We were lucky to catch up with Josiah Clark recently and have shared our conversation below.

Josiah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

There’s a million things Corporate America drops the ball on, but when I zone in on the state of the industry for video marketing, there are some clear things to pick apart. First off, so many videos are just plain boring. I don’t know if there’s a term for “doom-scrolling on hyper speed while not watching much beyond the username to see if I might care”, but that is how I often find myself using social media. Companies looking for a marketing edge have started to pump out growing amounts of video content in every format. Video is king of the internet now and with the acceleration of AI tools, I think the boring videos are going to get more boring, and the good videos are going to get better. Of course, we want to consider the distinction between these two fates so we can avoid wasting time and money on strategies that don’t work.

As corporations and marketing departments leap into content creation with a one-size-fits-all approach that may have served them in traditional channels, it’s so easy to overlook the nuances that could transform their video content into results-driving collateral. If you think about how much faster a trend or movement on TikTok can influence real-world actions than say, a multi-5-figure video campaign for paid media can, you can’t help but wonder where the secret sauce for marketing efficacy is.

I say it’s in connection, and think it always has been. Programmatic advertising works because teams of creative experts with powerful budgets take the time to craft a narrative or a message that connects to a target audience beyond their suspension of disbelief that they’re being sold to as they watch. But if you’re not watching long-form content, you’re probably on YouTube, Meta, or TikTok. The shift towards platforms like TikTok represents a move from programmatic to personal, where success is measured not just by views or clicks but by the ability to foster a community and spark conversations. There are a lot of things Corporate America could learn from the modern creator and how they make their money. I don’t think influencer marketing is going away, so let’s talk about TikTok for a minute.

There’s something about a polished, cinema-quality video that signals to viewers that it’s an ad, and they’re probably skipping it. With influencer marketing commanding higher percentages of brands’ marketing budgets and the rise of TikTok Shop, we’ve seen a decrease in consumers’ patience for content that’s trying to sell them something. It takes me about 0.2 seconds to recognize a video to be a paid partnership or ad. I suspect it has something to do with the tone and messaging creators have learned from the example set by Corporate America.

So why does any of this matter in the context of finding success video marketing industry? I’ll tell you a quick story about a corporate client of mine. The scope of our project included capturing multi-day events, interviews, and candid content for a variety of applications. The shoot went well of course because we’re great at what we do, but I had a fascinating conversation with the client that gave me a lot to think about. She was thinking 3 steps down the line about the goals of the content. Within the scope of services we delivered same-day vertical iPhone footage for use on social media, and I think they were more excited about that than the corporate documentary style videos that we produced thereafter (they still loved them of course).

Authenticity is what Corporate America gets wrong. Sometimes it’s a matter of timing, other times the quality of the message. Boilerplate business advice says that people want to buy from other people (or a brand) who understand their needs and desires; I think that’s pretty true. As we push marketing into our crazy digital future, it’s critically important to remember and practice the art of honest storytelling and personal connection.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Josiah and I’ve been creating videos since I was a kid. I’ve always been fascinated with cameras, but I think the ember within me that led to creating a business is actually the joy of watching back some footage or an edit and then paying really close attention to what feelings arise for me (and of course for the chosen audience.) Others have always described me as a very mindful person, and I think it might be my edge when it comes to filmmaking and marketing.

I started Vitalize Media, LLC to demystify storytelling for marketers. The mission of Vitalize is to help B2B companies and brands make better sales with authentic, channel-agnostic video content.

Vitalize envisions a future where brands prioritize integrity, openness, and empathy in their communications.

We deliver anything from web banner videos to elevate a company’s online presence to short-form thought leadership content with simple talking head setups.

We reduce the ‘shouting into the void’ effect that comes with posting inconsistently on social media or running new campaigns. The success of a brand often hinges on how well their hero story is told. How easy is it for a viewer to envision themselves as the proud customer of (insert brand here?) Vitalize enables brands to take the lead over the competition with thorough strategy alignment, and by getting real about who the customer is and how their life is made better.

The value proposition of our company is the commitment to authenticity. Vitalize isn’t just a video production agency, but a curious partner that discovers how you can translate attention into customers. People buy from you when they have a need to improve circumstances or tackle a problem, and when they trust you to make it happen. The marketplace is full of solutions, and getting timely messaging to the right people is how Vitalize helps clients find their edge.

Vitalize overcomes the challenge of demand generation for companies and marketers by taking the time to understand their customers’ needs, demonstrate the unique value of each product or solution, and infuse the brand story into relatable video content.

Our brand was conceived with a strong connection to the verb “vitalize.” Vitalize is built on the principle that media is most effective when it makes a clear, strong connection to the brand values and to what the customer actually cares about. Getting the right message to the right people at the right time is the charge of all our projects. My philosophy can pretty much be summed up by a love for storytelling and a fervent drive to increase the quality of connections in the marketplace.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I would say the most rewarding part about being a creative is the privilege of helping others find their own ideas and showing them the fun of brainstorming. A big part of my job is discovering what the client actually needs and helping them refine the vision and plan for how to get it. I approach all projects with a collaborative energy and make space for imagination. It’s really important to me to encourage people to never stop dreaming bigger. That sounds fluffy and vague because it is — that’s the point. I wouldn’t be who I am without a sequence of scary “what-if” questions that I took the time to imagine the answers to. This trickles into business and the way we serve clients. I consider it a privilege to be trusted with something as important as brand messaging and treat every project as if it had my personal monogram on it.

Contact Info:

• Website: vitalizemedia.io
• Instagram: instagram.com/vitalizemedia.io
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiah-clark-080859161/