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Annual results corporate video: how to communicate them well
How I approach an annual results corporate video so it informs employees and investors without sounding self-congratulatory or like a PDF read out loud.
The first time a client asked me for a video to present the annual results to the whole company, my first instinct was to treat it like any other corporate video. I was wrong. An annual results video doesn't sell anything outward: it informs inward, to people who already know the company and will notice right away if the tone sounds self-congratulatory.
I've spent several years filming this type of piece for leadership teams that want to close out the year with something other than a forty-slide PDF read aloud in a room with the lights off. Here's how I approach it so it works.
What it is and why it matters
An annual results corporate video is a short piece, usually three to six minutes long, in which leadership tells employees, partners or investors how the year went. It isn't a brand video or a lead generation piece: it's internal communication in video form.
It matters because the format changes how the message is received. A CEO reading figures off a slide conveys data. The same CEO speaking to camera, with the figures backed by clear graphics and a couple of team testimonials, also conveys context and commitment. People remember what they hear said out loud better than what they read in a table.
It also filters information better. Forty metrics don't fit into a five-minute video. It forces leadership to decide which three or four things they want the team to remember about the year, and that alone is a useful exercise before the camera is even switched on.
How to do it well
Define who it's for before what it says
Before writing a single line of script, I ask who's going to watch it: only employees, investors too, or a mix of both. The tone changes quite a bit. For an internal team you can speak on a first-name basis, with more warmth and even inside jokes. For investors the register goes up, the figures need more precision and there's less room for improvisation.
Combine data with a human story
Figures on their own get tiring after three minutes. I intersperse the key data with something tangible: a specific project that went well, a client anecdote, a team moment that shows why those figures make sense. You don't need elaborate storytelling — just anchor each data point to something people can picture instead of simply hearing a percentage.
Choose the length and format with the audience in mind
For a team of twenty people I film something more personal, with leadership speaking to camera in a space in the office itself. For investor communications I usually lean more on animated graphics and less on direct-to-camera delivery, because the weight rests on the precision of the data. In both cases I avoid going past six minutes: if you need more time to cover everything, it's better to split it into two short pieces than one long piece nobody finishes.
Common mistakes
- Including every metric from the year without filtering which ones really matter.
- Filming leadership reading an unrehearsed script, which shows immediately on camera.
- Using a sales or marketing tone when the audience is internal.
- Letting the video run past six or seven minutes because nobody wants to leave anything out.
- Not showing leadership the final script before filming, which leads to hesitation in front of the camera.
- Ignoring the sound in the filming room, which gets worse if there's echo or office noise in the background.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an annual results video be?
Three to six minutes is usually the sweet spot. Under three minutes it's hard to give the figures context, and beyond six attention starts to drop, especially in an internal video people watch on their phones.
Who should appear speaking in the video?
Usually the person with the most symbolic weight in the company, whether that's the CEO or a founding partner. If the team is large, it helps to add a second voice, such as a department head, so the whole weight of the message doesn't rest on one person.
Do you need a full script, or can it be improvised?
I recommend a script with the key points written down, though not word for word. I leave room for the person to talk about those points in their own words, because reading a fixed text to camera almost always comes across as artificial.
Can it be filmed in the office, or do you need a studio?
It can be filmed in the office without any problem, as long as the sound and light are under control. A meeting room with good natural light and no echo is usually enough; you don't need a studio for this kind of piece.
If your company is thinking about closing out the year with a results video instead of another PDF presentation, write to me via /en/contacto and we'll talk about how to approach it.