YouTube continues to explore ways to help
marketers engage with consumers through short-form video on Shorts, which can be used to build awareness in 60 seconds or less and recently hit 1.5 billion monthly logged-in viewers.
The
offerings from YouTube BrandConnect that launched Tuesday build on the success of recent pilots. Thirteen brands -- including TurboTax and Kellogg's MorningStar Farms -- participated. The pilot kicked
off about six months ago.
The YouTube BrandConnect program will offer short and long-form video options, providing advertisers with dynamic ways to tap into both. The platform uses
audience insights to connect brands with YouTube’s creator ecosystem and offers full-service campaign management, organic measurement tools, and integration with Google products and
solutions.
"YouTube BrandConnect brings a unique content experience to brands, creators, and viewers by harnessing Google’s audience insights,” says Lori Sobel, managing director
of YouTube BrandConnect.
YouTube BrandConnect brings the accountability of Google ads measurement to organic viewership, with a goal to help advertisers reach business objectives with dynamic
packages that leverage short and long-form video.
Advertisers will have the opportunity to buy Branded Shorts-only packages and Dynamic Branded YouTube + Shorts packages.
These packages are designed around marketing objectives to drive business, as well as to boost awareness and increase purchases.
Earlier this year during the pilot, Kellogg's focused on
driving recall and purchase intent for its vegan and vegetarian line, MorningStar Farms. The target audience was adults between the ages of 18 and 49 who want to live a healthier lifestyle with
plant-based food.
YouTube BrandConnect identified Lisa Nguyen, a popular food-focused Shorts creator with more than 3 million subscribers, and connected her with the brand to produce branded
Shorts for MorningStar products.
Between January and April, Nguyen posted two Kellogg’s MorningStar Farms branded Shorts. In return, the video drove significant search lift for MorningStar Farms.
The results included 1.88 million total campaign views, 153% lift in recall, 5.53
million total minutes of watch time, and 1,933% overall search lift on Google.com.
Creators like Nguyen have connected with passionate fans on YouTube, establishing themselves as storytellers
that consumers trust. Through YouTube BrandConnect, brands like Kellogg’s can naturally leverage this trust in a way that doesn’t alienate viewers.
Marketers can combine
short-form branded content with long-form. While short-form creates mass reach and awareness, long-form content can be used to provide more in-depth information to viewers, moving them down the
funnel.
Kellogg’s managed to measure real-time return on investment (ROI) and impact for organic branded content similar to ads.
Best practices include focusing on one feature
and not packing too much information into the message; using vertical video; avoidance of repurposing creative assets for other screens; and making content for Shorts that taps into the trends on the
platform and the trends of the moment.