Endless opportunities of YouTube advertising for creative flair of Caribbean entrepreneurship
The landscape of video advertising has never been as interesting and dynamic as over the last decade. The advent of digital marketing has creatively reshaped the use of common language, bringing about the need for increasingly fresher and effective messaging.
In this context, YouTube, considered an entertainment platform as well as a cultural video incubator, represents an innovative driver for the advertising sector. YouTube brings together the power of internet reach and the evergreen appeal of television – characteristics that make it an essential component for any branding endeavour.
Today, YouTube is present in 88 countries, speaks 76 languages and hosts 400 hours of new video content every minute. Traffic on the platform has increased at rates of over 50% per year, with peaks of 200% on mobile devices.
Brands have played a leading role in this exponential growth. People love following their favourite brands, to the point that it is not uncommon to find brand videos among the most popular featured on YouTube. The fact that much of this content is created exclusively for consumption on YouTube reiterates the importance of this platform.
The evolution of YouTube tells us a lot about the ever-changing dynamics of video advertising. While once upon a time the large video campaigns relied almost exclusively on the television, nowadays a very significant slice of advertising investments have been redirected to target the web.
So what should companies in Trinidad and Tobago and, more broadly, across the Caribbean be mindful of when approaching and dealing with YouTube? Five thoughts jump to mind.
- The world is mobile – smartphones have revolutionised the ways in which we consume digital media: 60% of views on YouTube are from mobile devices. It is pivotal for a brand to understand the implications of these mobile interactions with the web. Timing and tailoring becomes everything, as the boundaries between on-line and off-line become increasingly blurred.
- Premium is personal – Video advertising is effective when it is associated to meaningful content; meaningful, that is, for the users. But content is no longer all that one must focus upon. The possibility for users to interact, comment and even modify content must be taken into account. It’s no longer only about what people want to see, but also about how they chose to see it.
- Innovation is creative – ‘Creative programmatic’, virtual reality and 360-degree panoramic videos are the new boundaries of video communication. An excellent example of ‘creative programmatic’ is the Axe (Uniliver) campaign in Brazil, in which the video trailer “Romeo Reboot” has been divided into 11 scenes, which vary according to the user’s profile, on the basis of factors such as musical tastes and brand preferences. The result: 100,000 different stories, personalized to the extreme. If this sounds all a bit too out of reach, then think again. Thanks to low cost devices, such as Google Cardboard, users can explore new worlds and imaginary places. In this context, the impetus that brands can exercise on user creativity has become seemingly endless.
- Duration is freedom: the quality of user data now available allows experimenting with new formats and duration of ads. The classic 30-second videos are an evergreen valid option, but forcing people to watch them from start to finish is not. Formats such as TrueView allow users to decide – after five seconds – whether or not they wish to continue watching the ad. In other words: you have five seconds to make an impact; as proven by the advent of Bumper Ads, six-second videos purposely built for smartphone consumption.
Yes, the digital landscape of video advertising has changed. It has changed forever, and continues to change every day. The opportunities could be endless – especially when combined with the creative flair of Caribbean entrepreneurship.
