Bears vs. Trojans, Corporate Video Comparison

Anyone who knows me knows my football loyalties. My hometown Chicago Bears and my alma mater USC Trojans. Every week, I look at the videos each produces and there’s a stark contrast that really hit me this week as a great corporate video example.

The Bears run all of their videos through their own website and brand it the Chicago Bears Network. The videos range from the team’s radio commentator breaking down the upcoming game, news conference interviews with coaches and players and a feature where kicker Robbie Gould asks his teammates silly questions so we can allegedly get to know them off the field.

Blah.

There’s a tons of content here. The Bears clearly understand they need to be producing video, but they do it in the typical corporate way. Maximum control, little creativity.

Look… there’s nothing wrong with what they post. It’s more than what we get on the local news or ESPN, but it’s bland. They add some snazzy graphics, but there just isn’t much meat to the content. It’s typical… and forgettable.

Contrast that with USC. They produce just as much content for their YouTube channel, but there’s much more of an effort to provide authentic material. While they post some of the same type of stuff, news conference interviews jump to mind, they also loosen the corporate reins.

They truly take us behind the scenes… DEEP behind the scenes. Videos put us inside the locker room with them before the game, at halftime and when the game is all over. We follow the players around campus getting a real sense of their life off the field. And the team’s best player, Matt Barkley, has his own weekly feature.

Their videos are… fun. As an alum or fan, you want to watch. They provide a totally unique look at the team you can’t get anywhere else.

Big corporations tend to follow the Bears model. They want to do video, but they’re afraid to show behind the curtain too much. Smaller companies tend to be a little looser and willing to take a chance, producing original video content that might actually connect with an audience.

That’s the key to the whole thing. While I might peruse what they Bears produce this week, it isn’t something I’m waiting for. Depending on the video titles, I may or may not watch.

Not the case with my Trojans. I know they’re going to produce compelling stuff, so not only do I subscribe to their videos… I look forward to them.

Now, which approach would you want to employ for your business?

–Tony Gnau