The rise and rise of video…social video, that is.
Google sums it up best when saying ‘the battle of our hearts and minds now unfolds on online videos watched on mobile phones’.
The significance of mobile and micro-moments in today’s marketing landscape has been acknowledged, researched and documented:
• 50% of global YouTube views are on mobile
• 92% of mobile consumers share videos
• 80% higher conversions when a landing page includes video
• 76% of marketers agree video marketing has had a direct impact on their business
Although the mobile screen is small, the potential of digital video remains huge.
1. Consumers are more likely to watch and share branded ads and content on mobile than computers or TV. The trend doesn’t stop here; they’re also more likely to talk about it with their peers offline too.
2. It’s a great way of building personal connections with your audience, creating and sustaining a more intimate relationship with them. However, always respect that connection and give your users the option to skip your digital content.
3. Video is a great way to help consumers make a quicker decision about a product or find out more about a company, and is fast becoming the new age shopping assistant for some consumers who prefer to use it for extra info rather than ask someone in person! Take unboxing videos (how-to videos): although they’re not marketers’ favourite, to the consumer they’re a realistic glimpse of what the product/service they’re contemplating to purchase is all about.
Video content can do much more for a brand by evoking a great deal of reactions from an audience. There are so many advances in marketing-land which every brand that wants to remain at the forefront, or ignite a fresh presence, has to take on board in their marketing strategy.
That’s where social video comes in. A type of digital video that is designed to be watched and shared on social networks, but I’d also say especially created to elicit emotions thus also increasing its chances of being widely shared or going viral.
Enter John Lewis’ Buster the Boxer Christmas video.
Amazing how a four-legged creature just made every single John Lewis stereotype in our heads melt away.
With nearly 2 million shares since its November 9th launch, and over 20 million views on YouTube, Buster has managed to capture the hearts and minds of audiences globally, creating a social dialogue around his trampoline antics.
The John Lewis brand changed its tactics and moved away from previous years’ melancholic narratives to a story that managed to win us over through a strong narrative, the use of animals (and spot on computer generated imagery), and most definitely a feel good factor. A perfect match: big brand story telling meets social age content distribution.
Adam&Eve DDB went the extra mile and gave Buster his own landing page, complete with Buster merchandise (from plush toys to PJs), strong CSR elements, on-the-ground branding through Buster Garden locations around the UK, a soundtrack, and a 360˚ video – ensuring not a moment in the purchasing journey is gone to waste.
The good news is that you don’t have to be John Lewis to create your own social video – or whatever kind of video suits your brand best. We can find a way to make video work for you, so, give us a shout at [email protected], and remember brands that manage to win over consumers during these micro-moments are guaranteed to do better in this ever competitive marketing era!
Remember, the opportunities are endless, so are the 2:10 micro-moments.
