No Brand Book Yet? Here's How to Get Your First Video Moving
No brand book? David Dabney walks through a practical workaround to get your first video moving without sacrificing quality or consistency.
Transcript
Alright. Here's a pro tip for your brand books. So you don't have a brand book yet, but here's how to get your first video moving without your brand book started. So, really, what you can do here is, first off, it's always best to take fifteen to twenty minutes to build your brand book no matter what. It's going to set yourself out for consistency on your branding, on that side when you're building out an instance and getting a video deliverable in the feed. But for right now, I'm showing you the, brand book itself. What's really important is ensuring that you fill out each of these categories of color, fonts, anything like that from your brand book first. As you can see, this is our market scale brand. Has a video So it has, you know, the style styles, all of the, you know, intro outros there, everything that you need. You know, really to expect, you know, inconsistency when you do not have that spelled out. Right? So best results are don't skip the brand book. That is always something that we would say. But if you need it anyway, you can submit it via a approved video. That that is a video that you've already edited, and there is an example that we have that we're able to use and be able to use that in your next version. So, you know, make sure when you're building these out that if you have an instance like this one here, I'm going to share my screen so you could see this. If you're building out an instance like this, you know, you're using your brand book that you've created. And if you haven't created something like that, you're able to, make sure that you craft your clip a little bit more with a little bit more description, a little bit more heart there, build it out, you know, make sure that we have fonts, colors. Just make sure that you are filling in your additional notes. Also, make sure that you link that video of that approved video within that information as well in that example link. And make sure that you're giving the editor a style reference. You know, be extra specific in your craft your clip section. Define colors clearly, spell out tone and vibe, and then also describe opening and closing. Just make sure that you get all those described and put that in there. But the real answer is take about fifteen to twenty minutes to fill out your brand book before you start adding and and building in videos within market scale. Hope that helps.
Overview
This short training from David Dabney addresses one of the most common early hurdles on the MarketScale platform: needing to submit a video before a brand book has been created. In just over two minutes, Dabney offers a clear, honest workaround that keeps production moving while setting realistic expectations about output consistency. The video closes with a direct recommendation to invest 15–20 minutes in building a brand book before the next submission.
What Is This?
A brand book on the MarketScale platform is a reference document that defines your visual identity, tone, and style preferences — it is what editors use to produce video content that looks and sounds like your brand every time.
What You'll Learn
- Understand why skipping a brand book leads to inconsistent video output
- Link a previously approved video as a style reference in the Additional Notes field
- Use the Craft Your Clip section to define colors, tone, and overall vibe with precision
- Specify your video's opening and closing sequences to guide editors clearly
- Set the right expectations for iteration when submitting without brand guidelines
- Prioritize building your brand book before your next video submission
Key Insights
- Submitting without a brand book is possible, but inconsistent results should be expected and planned for
- Linking an approved reference video in Additional Notes is the most effective shortcut available on the platform
- The Craft Your Clip section becomes your primary guidance tool when no brand book exists — specificity is critical
- Spending 15–20 minutes to build a brand book before your next submission pays dividends across every future request
Deep Dive
When you are new to the MarketScale platform and have content ready to submit, waiting to build a full brand book can feel like an unnecessary delay. David Dabney acknowledges this tension directly and offers a legitimate path forward — but he is clear that this is a workaround, not a best practice. Without a brand book, editors are working without a consistent reference point, which means each video may reflect slightly different interpretations of your brand's look and feel. Planning to iterate is not pessimism; it is accurate expectation-setting.
The most effective tool available when submitting without a brand book is the Additional Notes field. If your organization has previously approved a video — whether produced on MarketScale or elsewhere — linking that video as a style reference gives editors a concrete visual and tonal anchor. A written description alone rarely captures the nuance that a finished video can communicate in seconds.
The Craft Your Clip section carries additional weight in the absence of a brand book. Rather than leaving fields general, take time to define your brand colors precisely, articulate the tone and vibe you want the video to convey, and describe how you want the video to open and close. These details replace what a brand book would otherwise communicate automatically.
Ultimately, Dabney's recommendation is straightforward: use this workaround to get your first video moving, then carve out 15–20 minutes to build your brand book before the next submission. The investment is small relative to the consistency it creates across every future piece of content you request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I submit a video request on MarketScale without a completed brand book?
Yes, you can submit a request without a brand book in place. The recommended approach is to link a previously approved video in the Additional Notes field and provide detailed style guidance in the Craft Your Clip section. Be aware that without a brand book, output consistency may vary across submissions.
What should I include in the Craft Your Clip section if I have no brand guidelines?
Focus on the details that a brand book would normally supply: your brand colors, the overall tone or vibe of the video, and how you want the piece to open and close. The more specific your descriptions, the more accurately an editor can match your expectations without a formal reference document.
How long does it take to build a brand book on the MarketScale platform?
David Dabney estimates that a basic brand book can be completed in 15–20 minutes. Building it before your second submission ensures that every future video request is guided by consistent visual and tonal standards, reducing the need for revision rounds over time.
Related Topics
Once your brand book is in place, exploring the Asset Library will help you understand how to store and surface approved visuals, logos, and reference files for every future request. Reviewing the Requests and Uploads workflow will also give you a clearer picture of how submissions move through the platform from initial brief to delivered video.
#MarketScale #VideoProduction #BrandBook #ContentWorkflow #PlatformTraining #VideoEditing #BrandConsistency #ContentStrategy #B2BVideo #PlatformNavigation
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