Commentary
OMMA Conference Speaker: Video's Role In Mix Is Situational
- by Eric Bader , September 13, 2006
In the case of that carefully crafted bit of copywriting, both arguments were right. That's often the case with media, too. Nobody is definitively right or wrong about which media type is most effective, efficient or engaging--it's situational. So when it comes to understanding the significance of video in the media mix, it's not about whether or not it belongs there, but the role and the purpose it serves. Depending on how you use it and why, video may very well be the future of on-demand channels--and vice-versa.
One role for video delivered in on-demand (versus "online," which is too limited in scope) environments is that it allows us to follow consumers as they access programming across digitally enabled platforms--online, mobile, advanced TV, and place-based media. Video delivered through these channels can leverage refined demographic, geographic and behavioral targeting. It also leads to richer metrics and measurability, including guaranteed impressions, measurement of engagement (time spent), pass-along (viral), intent (click-through, search) and purchase (media-mix modeling).
Another role for video in the media mix: advocacy. On-demand channels like online and mobile foster high-involvement media and allow us to unleash content and ad messages that can be shared and advocated--both foreign concepts to broadcast TV.
With on-demand video, consumers have the control for which they now clamor. They can take last week's clip from their favorite show and post it on YouTube or their MySpace profile. A brand investing in a program sponsorship would greatly benefit from this phenomenon where advertising becomes portable. With this ad model, well-executed branded entertainment becomes valuable with graphical overlays, or a simple watermarked logo embedded into the video, so the branding transports along with the content. These tactics are worth exploration and can create velocity that other video distribution methods don't provide.
Video also plays a role as an engagement vehicle that produces valuable data. Methods such as simple name capturing using the adjacent ad units or tracking minute-by-minute behavior to better measure how well branded entertainment is engaging the consumer can produce highly valuable data. Video achieves much more than simple branding when used for deeper engagement opportunities--from lean-forward functionality, to embedding the brand in content, to one-click-from-sale potential.
Yet there are obstacles. Currently, most broadband video players are configured to hold the consumer hostage and force them to watch linear pre-roll ads. This "Tiny TV" utilization is no more interactive than consuming an ad on broadcast television. It's only a matter of months (or weeks) before some teenager comes up with the DVR for broadband video, allowing consumers to breeze by ads for which brands paid $20-$50+ CPMs. The solution to this inevitable event could lie in models like YouTube's participatory video ads that allow consumers to rate, share, and interact with advertising content which they find interesting. But this type of ad unit is not for every brand, so before pursuing it, make sure this video execution delivers against communication, not just budget, objectives.
Inventory, content availability and operations pose three additional hurdles. Inventory is not always in supply for certain categories such as lifestyle, entertainment or beauty. Brands often don't have creative assets and content that work optimally in high-involvement media that takes advantage of the engagement, targeting and measurement opportunities. And industry-wide billing and reporting challenges create bottlenecks across traffic, ad-serving and measurement systems.
However, despite the challenges, video in on-demand environments offers valuable opportunities, provided that it's used for the right role and against the right brand objectives.
