May 10

The Growth of Video in Branded Content

By Heather Timmerman Digital Media Trends No Comments »

To see this branded content by Georg Jensen, click on the image.

Content marketing can take on many forms. In terms of informative content this can include blogs, whitepapers, newsletters, websites and emails to get whatever message a brand would like to get across. However, these mechanisms are often one-sided and push-related, with the exception of blogs or emails that can allow comments and/or dialogue due to their digital nature. Content marketing initiatives can support the brand obviously or subtly, both are relevant given the situation. The main goal of a whitepaper for example is to educate, share knowledge or data that has been scientifically validated in its research method. Therefore, it is possible for the brand to subtly stand by the data or analysis they helped create, which brands them as a knowledge expert in their particular industry.

Advertising in both print or online form however, is often an obvious content branding initiative. It has to be in order to get any sort of ROI due to the cost and limited space. Whether or not that is intrusive to the end consumer depends on how the message is delivered and their particular perception of branding or advertising. Advertising can be either educational or entertaining but there is very little you can do with text and a static image.  However, online video is this convergence of information and entertainment that can be either subtle or obvious and captivates the audience in a way text or graphics simply cannot.  According to The Motion Effect Theory, human beings have an inherent preference for moving objects (Sundar and Kalyanaraman 2004) which is one reason why TV has been so popular for so long.

Not every company has the budget required for TV advertising, which makes online video such a popular form of content marketing, and the numbers are beginning to show. Last year 52% of North American companies used video in their content marketing initiatives, compared to 2009 data when that number was only 37% (Source: ReelSEO, 2012). Online video not only engages the audience, but it also encourages them to share which brings us back to traditional word of mouth initiatives, done in a digital age via social networks.

Social media is one of the many ways in which to deliver content marketing messages and initiatives that creates a dialogue and interaction with the audience which is often better than any one-way push mechanism. However, only 49% of marketers have social media fully integrated into their marketing strategies (Source: mashable.com, 2012). The message to traditionalists by those digital marketers successfully using this new form of content marketing, is to embrace the interactivity and not shy away from the engagement of the audience. Something not only social media channels, but online video has the capability to do through branded content initiatives. For more information, check out this interview and this example. For inspiration, click on the image above.

About Preview Networks

Preview Networks is a platform for brands and content aggregation and syndication platform for publishers. We provide the tools for brands to centrally distribute and manage marketing and PR content across media destinations, devices, and commerce platforms; allowing media partners to automate content acquisition delivering audience and advertising revenue growth.

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Apr 12

The Marketing & Media Evolution

By Heather Timmerman Digital Media Trends Comments Off

Marketing has its roots in the 4 P’s (product, price, promotion, place) with a historical focus on product marketing. Then there was a shift to service marketing where features of products alone were not enough but the intangible services behind them or the service itself was important. Experiential marketing or the experience of the service, place, product, atmosphere soon became the element marketers (and the consumer) focused on.  This is also known as marketing aesthetics where the feeling produced because of design is brought to the forefront (Source: Philip Kotler, bvo.com).

This marketing evolution expanded the 4P’s by 3 to include process, physical evidence, and people and included an introduction of the 4C’s into the mix which include commodity, cost, channel, and communication (Source: Wikipedia). The consumer, channel and communication have all become important elements to consider online which leads us to the media evolution and the huge revolution social media is having on the field of marketing today. The evolution of media is hard to ignore in an age where digital marketing no longer means the traditional pull and push channels like website updates and email marketing. Digital marketers today need to be well versed in the latest technology channels and communication tools which include mobile, tablets, internet TV and of course social media outlets. This is also the point at which paid, owned, and earned media becomes an important strategy or prioritization tool for digital marketers. As indicated in a previous post entitled The Role of Brands as Media Companies, owned media includes things like a company website or blog. Paid media includes any sponsorships or advertising campaigns, and earned media in the traditional sense is PR and quickly evolving into viral word of mouth promotion made by customers predominately on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter.

An eye on consumer behavior and marketing messaging is critical when multiple communication channels or platforms are available which means if any one of those channels is out of sync, a different message could be received by the consumer. This is particularly important considering research shows that consumers aren’t using just one platform at a time anymore. They are multitasking, or watching TV and using their iPad, or surfing the web on their laptop and texting a friend. This provides both a challenge and opportunity for marketers (Source: eMarketer). However, “a brand that’s prepared to meet the consumer on multiple platforms—with useful things to say in each venue—can engage its audience more deeply than ever” (eMarketer). This is where utilizing a content marketing platform like BRANDcast comes into play, allowing the management of all digital marketing assets in one place with the ability to externally publish to the appropriate channels, allowing marketers not only to be efficient but in control of their marketing strategies and messages.

Learn more about the Evolution of Marketing & Media at the Festival of Media on April 15-17. If you can’t attend, you can still catch all the great presentations by checking out their YouTube Channel after the event.

About Preview Networks

Preview Networks is a platform for brands and content aggregation and syndication platform for publishers. We provide the tools for brands to centrally distribute and manage marketing and PR content across media destinations, devices, and commerce platforms; allowing media partners to automate content acquisition delivering audience and advertising revenue growth.

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Mar 22

Online Video is the Marketer’s Digital Asset

By Heather Timmerman Digital Media Trends Comments Off

The online marketing blogosphere and whitepaper index is always filled with interesting video data and research. It’s hard to determine whether that is due to the increase of content marketing strategies or because of the increasing trend and usage of video. Either way, both are relevant to what we try to accomplish each week with the Preview blog post. Report useful data online marketers can easily understand to help them be more efficient with their brand’s most valuable tool, its digital assets. Digital assets include graphics and video and in some cases also text, as the above are all ways to market content. Image courtesy of adamdince.com

However, the usage of video has been noted in research and past blogs as the most effective way to engage your audience, and the numbers are also beginning to show in practice. According to a Q4 2011 report by the Web Video Marketing Council, marketing professionals are increasingly using video in their online marketing strategies where websites and email marketing are the predominant channels. This research included 272 respondents in a variety of industries and company sizes, and shows an 11% increase in video usage in 2011 with 81% of marketers using online video compared to 70% in 2010. This confirms the trend in video usage and digs deeper into the channels used.

  • 67% have posted online video to owned media such as company websites
  • 61% have posted online video to earned media such as social networks
  • 52% of marketing professionals have used video in email marketing initiatives

Email marketing was emphasized in this report as the channel by which video has made a positive impact with 88% of marketers. Additional impressions on the effectiveness of video are such that 76% of marketers believe that video increases click through rates and 72% believe consumers are more likely to purchase or convert into sales by using video. This also confirms past research, particularly in regards to conversion rates. “Online video is becoming a first stop for many customers. It is akin to what the Web page was a decade ago, something that can give early adopters an edge over competitors. It gives them a channel to talk directly to customers in ways previously accessible only to large companies that could afford TV advertisements.” – The New York Times

Once convinced of the effectiveness of video, where to start? Producing quality content is the first step. A past blog post entitled A New Way to Approach Online Video Production gives some ideas on where to begin and an article in the New York Times gives practical tips on how to incorporate video into online marketing strategies in a cost effective way. Once content has been developed, utilizing a content marketing platform like BRANDcast to manage all digital assets in one place with the ability to externally publish to the appropriate channels, allows marketers not only to be efficient but in control of their online marketing strategies.

About Preview Networks

Preview Networks is a platform for brands and content aggregation and syndication platform for publishers. We provide the tools for brands to centrally distribute and manage marketing and PR content across media destinations, devices, and commerce platforms; allowing media partners to automate content acquisition delivering audience and advertising revenue growth.

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Mar 08

The Smartphone Explosion – Good for Video, Great for Advertising

By Heather Timmerman Digital Media Trends Comments Off

The past couple of weeks have produced a news trend in the online video space all revolving around the same topic. The increased usage of smartphones and how that is affecting the video ecosystem.  This is always a good time to take a step back and look at the data to identify what kind of story it is telling. So this week’s blog post is a summary of those numbers and sources with one very important message for online marketers. The increase in smartphone and tablet usage, increases video views on devices which is a content marketing and video advertising opportunity.

Image courtesy of adostrategies.com

46% of U.S. Adults Own Smartphones
This headline comes to you courtesy of Media Post, but the data is from a recent Pew Study which indicates that as of February 2012, almost half of all American adults (46%) are smartphone owners. (Nielsen and comScore also reported similar trends at 48% and 42% respectively). In other words, nearly 3 out of 5 adults own a smartphone which makes them soon to be the majority with a good chance that the number will only increase. Every demographic is represented in this number but the groups which have the highest overall adoption rate (60%) are college graduates, 18-35 year olds, and those with an annual household income of $75,000 or more.

Key Online Video Mobile Demographic: 18-34
Similar to the Pew study mentioned above, Nielsen also recently released new data confirming a similar demographic (18-34) leading the smartphone adoption rate (Source: Media Post). However, they have taken this data one step further and looked into the behavior of this group they call “Generation C” which take personal connections to new levels with their use of devices, apps, and social networks. They are also avid multi-taskers, checking email or social networks while watching TV, which supports past research noted in previous blogs.

Video Half of All Mobile Internet Traffic with Mobile to Surpass PC Internet Users
A quarterly report from Bytemobile indicates that video now accounts for half of all mobile traffic, which according to a TechCrunch article is also testament to the rise of smartphone and device usage. This report notes that Android is generating more ad volume than iOS devices, with tablets leading the way overall compared to smartphones in terms of video traffic. An eye opening piece of research conducted by Forrester indicates that currently one fifth of the world’s mobile population  are using the internet to go online. Global penetration of mobile internet users will exceed that of PC internet users by 2016, with emerging markets driving adoption levels.

Europeans More Responsive to Ads on Devices
Nielsen research also indicates that mobile is becoming a powerful commerce tool, facilitating consumer transactions and access to real-time information and deals. Twenty-nine percent of U.S. smartphone owners use their phone for shopping-related activities and more than half of mobile users are repeat visitors to daily deal sites (Source: Media Post). However, tablet and smartphone owners in Germany, Italy and the U.K. are more likely than American device owners to make a purchase online via PC after viewing an ad on their tablet or smartphone according to the Nielsen report, also suggesting the need for a cross-platform strategy as supported above and in past posts.

Mobile Commerce on the Rise
A December 2011 study of 4,000 mobile users in the United States and United Kingdom by mBlox, confirms the rise and interest in commerce trends. Their report indicated that 9 in 10 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 spend one to five hours on their mobile phones each day, and 1 in 10 spend between five and ten hours on their mobile phones. One third would like brands to send promotions via smartphone or tablet, noting it is “extremely important” for there to be an “opt-out” option. This is promising news for advertisers and also supports Nielsen research above. Whether or not these smartphone and tablet users would then use the same device to purchase a promotion afterwards remains to be discovered by future research.

About Preview Networks

Preview Networks is a platform for brands and content aggregation and syndication platform for publishers. We provide the tools for brands to centrally distribute and manage marketing and PR content across media destinations, devices, and commerce platforms; allowing media partners to automate content acquisition delivering audience and advertising revenue growth.

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Feb 29

Context Determines Online Video Success

By Ervin Draganovic Digital Media Trends Comments Off

While most marketers are trying to understand how to increase brand exposure outside their owned destinations, some marketers have discovered how online video deployment can generate high exposure and engagement rates within paid and earned media. Well knowing that the increase in video frequency squeezes the already limited attention span, marketers need to add the contextual element in which their video assets are deployed in the video program equation.

In the latest online video rankings report indicating unique views from comScore, Facebook ranks as number 5, in front of companies such as Microsoft, AOL, Amazon, Hulu and NBC Universal. It is thus evident that online video content is flowing onto the online social sphere at a rapid rate. As a result of this, pushing branded video content to Facebook without any contextual bundling will result in minimum engagement without any organic distribution. According to recent academic research, brands active on Facebook had on average, over a period of 4-6 weeks, an increased brand engagement with 14%, growth in fan base by 10%, and an improved organic reach by 24%, after incorporating the following measures in their online video activities:

  • Added video campaign within the context of e.g. competition or seasonal promotions
  • Only released videos as part of an already running or newly established campaign
  • Mixed a range of high-end and low-end produced videos
  • Included a minimum of two CTA’s in every video
  • Nurtured engagement with give-aways or financial incentives
  • Treated video as social currency

In relation to paid media, marketers have to start buying solutions that deploy their online video content within the right context. This is crucial as placing video in the ad-space undermines and undervalues the branded value of rich media compared to video deployment in the editorial-space. According to a study performed by Yahoo!, 57% of online video viewers say they enjoy watching a video next to an article as shown in the chart above. Moreover, the study also found that in cases where a video is played within the article, viewers are more likely to watch the video to get more information or to receive extended entertainment on the topic. Contextual placement thereby increases the likeliness of viewer engagement via rich media exposure.

The results of integrating, deploying and distributing online video assets can be improved if the context of where the assets will operate is considered. To learn how to incorporate contextual video into your online marketing strategy read more at previewnetworks.com or send me an e-mail (ed@previewnetworks.com) to find out how we can help you with context empowered video deployment.

About Preview Networks

Preview Networks is a platform for brands and content aggregation and syndication platform for publishers. We provide the tools for brands to centrally distribute and manage marketing and PR content across media destinations, devices, and commerce platforms; allowing media partners to automate content acquisition delivering audience and advertising revenue growth.

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Feb 23

Video by the Numbers

By Heather Timmerman Digital Media Trends Comments Off

Each February numbers from the last quarter of the previous year are released, analysed, and discussed and if you are comScore, January’s results from the current year are also released for a nice comparison. The type of numbers we are talking about aren’t financial (in the direct sense anyway) they are online viewership numbers, and in particular online video rankings and trends. As per usual, we take the opportunity to round up all these different facts and figures into one blog post to help compare and contrast and perhaps bring a little context to the trends.

Overall Numbers
2011 ended with 85.3 percent of the U.S. internet audience viewing video online in December. That translates to 182 million U.S. internet users viewing 43.5 billion videos. However, in January 2012 that number has decreased to 84.4 percent of the U.S. internet audience or 181 million U.S. internet users viewing 40 billion videos. Compared to the end of 2010 where the U.S. internet user number was 172 million and 30.1 billion video views, there is still a growth trend in year-over-year numbers (Source: comScore).

Device Trends
According to Ooyala’s Q4 2011 Video Index Report, non-desktop video viewership – or video on mobile, tablet, connected TV, and gaming console devices – doubled in Q4 compared to Q3. More specifically, tablets led the trend with 22% growth driven by users clicking “play” more often in addition to watching video longer (Source: VideoNuze). The data for this report was collected from 100 million viewers and 5,000 domains in over 130 countries.

Social Works
Another report published by Visible Measures focusing on social video campaigns in 2011 shows that online video on social networks works. Using their own data, the report shows that over 500 branded social video campaigns gained more than a million views each, and the average campaign received 765,000 views. This indicates the trend of brands using content-as-advertising by creating engaging and entertaining material (#2 on the Video Prediction Mashup for 2012). Using humour is key and launching on Thursday certainly helps as well (Source: ReelSEO).

2012 Forecast
comScore has released their 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report and supplementary video which indicates trends in branded channels on platforms such as YouTube. This leads to a continued increase in user engagement, based on a 2010 to 2011 increase in user engagement of online videos by 43%. They also note that online video ads are actually 38% more memorable than TV ads, which supports the multi-screen/multi-platform trend we have reported in the past.  “comScore expects the number of videos viewed to continue to increase in 2012 with one of the primary driving reasons being an increase in quality, original, created for-the-web content syndicated across platforms.” To conclude, online video growth is still very positive, and only the channels and methods of viewing them will change throughout 2012.  To read the full comScore report, download it here.

About Preview Networks

Preview Networks is a platform for brands and content aggregation and syndication platform for publishers. We provide the tools for brands to centrally distribute and manage marketing and PR content across media destinations, devices, and commerce platforms; allowing media partners to automate content acquisition delivering audience and advertising revenue growth.

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Feb 15

Device Usage Increases Viewer Engagement

By Heather Timmerman Digital Media Trends Comments Off

One of the predictions for 2012 was an increase in cross-platform and cross-device campaigns and after nearly two months into the new year various studies, reports, and research have surfaced to support the reason for that claim.

Image courtesy of thetechjournal.com

The first being a joint study by YuMe and Nielsen indicating online video advertising is actually complementary to TV advertising.  Next, came a report by Videology indicating multi-screen campaigns increase brand recall. The latest research is by Discovery Communications indicating that simultaneous usage of digital platforms increases many viewers’ connection to programs and advertisements.

According to this latest study, nearly half of those who use digital devices while watching TV, said they are more likely to search for a product they see advertised on TV, and one-third said they pay more attention to what is on TV.  That contradicts earlier studies which indicate that TV advertising is losing its effectiveness, and one even stating that online ads beat TV ads in viewer recall.

This study by Discovery Communications had a strong focus on iPad users, who are unique consumers to consider. They exhibited notably different behaviour than the general population in that they are much more attentive and responsive to programming and advertising compared to the average consumer. They also exhibit social influence often sharing opinions in real time via social media.

Since iPad ownership has not become entirely mainstream yet, these consumers could be considered early adopters according to the technology adoption lifecycle. As such, this provides a unique marketing opportunity for brands and TV show producers to personalise, enhance, and engage their fans which could have profound lasting effects. If marketers are able to cross the chasm between early adopters and the early majority then a bandwagon effect creating a media engagement standard could be in the works. Creating a cross-platform and cross-device campaign is the first step.

About Preview Networks

Preview Networks is a platform for brands and content aggregation and syndication platform for publishers. We provide the tools for brands to centrally distribute and manage marketing and PR content across media destinations, devices, and commerce platforms; allowing media partners to automate content acquisition delivering audience and advertising revenue growth.

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