How Teams Innovate With Video
The teams pushing video forward are not chasing trends. They are testing new formats against real problems. Here is how useful video innovation actually happens.
What does video innovation actually look like?
Real video innovation is not the flashiest effect. It is a new format or method that solves a problem better than the old one did. The teams worth watching are testing against real outcomes, not chasing whatever looked good on a feed last week.
Novelty for its own sake is the trap. The innovations that last are the ones that made something cheaper, faster, or clearer, then proved it.
Where does useful innovation come from?
New formats for old problems
A vertical 1:1 sales video instead of a deck. An animated policy explainer instead of a PDF nobody reads. The format is new, but it is aimed at a problem the team already had. See how shifting formats plays out in how corporate video trends have changed in 2026.
AI in the workflow
The biggest current shift is where AI fits into production: scripting, editing, versioning, localization. The teams getting value are folding it into a real workflow, not bolting it on for show. We cover this in how AI fits inside enterprise video workflows.
Testing cheaply, scaling what works
They try a format on one campaign, measure it, and scale only if it beats the old way. Innovation is a series of small bets, most of which you keep small.
What separates real innovation from novelty?
A result. A new technique that does not move a number is a hobby. The trailblazers can point to what changed because they tried something different, then made it repeatable so the rest of the team could use it too.
How this connects to the Impact Awards
The Innovation Trailblazer award at the Shootsta Impact Video Awards 2026 recognises exactly this: the individual pushing boundaries with new formats, techniques, or use cases, especially first-of-its-kind work that others can learn from. The panel scores entries on creativity, business or social impact, innovation, best practice, and collaboration.
If that sounds like you or someone on your team, put them forward. Entry is free and nominations close on July 31, 2026.
Nominate your team for the 2026 Impact Video Awards.
Where to start
Pick one format you have never tried, aim it at a problem you already have, and run it as a small test with a clear metric. Keep what works. For where to apply new formats first, read what makes a great animated video.
