The Unskippable Stat: How We Achieve a 73% Video Completion Rate

Documentary-style brand films that people actually watch — not because they have to, but because the story matters.

Here’s a number that’ll change how you think about video marketing:

73%
That’s our average video completion rate across 65+ brand films since 2019.
Industry average: 37%

Nearly double.

That gap isn’t luck. It’s not expensive equipment or fancy editing. It’s because we stopped making videos that sound like marketing and started making films that feel like stories people actually care about.

The Problem with Corporate Video

Most corporate videos share the same problem: they sound like corporations talking to themselves.

Pause here. Ask yourself: When’s the last time you voluntarily watched a corporate video all the way through?

Exactly.

The average corporate video gets 37% completion because it’s designed for compliance, not connection. It’s built to check a box, not capture attention. It explains what you do instead of showing why anyone should care.

What Most Companies Do Wrong

They lead with features instead of outcomes
They use the same boring corporate language
They assume people care about their process
They make videos for shareholders, not humans

So what? A 37% completion rate means 63% of your audience gives up before the end. Those aren’t just low numbers—they’re wasted budgets and missed opportunities.

How We Double the Industry Average

Documentary-style filmmaking changed everything for us. Here’s how it works:

1. Story-First Approach

Before we touch a camera, we spend 1-2 weeks discovering the real human story behind your brand.

What this means: We dig into your organization until we find the actual human moments that make people care.

What this looks like: We don’t ask “What do you want to communicate?” We ask “What’s the real reason someone would choose you over the competition?”

What this delivers: Videos with clear narrative arcs instead of feature lists.

2. Real Conversations, Not Scripts

Most corporate videos sound like they were written by lawyers and reviewed by committees.

What we do differently: We conduct authentic interviews where real people talk about real experiences. No teleprompters. No corporate speak. Just honest conversations captured with documentary techniques.

Result: Viewers stay engaged because they’re watching real humans solve real problems.

3. Cinematic Production Values

Wait—expensive equipment?

No. But we use the same storytelling techniques that make Netflix documentaries compelling. Proper lighting, professional sound, thoughtful composition.

Here’s what matters: It looks like a real film, not an internal training video.

4. Edit for Attention

The secret: We cut our films like thrillers.

We grab attention in the first 15 seconds. We maintain tension throughout. We build to a satisfying conclusion.

The difference: Your audience feels something instead of learning something.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

73% completion rate means:

2x more engagement than industry average
Better ROI on your marketing investment
Higher recall of your message
More shares on social media
Qualified leads who actually watched your story

Real example: An energy company hired us for a project video. Their previous attempt got 200 views. Our documentary-style film hit 47,000 views and generated 12 qualified applications in 3 weeks.

The difference? We told the story of four generations of field workers instead of explaining technical specifications.

Why Documentary Style Works

People don’t watch documentaries because they have to. They watch because they’re curious about other people’s stories.

The Psychology Behind It

Authenticity builds trust: Real conversations feel honest
Narrative structure creates investment: People want to know how the story ends
Emotional connection drives action: We remember how something made us feel
Human interest transcends industry: Everyone connects with real human stories

What Makes Ours Different

We don’t make videos about companies. We make films about people solving problems that matter.

We don’t explain your process. We show your impact on the people you serve.

We don’t list your features. We demonstrate why those features matter to someone like them.

The Four Pillars of Unskippable Content

Pillar 1: Lead with the Human Truth

Every great documentary starts with a human truth. Same with your brand film.

Instead of: “We provide energy solutions for industrial clients.” Try: “Meet Sarah. Her family farm has been in operation for 75 years. Here’s how a local energy company kept her grandfather’s legacy alive.”

Pillar 2: Use the Hero’s Journey Framework

Every great story follows a pattern. We use the hero’s journey adapted for brand storytelling:

The Ordinary World: Where your customers live
The Call to Adventure: The challenge they’re facing
The Guide: How your brand enters their story
The Transformation: What changes for them

Pillar 3: Capture Real Moments

The magic happens when we catch authentic interactions:

A supervisor explaining safety protocols to new employees
A farmer showing a junior colleague the proper technique
A customer explaining why they switched to your solution

These moments can’t be manufactured. They have to be captured.

Pillar 4: Edit for Momentum

Every cut should serve the story. If a shot doesn’t move the narrative forward, it doesn’t make the final cut.

What This Means for Your Business

For Marketing Directors

Higher engagement metrics improve your reports
Better audience retention means your message lands
Increased shares expand your reach organically
Qualified leads who actually understood your value

For CEOs

Board-ready metrics with concrete completion rates
Credibility with storytelling that doesn’t sound corporate
Differentiation in a crowded marketplace
ROI that justifies the investment

For HR Leaders

Recruitment videos that actually attract candidates
Employee testimonials people want to share
Company culture shown, not told
Retention rates improve when employees are proud to represent you

The Cost of “Good Enough”

37% completion rate means:

63% of your audience gives up before you finish your pitch
Your message never reaches most of your intended audience
You waste budget on content nobody watches
Competitors with better storytelling capture attention you earned

73% completion rate means:

Your story reaches the people who matter
Your message lands because they watched the entire thing
Your investment pays off in engagement and results
You stand out in a market of forgettable content

The Documentary Advantage

This isn’t about expensive filmmaking. It’s about smart storytelling.

This isn’t about high production budgets. It’s about professional execution.

This is about results: Films that get watched, shared, and remembered.

Ready to See the Difference?

We didn’t just stumble onto a 73% completion rate. We built it through hundreds of hours of discovery, dozens of real conversations, and systematic refinement of our documentary-style approach.

Want to know if we can do the same for your story?

Book a 15-minute discovery call →

During this call, we’ll:

Discuss your current video challenges
Share examples of films that achieved similar completion rates
Explore what story your customers actually care about
Talk about timelines and next steps

No sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about whether documentary-style filmmaking makes sense for your goals.

The Bottom Line

73% completion rate isn’t a statistic. It’s proof that people care about good stories.

Your customers already have stories. We help you tell them in a way that makes people want to watch.

That’s what separates films people skip from films people share.

Want to learn more about our process?

Ready to tell a story people actually want to watch?

Start Your Discovery Call →

Coalbanks Creative: Documentary-style films for brands in Southern Alberta. 65+ films delivered since 2019. 73% average completion rate. 4-6 week timeline.

The Unskippable Stat: How We Achieve a 73% Video Completion Rate

We achieve a 73% completion rate (vs 37% industry avg). Learn the documentary-style secrets to creating brand videos people actually watch.