How video storytelling drove $250,000 in new revenue for Embark Exploration Co.
- 26+Main films produced
- 50+Treks booked directly from films
- $4700Average booking value
The trust problem
Embark Exploration runs small-group treks and safaris to some of the world's more demanding destinations. No packaged holidays, but locally guided journeys built around challenge and discovery, founded by Carrie and Donovan, who've been running expeditions for over 20 years.
People want that kind of trip more than ever. The hard part was convincing them to spend roughly $4,700 a person on a company they'd never used, led by guides they'd never met. Embark's signature expeditions are hard to describe in a brochure, and the best parts only really land once you're there. Photos and itineraries weren't going to close that gap. They needed something that put people on the ground before they'd booked a flight.
People want that kind of trip more than ever. The hard part was convincing them to spend roughly $4,700 a person on a company they'd never used, led by guides they'd never met. Embark's signature expeditions are hard to describe in a brochure, and the best parts only really land once you're there. Photos and itineraries weren't going to close that gap. They needed something that put people on the ground before they'd booked a flight.
End-to-end partnership, not just an edit
Carrie joins treks regularly. With guidance, we had her film her own travels on her phone, from a participant's perspective. This meant that we had real footage to show exactly what people could expect on their adventures.
And we weren't just editing what came back from the field. We planned it before they happened. Detailed shot lists, scripts, and feedback were planned into every trek before a single frame was shot.
And we weren't just editing what came back from the field. We planned it before they happened. Detailed shot lists, scripts, and feedback were planned into every trek before a single frame was shot.
- Shot lists & recording advice:Before each trek, we sent Carrie tailored shot lists and advice. What to capture and how to do it best. It gave us room to build a real edit, without relying on random footage.
- Script & voiceover:Every destination we covered got its own highlight film. To make these come to life, we wrote fitting scripts and coached Carrie on the voiceovers.
- Deliverables & format:Alongside the main highlight films, we also made gear videos, customer testimonials, and a specific NGO fundraising film. These were delivered in corresponding formats for optimal use across platforms.
- Feedback & improvement:After each trek, we reviewed what worked and what could be improved. Footage quality, audience response, all of it fed back into the next shot list, voiceover, and edit.
Films that sell the feeling, not the itinerary
Adventure travel like this doesn't always sell well on paper. That's why we built each film around the idea of showing what it's actually like to have your boots on the ground.
Not a standard highlight reel, but the feeling of being there. That, combined with real testimonials from people who'd actually gone, was what convinced future hikers to book.
Not a standard highlight reel, but the feeling of being there. That, combined with real testimonials from people who'd actually gone, was what convinced future hikers to book.
“
We've had clients tell us they booked specifically because of the films that they watched, and just knew an Embark trek was for them.
The return
- $9,600+Across 26+ films, that's the average revenue traced back to a single piece of content. At Embark's price point, even one booking can cover the cost of producing it.
- $250,000Embark tracked enquiries and confirmed bookings tied to our films. Over twelve months, that tracking added up to a quarter of a million dollars in revenue directly attributed to video.
- Trust, not just a tripPremium travellers at this price point need to trust who they're booking with. Our films gave that trust something to anchor to in a way a picture alone cannot.
- 10+ destinationsEach location brought its own terrain, culture, and challenges, with shot lists and scripts adapted to match. Same workflow, different story every time.
Lessons & reflections
The right amount of direction
Detailed, shot-by-shot lists looked thorough but worked against us — too much to track mid-trek. The real skill was calibrating: enough direction to know what to look for, enough freedom to actually capture it.
The trek is the story, the footage just proves it
What makes a trek worth booking isn't just the hike and highlights, it's the harder, more emotional parts of it. It took a few edits before we got it right, but once we knew what to ask for, every trek got more intimate, and so did the films.
A long-term partnership compounds
Over twelve months, we developed a workflow optimized for these expeditions. That workflow, plus clear feedback, meant each film was improved upon, more effective, and delivered faster than the last.
At $4,700+ a booking, the math made itself
We focused on making films that actually worked, not on hitting a specific return. At Embark's price point, that focus paid for itself. It doesn't take many bookings for one film to cover its own cost many times over.
What good video does
Intention beats budget. That's the whole case for this partnership. The films answered questions buyers had before they even knew to ask them: is this company worth trusting with a few thousand dollars and a trip they've never done before?
The return came from that trust, not from a single great video. It came from a year of paying attention, adjusting, and showing up for every trek the same way.
The work's done, but the films aren't. They're still doing their job.
The return came from that trust, not from a single great video. It came from a year of paying attention, adjusting, and showing up for every trek the same way.
The work's done, but the films aren't. They're still doing their job.
Work with us.
Imagine spotting someone interesting at a bar, walking up to say hi...and getting handed a form. That's what contact forms feel like to us. We'd rather keep it human. Send us an email or give us a call. Say hey, share your idea, tell us a joke. Just don't call unannounced — we won't answer. We're millennials, after all.
