How one brand leveraged video to transform passive consumer encounters into active ones

Sponsored by KERV

Video is an effective way to engage with consumers that brands of all kinds are increasingly adopting. However, not all video ad formats serve the same purpose when it comes to advertising.

While many advertisers utilize pre-roll video, a survey conducted by Engine Insights, commissioned by ORC international, revealed that 90% of people skip pre-roll video ads. With pre-roll ads essentially being a passive medium, marketers must seek more engaging approaches that invite consumers to interact with brands and products more directly.

“Creating more visibility around how TV commercials and static video can evolve for the better and how interactivity can make that happen opens an entirely new arena for advertising,” said Jay Wolff, senior vice president of partnerships at KERV. With that in mind, brands still have misconceptions about implementing interactive video — such as that interactivity is just a “nice to have,” QR codes don’t work, and video is only for brand awareness.

Video isn’t just an awareness play. It also occupies the mid-and lower-funnel performance arena, and dynamic video elements like QR codes are helping brands achieve significant results.

Identifying the video elements that invite consumers to engage with brands

“Brand marketers should be thinking about how technology and automation can turn passive viewing into active viewing,” said Wolff. “Static ads are now the legacy move, while interactivity brings a new dimension to the consumer journey.”

For example, to connect with targeted audiences, raise awareness and purchase consideration, Sambucol — a leading CPG brand focused on immune support — wanted to identify more innovative ways to drive video performance and capture intent for its products. It needed to bridge the gap between static video ad placements and commerce.

The goal was to utilize dynamic QR codes, which are easier to scan than static QR codes (and can be edited in real-time), to drive users to landing pages and provide direct-to-retailer experiences via video.

Combining commerce and interactive video elements, the automated interactive video solution allowed Sambucol to hit all its campaign goals. The approach provided a direct path for consumers to purchase its Black Elderberry products from their preferred retailer and served dynamic video assets to CTV devices, leading consumers to a chosen landing page for further engagement.

“In the end, there’s no downside to making video or commercials interactive,” Wolff added. “The solution for marketers often comes down to the partner they are working with, and working with a trusted partner can yield significantly better results in video activations.”

Implementing interactive video into reach and retargeting campaigns

When working to implement interactive video, some brands focus most of their attention on the video asset itself, ensuring it’s as perfect as possible. In an age when high-quality video technology has been increasingly democratized, that’s only the first stop for marketing teams on the path to audience engagement.

“Whether it was shot by an iPhone or a TV producer, static video is simply not as effective or engaging as interactive video,” noted Wolff at KERV. “Brands should pass their video assets by an experienced …read more

Source:: Digiday