Lately, when it came to business promotion or promoting any sort of content, the only approach that sufficed was short-form entertainment. The popularity of short-form content first started on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Soon, it succeeded in establishing a deeper connection with users as well as business owners.
Users loved enjoying the new experience of swiping and consuming content while businesses started seeing it as a strategy to reach the audience. However, reaching an audience wasn’t that easy as businesses also faced the difficulty of sending their brand message using the shorter form of content.
But, now, times have changed. The long-form content is again back in the picture. According to Learning & Memory, participants who saw a 27-minute narrative clip were able to remember many events from the clip, even after months. This proved that if you want to build a real connection with people, you need to do it through long-form content.
Here are three more reasons that will help you decide whether you should be investing in long-form content or not.
1. Cause-Based Feature-Length Films Can Build Brand Recognition
Patagonia produced a feature-length film called DamNation in 2014. The documentary was about the destruction caused by dams to the environment. It is also meant to raise awareness that our future is correlated to the life and health of rivers.
The message of this film also echoed the mission statement of Patagonia, which was “We’re in business to save our home planet.” The film helped Patagonia receive over 625 million media impressions and 20 awards. Also, nearly 70,000 people were influenced to sign a petition to address the deadbeat dams.
2. Personal Stories in Long-From Content Can Connect With Audiences
Airbnb 2019 produced its first feature documentary, Gay Chorus Deep South was Airbnb’s first feature documentary released in 2019. The documentary was about the members of gay men who sang the chorus on a tour across the Southeastern U.S.
Here, the project’s aim was to inspire inclusivity as well as promote the brand message of Airbnb, i.e., “Belong Anywhere.” The firm generated ROIs and was screened in more than 350 film festivals. Also, millions of people watched it on the streaming service, Paramount Plus.
3. Long-Form Content Can Work Cooperatively with Short-Form
Another great thing about feature-length films is that they can used to add up additional content. For instance, brands can develop long-form stories that resonate with audiences and then build a narrative by showcasing related stories on different mediums like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Ricky Roxburgh, a screenwriter who has worked for Disney and Dreamworks, says “Almost every show I’ve worked on has been a derivative of a feature film. Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure was a 77-episode show that was built out from one line in the movie.”
