How the Trolley Problem Informs Your Business’s Video Marketing Efforts

Life is full of hard choices, especially in business. You’ve got limited time, limited resources, and an audience that’s constantly evolving. Every decision feels like a gamble, and sometimes, the stakes are high. But what if we zoomed out for a moment and looked at one of the most classic thought experiments—the Trolley Problem—and its surprising relevance to video marketing?

At first glance, you might wonder: What does a runaway trolley have to do with my video marketing campaigns? Everything. Because just like the Trolley Problem, your marketing decisions often pit conflicting priorities against each other, forcing you to decide what matters most.

Let’s break it down.

The Setup: Understanding the Trolley Problem

Here’s the quick recap: a trolley is barreling down a track, heading toward five people tied to the rails. You’re standing by a lever. If you pull it, the trolley diverts to another track where only one person is tied up. What do you do? Let the five perish, or pull the lever and sacrifice the one?

The Trolley Problem asks us to confront trade-offs. It’s not just about life and death; it’s about values, priorities, and consequences. And in video marketing, you’re constantly pulling metaphorical levers. The stakes might not be as dramatic, but the outcomes still matter.

The Tracks: Identifying Your Conflicting Priorities

Every business faces tough choices when it comes to video marketing. Here are some of the most common “tracks” your trolley might be hurtling toward:

1. Reach vs. Depth Do you aim for maximum reach, appealing to a broad audience, or create niche content that resonates deeply with a smaller, more targeted group?
2. Speed vs. Quality In today’s world, speed often wins. Trends evolve in real-time, and being late to the party can make your video feel irrelevant. But what happens when speed compromises quality?
3. Budget Allocation Should you pour your budget into one polished flagship video or spread it across multiple smaller projects?
4. Data vs. Creativity Should your campaign lean on data-driven insights or take a creative leap into uncharted territory?

Pulling the Lever: Making the Tough Calls

The key to mastering the Trolley Problem in video marketing is understanding when—and why—to pull the lever. Here’s how to navigate these decisions with clarity and purpose.

1. Prioritize Your Core Values

In the Trolley Problem, your choice reflects your values. Are you utilitarian, minimizing harm, or do you operate from a deontological perspective, focusing on moral rules?

In video marketing, your brand’s values should always steer your decisions. If your brand prides itself on authenticity, don’t compromise by chasing trends. If innovation is your hallmark, take the creative risks that align with that identity.

Example: A tech startup might choose depth over reach, creating detailed product demos for early adopters rather than superficial explainer videos for the masses.

2. Understand Your Audience’s Pain Points

Every time you pull the lever in marketing, someone feels the impact. Whether it’s the audience you target, the platform you choose, or the tone of your messaging, your decisions affect your audience’s perception of your brand.

Understanding your audience is like spotting who’s tied to the tracks. Who needs your help the most? Who benefits the most from your message? Answering these questions ensures that you’re solving the right problems with your videos.

Example: A nonprofit organization targeting donors might focus on emotionally charged storytelling, even if it means sacrificing slick production value, because authenticity resonates more with their audience.

3. Calculate the Opportunity Cost

When you make one choice, you’re inherently sacrificing another. That’s the nature of pulling the lever. Opportunity cost is the name of the game in video marketing, and you need to weigh your options carefully.

Let’s say you’re considering spending $10,000 on a single ad campaign. If you allocate that same budget to ten smaller videos, how much more engagement could you drive across multiple platforms? What are you sacrificing by going all-in on one route?

Pro Tip: Run small-scale tests before committing to the big decisions. A/B testing your videos is like simulating the Trolley Problem in a low-stakes environment. It lets you see how the tracks diverge without irreversible consequences.

4. Accept That You Can’t Save Everyone

This is the hardest truth: in the Trolley Problem, there’s no scenario where everyone walks away unscathed. And in video marketing, not every campaign will resonate with every audience. That’s okay.

Trying to please everyone often leads to bland, ineffective content. Instead, focus on who you can serve well. Narrow your niche, find your tribe, and pour your energy into creating content that they’ll love.

Example: A boutique coffee brand might choose to target artisanal enthusiasts with in-depth videos about their sourcing process, knowing that this approach won’t appeal to convenience-focused coffee drinkers.

The Lever Operator: You as the Decision-Maker

In the Trolley Problem, the person at the lever is both empowered and burdened. In your business, that person is you. The decisions you make determine your brand’s direction and impact.

1. Embrace Imperfection

Not every decision will be the right one, and not every campaign will be a hit. What matters is that you learn from each outcome and keep moving forward. The Trolley Problem isn’t about being perfect; it’s about doing your best with the information you have.

2. Align Your Team

If you’re not the only one pulling the lever, ensure your team is on the same page about your brand’s values and priorities. Consistency in decision-making prevents your trolley from derailing entirely.

3. Don’t Be Paralyzed by Choice

Analysis paralysis is real. Inaction can be worse than making the wrong choice. The Trolley Problem teaches us that decisions are inevitable. When it comes to video marketing, don’t wait too long to act. Trends fade, opportunities close, and audiences move on.

Lessons from the Trolley Tracks

Here’s what the Trolley Problem ultimately teaches us about video marketing:

1. Decisions Have Consequences Whether it’s choosing platforms, messaging, or production styles, every decision you make will have a ripple effect.
2. Prioritize What Matters Most Stay true to your brand’s values and focus on your core audience. The people tied to the tracks matter—but some matter more to your mission.
3. Iterate and Improve In marketing, you always get another trolley. Learn from past decisions and approach the next campaign with greater insight and confidence.

Final Thoughts: It’s Your Trolley, Own It

At the end of the day, video marketing is about more than just making decisions; it’s about taking ownership of those decisions. Whether your campaigns succeed or flop, the fact that you made a choice—and learned from it—puts you ahead of those who let the trolley run wild.

So, as you map out your next video marketing strategy, ask yourself: Who’s tied to the tracks? What lever will I pull? Because every choice shapes the journey—and the destination—of your brand.

Now go. Take the wheel. Pull the lever. And make something incredible happen.