Death to the Corporate Video

Focus Your Attention on One Channel

• Pick the platform where you already have the highest engagement (LinkedIn, YouTube, X, etc.).
• Funnel all traffic—emails, social shares—through that single post for maximum algorithm impact.

Mention or Message Influencers

• Research a list of relevant influencers ahead of your launch.
• Tag them or send them direct messages when you go live.
• Even if they don’t respond, the algorithm may push your content to related influencers.

Find a Press Angle & Use PR

• A solid press hook (beyond “look at this video”) can spark media interest.
• Working with a PR professional ensures your press release is compelling and angled for coverage.

Optimize Your YouTube Title & Thumbnail

• Use titles that match what people are searching for—avoid clever or abstract titles no one will type in.
• Thumbnails should feature people or images that reflect the core idea of the video.
• YouTube’s algorithm often rewards strong click-through rates and clear metadata.

Choose Your Launch Day Wisely

• Guy’s rule of thumb is Tuesday—people are settled in from Monday and more likely to engage midweek.
• Avoid launching on days when major news events could overshadow your video.

Encourage Employees & Advocates to Share

• Ask team members and loyal customers to like, comment, and share on launch day.
• Avoid giving them identical copy to post; personalize messages to keep social platforms happy.

The Golden Rule

• Create Something Worth Going Viral
  • The best “hack” is genuine, resonant content. If it’s not engaging, none of the above tactics will matter.
  • Don’t chase virality—focus on delivering real value and entertainment.

Key Takeaways

• Originality over “safe jokes.” Recycled humor feels stale and won’t get shared.
• Take risks to stand out. Uncertainty is a part of creativity—lean into it for bigger payoffs.
• Avoid forced funny faces and clichés. True comedic impact comes from authenticity and fresh perspectives.
• Embrace your doubt. Sometimes, your biggest second guess might be the thing that resonates most with an audience.

Show Notes:

1. Introduction to Chris LeClerc and his company, Territory6 (0:00)
2. The meaning behind the name "Territory6" and its connection to storytelling (1:30)
3. Discussion on the simplicity and power of storytelling in marketing (3:45)
4. The importance of visual storytelling and showing vs. telling (9:00)
5. Trends in brand storytelling: from mini-documentaries to narrative films (11:30)
6. The "barbell approach" to marketing: balancing entertainment and brand messaging (14:15)
7. Challenges of long-form content vs. traditional commercials (16:00)
8. The risk and reward of storytelling in advertising (18:30)
9. Analysis of the famous Eminem Chrysler commercial (22:00)
10. Defining story: the importance of conflict in narratives (24:00)
11. South Park creators' approach to storytelling: "This happens, but then this happens" (26:00)
12. Final thoughts on why conflict makes stories compelling (27:30)

Key Quotes:

• "Stories have been around since the beginning of the earth, and they always take you to a different place." - Chris LeClerc
• "Would you rather have people wanting to watch a thing that only shows your logo once, but they watch it five times because they love it, or people watching 5% of your ad only once because they hate it?" - Guy Bauer
• "Are you able to stop the world for just a moment and make them remember?" - Chris LeClerc
• "Good is boring." - Guy Bauer

References:

• Territory6
• Don Hewitt and 60 Minutes
• Googleheimer project
• Apple's "Apple at Work" series
• Eminem Chrysler "Imported from Detroit" commercial
• South Park creators on storytelling
• Spaceballs quote

Here are the 5 tips for making an obligatory corporate video feel less cringeworthy:

Get out of the office for interviews

• Shoot outside or in interesting locations, not just stale office settings
• Frame shots creatively, not typical corporate talking heads=

Never use stock footage

• Plan ahead and storyboard to avoid relying on generic stock clips
• Get creative with illustrations, animations, or recreating scenes yourselves

Keep it super short

• 2.5 minutes max, no exceptions
• If you need more time, make it a series instead of one long video

Find the music first before shooting

• Let the soundtrack inspire shots, edits, pacing
• Build in natural transitions around musical cues

Pay for color grading

• Adds a premium, polished look that elevates it beyond typical "video"
• Differentiates it from amateur productions

In this episode, Guy breaks down what he believes is the single most critical step in producing an effective B2B video ad campaign. He reveals it's not the initial concept, scriptwriting, storyboards, production, or editing - but rather successfully getting buy-in on the script draft itself.

Guy likens this script review phase to the "max q" moment during a rocket launch - the point of maximum dynamic pressure where if not handled perfectly, the entire mission could fail. Similarly, the first script draft is where a video ad concept transitions from abstract idea to concrete reality, making it extremely fragile and vulnerable.

Guy provides tips for expertly navigating this make-or-break script approval process, including:

• Never just send the raw script draft - "prime" it first by recapping the strategy/goals
• Consider reading/acting out the script instead of just circulating text
• Intentionally including some "playground areas" that stakeholders can tweak
• Making the case for why this step requires careful handling

He stresses that once you get through this maximum pressure point of script approval, the remaining production steps become much smoother since everyone is firmly aligned on the creative direction.

Link: "Freddy reads script" opening scene from Mad Men

Learn more about Guy and Umault at umault.com