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Is mobile video affecting ad creative?

With brands rolling out mobile video initiatives by the bucket load, many have to rethink how to create a video campaign from the ground up with users? shorter attention spans and snacking habits in mind.

Mobile video undoubtedly adds another layer to a static ad with sound and animation. However, mobile video requires that advertising be even shorter, snappier and grab consumers attentions? quicker, which can be both an opportunity and challenge to brands.

?Mobile video presents a new way to create creative that is optimized for the small screen. Given the way you interact with mobile devices, you need to create content that is well suited for this display technology,? said Eric Johnson, founder and president of Ignited, El Segundo, CA.

?Currently, most of the content is the same on TV and mobile ? we believe that mobile?s growth will lead to more unique pieces of video content that are designed with mobile in mind,? he said.

Mobile-first mentality
Brands in all verticals have been using mobile video as either a stand-alone component or as a piece of a mobile campaign.

However, with the smaller screens of smartphones and tablets, simply repurposing a television ad does not cut it. Depending on the goal of the initiative, even trimmed 15-second clips can be too long to hold the attention of a consumer.

Therefore, it is critical for brands to think about how to create video specifically with mobile devices in mind.

In addition to making clips shorter, marketers need to also think about ways to make video content more interactive.

For example, a mobile video for a consumer-packaged-goods brand could also include a mobile coupon or a store locator to give users a piece of content that they cannot receive elsewhere.

Similar to all other marketing initiatives, mobile needs to be treated with separate goals and initiatives that give users a clear added value, especially with consumers often relying on multiple screens to watch video content.

For instance, a recent study commissioned by Ignited, Nielsen and AdColony found that purchase intent increases 72 percent when consumers interact with a smartphone, tablet and TV mediums.

The same study also found a 69 percent increase in brand recall when a mobile screen was added to a TV ad (see story).

?Mobile video has a higher bar for entertainment value,? Mr. Johnson said.

?If you interrupt with a video ad, and there is no way to skip it on your mobile phone, people become more irritated by it. The video should really be worth watching,? he said.

Different devices
According to Doron Wesly, head of market strategy at Tremor Video, New York, mobile?s touchscreen feature is a key example of why brands need to restructure video ad units for mobile.

For example, by letting users swipe and touch a screen, it gives consumers a hands-on experience for interacting with an ad. Vibration can also be used as a tactical approach for an added layer of engagement.

?Brands are finding that they can repurpose TV for video ads, but they can make them even better by adding interactive elements that invite viewer engagement,? Mr. Wesly said.

?Until recently, it was very difficult to add new elements to mobile, because there was no interoperability between systems,? he said.

Time of day can also play a key role in rolling out a mobile video initiative.

According to Mr. Wesly, consumers are watching approximately 40 percent of video on smartphones during prime time, showing how TV marketers must start thinking about mobile usage if they want to keep up.

Although some of this is most likely with companion apps and other similar real-time engagement during a televised broadcast, it also means that consumers are swapping out their TV sets for online mediums during one of the most prized times for marketers ? prime time.

With consumers sharing screens with friends and family members, many consumers view their mobile device as the one place where they can watch whatever they want, whenever they want.

?Online video, including mobile, should be an integrated part of TV planning,? Mr. Wesly said.

?Mobile video extends engagement, which is key to shifting consumer attitudes and lifting brand health metrics,? he said.

Premium opportunity
Some mobile experts say that although brands might be creating video ads with mobile users specifically in mind, the same high-quality standards still apply.

For instance, letting users access longer-form content by tapping on an ad unit can be an effective way for brands to lead users to a deeper, immersive experience from an ad unit.

A recent study from Rhythm New Media, for example, claims that in-stream mobile videos generate a 89 percent completion rate. Online video ads average a 68 percent completion rate, meaning that there is a 31 percent increase in mobile units (see story).

Additionally, social media can be a goldmine for engagement, per findings from Rhythm New Media.

?At Rhythm we have found that 68 percent of our mobile consumers use Facebook at least once daily and 39 percent of our users said they use Twitter on a daily basis ? this is much higher than both Facebook and Twitter claim visit their sites daily,? said Paul Bremer, chief revenue officer at Rhythm NewMedia, Mountain View, CA.

?Taking advantage of the inherently social nature of mobile devices and mobile users helps to extend an advertising campaign. Custom social buttons can turn interested consumers into instant brand advocates,? he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York