Time is the only constant. As time flows, our brand may change, our values may shift, and our offerings may evolve. That’s natural for any organization. However, when it comes to video marketing, some organizations feel that even a small change is reason enough to drop their current video marketing assets entirely. I want to take a moment to explore why that might not always be the right move and how we, as organizations, can ensure we are getting the most out of our video content instead of remaking it just for the sake of it.
One recent trigger for outdated videos is mask-wearing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when masks were widespread, using them in video marketing was a great way to show that, despite the pandemic, operations were ongoing. However, at the time of this writing, mask-wearing is almost obsolete—and, frankly, it can stir negative emotions related to the pandemic. So, if you have a video featuring people in masks, and no one wears masks anymore, it may make sense to remove that video. But I’d like to share an example where that might not be necessary, and instead, pivot while keeping most of the video assets.
We worked with a private school in 2022, at a time when mask-wearing was still around, but many had stopped. It became mostly optional to wear masks. Additionally, the head of the school had changed. This made the video feel outdated. However, after reviewing the footage, we found a way to reedit some of the scenes to limit shots of students wearing masks and remove footage of the former head of school. The school didn’t have the budget for an entirely new video series, having just revamped their website. So, we proposed a few solutions because the messaging was still strong and relevant, but some visuals were outdated.
Suggestion 1: Remove all B-roll of students wearing masks and replace it with B-roll of students without masks. We could also replace the footage of the former head of school with the new one, who was already a faculty member, meaning we already had footage of her.
Suggestion 2: Could the videos still be useful, even if they felt outdated visually? My suggestion was simple: Use them only in lead nurturing emails. Instead of featuring them on the website, send them to families who are very interested in the school with a note like, “Don’t mind the masks!” or something lighthearted. The core message of the video was still intact, so for short-term purposes, the videos could still serve a purpose.
Another example of getting creative: We worked with a business that had us create a series of training modules for their outplacement program. The company was later acquired, which led to a rebrand of colors, logos, and brand elements. Instead of scrapping the videos altogether, we reedited the graphics, logos, and titles. The core content of the videos was still relevant. There were discussions about refilming the entire series, but in the end, it was more efficient to update the graphics. This was a short-term solution, but these modules still have years of life left in them.
Dealing with outdated videos can feel like wasted money. But before jumping to conclusions, ask yourself: Are these videos really that outdated? Can I maximize their use without sacrificing quality, mission, and brand? These are the conversations you should be having with your video partner and strategist to make the best decisions for your organization.
If you have questions about updating your videos, feel free to reach out to us. We’d love to help! joe@monzomediapro.com
