• by Bex Bartolo Wicks , Op-Ed Contributor, July 6, 2015

A recent study published by eMarketer showed that CPG brands, according to Vidoeology, own the lion's share of impressions on YouTube. To a lot of marketers, this might be an indication that video is the way to drive awareness of their products. But according to Sizmek's data, CPG was among the lowest of more than a dozen industries in terms of engagement. Knowing this, should CPG brands even bother?

From user content to influencer content to the biggest TV shows and celebs out there, YouTube is populated with millions of videos a day.So can a CPG brand ever compete with this? Signs would indicate,yes. If you look at the videos with the highest number of views, once you get past “Gangnam Style” (2.3 billion views) and “Charlie Bit My Finger” (824 million views), you do find CPG brands like Dove, Always and Red Bull making waves, or at least ripples, in the YouTube sphere. The question is, how are these brands standing out and why?

These brands are succeeding because they don't just seek to connect with their category consumer, they actually seek to serve a broader cause, shift thinking and change opinion. They don’t just search within their audience for a topic they could be credible talking about, but instead listen and seek to understand the topics ablaze within the cultures that surround them. They spend the time figuring out what issues their people face, what people are talking about and going through and how in turn they can serve to truly inspire them. They likely ask themselves, "What could take our viewers beyond their ordinary everyday and instead speak to a bigger topic that they can actually care passionately for." 

Another key trait of CPG brands who are successful in video content is the fact that they assess the cultural appetite and then go forth taking a calculated risk, choosing to do something different with the chance that it might not catch on rather than staying safe and stead within the confines of their categories.

Redbull couldn't guarantee millions of people across the world would stop what they were doing and care about their man in space, but they understood that space has been not only a topic of conversation,but a cultural point of curiosity for centuries, and that people yearn to be awe-inspired.

Dove couldn't have known that millions would suddenly start talking about their bodies in different ways but they did understand the emotional connection all women have to their bodies and the insecurities that run rampant, and knew they were ready for a new message beyond "skinny."

And finally, Always didn't know that their #LikeAGirl campaign would get Jimmy Fallon discussing girl behaviors,but they knew the topic would ring true in every woman and young girl who was sick of being stereotyped. And so on.

These brands were brave enough to seek differentiation, to be distinct and to show interest beyond the typical category conversation. 

Viewers drank it up because they turn to online video to fuel their curiosities, satisfy their emotions,quench their entertainment-driven minds and discover new ways to feel. And this is just the experience these brands provided.

So bottom line CPG brands, if you want to get more than just an impression you need to make more than just an impression.