Commentary
Video Needs A Plan And Strategy
- by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, October 30, 2009
How do you measure the return on investment? Joseph Weaver, group director of digital at Media Storm, says every campaign requires a study to figure out the budget and what would it take to overspend. That helps curb spending. Impression-based metrics also help, but don't try and force engagement based on metrics.
"Create a user journey," says Chris Paul, VP, group director of Media at Digitas. "That's how we try and sell it. It's less about the metrics.
Laurie Sullivan is a writer and editor for MediaPost. You can reach Laurie at lauriesullivan@gmail.com.
Ok, I work for an established global research company that earns a nice living creating and distributing marketing metrics, but really: "Don't worry about the metrics"? From an agency? In the teeth of the Advertising Depression of 2009? I have to assume we are missing context for the quote.
If hope is not a winning strategy, not measuring or nor caring about outcomes associated with a campaign in favor of unmeasured "user experience" is highly unlikely to be our online video path to glory.
The fact is that currently available online video measurement methods are severely lacking, but not counting at all takes us back to Mad Men and Hucksters and the three-martini lunches of my father's days at Leo Burnett when mastadons roamed...like my beloved father. I miss him, but you still gotta count.
Good concise thoughts. I like to present video as a series of items to accomplish the task at hand today. Don't think too big of scale... keep it simple and fresh. Video is everywhere! Metrics are important but not the only thing when thinking ROI... Some things are "priceless" like a brand and an image.
I agree w/Steve. Metrics are less important than they used to be - between "potential reach" statements & niche content does it really matter if I only deliver 200 people if ALL 200 will buy or bookmark your product or site? TV metrics count on a percentage of audience reaction - web video can deliver a highly devoted audience who will ALL RESPOND if the content is handled correctly.
The challenge is it's easy to measure audience size. It's harder to present an acceptable measurement of engagement.
The video is sitting on a customer's lap, often delivered by an online webstar who is saying "Click, buy, try, see." That's more powerful than an "impression."
Let's put an acceptable value on those engagements.