Can video ads give your brand a sporting chance?
Ahead of this year’s World Cup, YuMe’s Paul Lyonette looks at how brands can keep ahead of their game when it comes to engaging the ‘always on’ consumer…
Major sporting events draw massive TV audiences and, in turn, substantial advertising revenue. During the 2014 Super Bowl a 30 second TV advert cost $4 million – illustrating the value of this specific ad space. Brand competition for this year was fierce and with 164 million viewers tuning in to watch the Super Bowl, it seemed to be the case that the mass exposure justified this enormous investment.
However, due to a shift in viewing habits, TV ads are no longer the only way to advertise during the many highlights of the sporting calendar. These events now present huge one-off opportunities for brands to reach and engage their audiences on mobile devices and connected TVs – technologies that lend themselves naturally to video advertising.
As viewing habits change and sports fans reject the restrictions of TV schedules and living room locations, the sports watching experience is becoming increasingly fragmented. Viewers can now watch live stream events on the move using mobile devices, or watch them later on connected TVs, to fit their viewing around other activities.
Last summer’s Wimbledon final, for example, saw the busiest day ever for the EE 4G network, with traffic peaking at 20% higher than previously recorded, as jubilant tennis fans streamed Andy Murray’s victory live from parks and gardens using their mobile.
As the ‘always on’ consumer becomes increasingly on the move, the challenge of engaging audiences increases. Fortunately for marketers, video adverts are known to significantly increase brand awareness, with 73% of consumers saying they are more likely to make a purchase after watching a video.
Crucially, this combines the branding impact of TV ads with the interactivity of digital, allowing viewers to physically engage with the brand, which increases purchase intent. They can also be more specifically targeted than TV ads, using viewer profiles to ensure they reach a receptive audience. Moreover, as video adverts are often served as pre-rolls, mid-rolls, or post-rolls, they tend to be shorter than traditional TV ads and so meet the needs of the fast-paced viewer of today.
So how do brands gain an advantage amidst the competition? Advertisers primarily need to consider the ‘sit back and engage’ approach that viewers take to video ads. When streaming video, viewers are still primarily looking for a TV experience, so it’s vital to make adverts entertaining with a story that engages the audience.
Today’s viewers are also willing to interact, so marketers should provide simple, relevant options that allow them to find out more, without too much work or disruption to viewing.
When used well, video results in more favourable brand recall and ad likeability compared to TV adverts. For brands, this represents a huge opportunity to engage with the growing audience of sports fans that are streaming major events, like the World Cup and Wimbledon, online.
If advertisers can serve up an ace combination of entertainment, interactivity, and audience targeting with their video ads, advertising during major sporting events can be a golden opportunity to keep their brands ahead of the game