• by Will Kassoy , February 27, 2014

As the mobile ecosystem explodes, entertainment brands of all sizes are looking for ways to utilize the channel to deliver their messages and build demand. Mobile video is proving to be an extremely effective and valuable marketing channel for brands, and it is currently the fastest-growing ad format in all of mobile. When delivered with the right technology, with the right content, to the right audience, mobile video advertising can deliver impact even greater than television advertising.

We know and have proof of this — measured both by Nielsen and by case studies galore from our clients. Today, consumer attention is shifting more and more to mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, which is setting up a tremendous opportunity for brands to extend their TV campaigns or video ads to mobile. And what’s even more exciting is the opportunity brands have after the video to drive a call to action, driving consumers toward consideration and ultimately purchase. 

However, mobile video cannot be approached in the same way as TV or even desktop video. Mobile audiences are on the go and attention spans are shorter, so to actually resonate, brand campaigns must pack a real punch. Here are a few key factors brand marketers must consider in order to succeed with mobile video:

Environment – Is the video ad placed in an environment that is conducive to consumer engagement? This includes factors such as time of day, application, content, where the ad is placed within that content and more. It is vital that brand marketers have a good grasp on who their ideal consumers are and how they utilize their mobile devices so as to deliver their messages when consumers will be most receptive to them. We use a simple framework against all the content in the mobile ecosystem to assess if the consumer is in a state of need vs. a state of want.

If in a state of need — searching for information — banners may be a better ad unit. However, 87% of time spent in mobile apps sees the consumer in a mindset of want, where they’re spending time with entertainment apps, playing games, reading news, watching video content and listening to music. That’s where video is most effective and results are delivered for brands.  Environment is key, and the savviest media buyers know what the “top charts” look like for mobile, so they can target and distribute video ads across the right channels.

Speed – Mobile is all about a snappy user experience. If you are delivering a video and it stalls, it will be abandoned without hesitation, and no brand wants to pay for only half their video running. So speed is a key to success and partnering with mobile video technologies that deliver video instantly – across all cellular connections is key. Check the speed of the video delivery on a cell connection (i.e., 3G) – if it takes more than three seconds to load, you lost your consumer. Conversely, if you deliver videos quickly, in HD quality, consumers are more likely to engage with your brand, moving them down the purchase funnel.

Effectiveness – Is your ad going to be compelling enough to make a consumer pay attention and even engage with the content? Marketers have a limited amount of time to get their message across on mobile, so it’s more important than ever to have short, snappy engaging video with a clear goal or call-to-action tailored to mobile. Thirty seconds is an eternity in mobile, so we typically recommend :15s. We also see even greater engagement with shorter video clips so depending on the brands goal — awareness, demand or engagement — video length and the creative itself are key to driving ad effectiveness.

The best brand advertisers on mobile are not about simply delivering a one-way message to drive awareness; but rather are leveraging the platform to drive engagement and action and ultimately purchase. One of the most powerful things about mobile video for brands is that it serves as a bridge to deeper engagement.

Mobile allows brands to exponentially broaden their reach – what other media platform is carried around in billions of consumer’s pockets? Mobile video ads across thousands of apps in the ecosystem can be a highly effective vehicle for brands to tell their stories through sight, sound and motion.

Keeping these three factors in mind and leveraging the best targeting and mobile video technologies available can help brand marketers dramatically extend their reach, drive deeper engagement, and ultimately, sales and ROI. At the end of the day, that’s how brands measure success.