watching in classrooms, training rooms, or on a dusty TV cart wheeled into a boardroom. Long before YouTube existed, companies were producing internal videos on VHS that aimed to communicate vision, values, and strategy.
Thankfully, the world—and video—have evolved. A lot. So what does a “corporate video” even mean today?
Out With the Old
Consider this blast from 1998: Enron’s “Vision and Values” video.
It’s a perfect time capsule of late-90s corporate filmmaking, complete with:
Towering slow pans of glossy office buildings
Sepia or black & white “heritage” montages
Executives in leather chairs, philosophizing about innovation
Stock footage of happy families skipping through sunlit fields
A predictable formula of history → values → ethics → culture
The problem isn’t that the video was poorly made. In its day, it was probably considered high-end. The issue is that today it feels painfully hollow. More like a parody of corporate communication than a genuine message. Modern audiences see through this type of polished-but-empty storytelling almost instantly.
The world has changed dramatically since then. The internet, smartphones, and accessible production tools have democratized video creation. Audiences now expect authenticity over polish, humanity over PR-speak, and real stories over generic corporate messaging.
This shift presents a massive opportunity for brands willing to adapt.
In With the New
Forward-thinking companies don’t really use the phrase “corporate video” anymore. Instead, they focus on simply making videos. Content that feels human, grounded, and aligned with their actual communication goals.
The most effective modern brand videos are:
Centred on real people, not scripts filled with buzzwords
Shot in genuine environments, not staged boardrooms
Built around emotional truth, not corporate slogans
More like storytelling, less like a commercial
When you let go of the mindset that your video must follow a “corporate” formula, you open the door to creating something that actually connects. Something sincere. Something that reflects who you are, rather than who you think a corporate video is supposed to portray.
Audiences crave honesty. They’re drawn to personality. And they respond to stories that feel like they were made by humans—not committees.
The Big Takeaway
Video trends evolve quickly, and so should your approach. Don’t assume that the formats that worked a decade ago (or in Enron’s case, more than a quarter-century ago) are still relevant today.
When you start a new video project:
Keep an open mind
Prioritize authenticity
Focus on real stories and real people
Let go of outdated corporate conventions
And whatever you do, steer clear of the honky-tonk piano soundtracks.
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