As we proceed full steam ahead into the second half of 2017, we can’t help but cast our eye on the industry’s trends and predications for the future. But what can we expect to see in the coming months, and what trends will start to form key focus areas for 2018?
For some time now, we as an industry have been thinking of new and innovative ways to capture and retain audience engagement, especially when it comes to mobile video, so it came as no real surprise when AdWeek announced this week that brands and agencies were preparing for the era of 6-second ads. Short form video formats have been on the rise since the beginning of the year as snap style content continues to grow in popularity, and brands continue to seek new ways of keeping younger audiences engaged. Companies like YouTube have already started to take opportunities to show the value of short-form storytelling at festivals like Sundance and SXSW, so it’s easy to see why brands including FOX have begun to adopt short-form video formats as a way of getting their messages across to main target audiences in a mobile environment.
We are all aware that Millennials and Gen Z consumers have a shorter attention spans than previous generations, and that they are increasingly engrossed in their smartphones, so it is easy to see why creating snackable video content is an innovative and ideal medium to gain and retain their attention. But is it enough just to show a short video?
Whilst creating compelling and digestible content is a key step in creating a successful brand campaign, it also needs to be discovered by the right person, in the right place, at the right time. In Mary Meeker’s latest annual report, one of the main key trends she highlights was advertiser’s demands for better targeting and measurement of their ads. With issues around ad-blocking and brand safety playing on the minds of brands, publishers, and ad tech providers, it’s no surprise that targeting and ad relevancy form a vital role in shaping the digital advertising landscape, and why in turn relevancy and contextualization are key driving factors in driving success of online ad campaigns.
Vibrant’s in-house creative team are not only on hand and able to crop and convert videos for short-form and vertical use, but in general we are also able to deliver unique creative experiences and features within a contextually relevant environment at scale. Our vertical video and our premium contextual ad solutions are all designed to be launched from keywords and images within premium, relevant editorial, and our real-time technology knows exactly where and when to place brand ads.
Relevance and creativity go hand-in-hand, and are both key in capturing and retaining the right audience’s attention now, and as we continue to towards 2018.