Facts rarely help us. And that’s a fact.

The world is so full of information and facts that we can no longer really say that we lack the facts to support a decision we want to make. This is rarely the case.

»I have read all the books – with this information I can now make a much better decision« No one ever said.

When will customers buy your product? When will employees want to work for your company? When will investors choose your idea and decide to collaborate with you? There's no definitive answer to this question, as the reasons depend on many factors. But one thing is clear: emotions play a crucial role.

What am I actually doing here?

I consider myself a fairly rational person. I often carefully consider my decisions and weigh them up. For example, the decision about whether it was worth writing blog posts about my work and making my opinion accessible to a wider audience. I considered how much time it would cost me. And what would happen if the time investment was in vain because no one was interested in what I was writing here? In other words, a cost-benefit analysis. And then came the moment when, during my daily, pointless dive into the black hole of my social media feed, I finally realized that something had to change. Instead of spending two hours a day watching Reels (the average time spent on social media is around two hours, and for young people it's more), I could just as well write a blog post. But I'd actually known for a while that I was wasting so much unnecessary time on Instagram. I even set myself a one-hour daily limit and often stuck to it. So I had all the information I needed—but I still didn't write anything. I needed an emotional stimulus to finally get started. And that was the feeling that “I’ve had enough” and not the facts that I already had.

Boys don't cry (while playing on TikTok)

We're talking about films here. So, why is this topic relevant for brand or advertising films? Buyers, users, or potential partners react to your product or service not only rationally, but also emotionally, and, you guessed it, films trigger emotional reactions.

Emotions are often the first trigger in decision-making processes. If a film evokes strong emotions (e.g., joy, excitement, compassion, anger), this can subconsciously influence the decision—be it the purchase of a product or interest in a company. Rational decisions are usually made more slowly than emotional ones. That famous gut feeling, in other words.

When viewers identify with the characters and their experiences, a positive association is created that can positively influence later decisions.

The structure of a good film with strong visual imagery and a great interplay of music and sound directly appeals to the emotional part of the brain (the limbic system), making the theme and story more memorable. It directly helps people remember your brand or product.

The length of the film plays a less important role. A one-minute film can work just as well as a 15-minute one. What's much more important is the story being told and the emotions the film is intended to evoke.

Just forget it.

A single Instagram Reel with stickers, GIFs, and funny everyday scenes from the office can't do that. Neither can a TikTok account run by one of your employees, where they do a bit of dancing. Quite the opposite. I think we have so little space in our heads that such irrelevant information is immediately picked up by the garbage disposal, which shuttles back and forth between the two ears on our heads. Non-usable material. What a waste.

Superficial content doesn't build trust. TikTok and Meta only want to steal users' time and sell this proven time spent on the platform as a gift from the holy Zuckerberg god to their followers. This only benefits the platform operators and a few influencers and consultants. You, dear readers, are most likely not influencers yourselves and may never become one. Unfortunately, this is an illusion that these companies like to sell you as a dream. The viral video always seems within reach.

Trust takes time.

Some people don't just want to consume quickly. They want long-term relationships, whether as customers of their products, employees, or simply as fans or supporters of their cause. You don't necessarily have to be present on all platforms and produce content 24/7. Focus on relevant topics and give them a long-term format, such as a film.

If you're still reading these lines, congratulations: You have a longer attention span than TikTok would ever give you credit for. That's good. For you, but also for me, because I might have been able to help you a little with these insights, and that, in turn, makes me feel good.