Verizon partners with mobile video giant Buzzfeed for Go90 promotion
Mobile users were treated to a Buzzfeed video sponsored by Go90 featuring the various awkward moments that happen to those in their 20's. The video displays a series of examples of events that take place in many consumers? lives, creating content which many can relate to, allowing Go90 to leave a lasting impression.
"Mobile video is a vital new format to embrace in order to get reach at scale on social," said Paul Berry, CEO and founder of RebelMouse. "In the past having clever images was enough but now a short form video that works on social has become a vital element.
"BuzzFeed has spent years understanding social discovery, how it works from creation to publish to optimization after publish," he said. "They give brands the opportunity to maximize reach but also to learn how social content works end to end.
"At RebelMouse we constantly see a one to one relationship with brands that get it on content and those that have spent or regularly spend with BuzzFeed."
Buzzfeed?s mobile importance
While mobile video has certainly made leaps and bounds this past year, becoming a staple in consumer behavior, Buzzfeed has mastered the medium. The digital publication has created a significant following through its various mobile videos, which have a tendency to go viral with many users sharing them with friends.
Go90's mobile video opening
Go90's mobile video opening
Go90 is smart to sponsor a Buzzfeed video, especially one with content that many can connect with. The video takes the format of many other Buzzfeed content pieces, but incorporates aspects related to Go90.
The video opens with two female friends sharing a cab to a club, declaring a girls night, but as it cuts to later on in the night, it shows one woman has brought home a guy, leaving the other as a third wheel. Various other plots and characters are shown throughout, but at the end it all cuts back to the individuals engaging with some form of entertainment content on mobile.
The short narrative ends with text reading ?what are your most awkward 20's moments, escape awkward moments; watch live sports, concerts, brand new channels, TV shows you love, all on Go90.? Go90?s Buzzfeed video not only provides an engaging narrative, but also supplies a solution to a problem with which many individuals in their 20's are familiar.
Mobile video campaigns
Similarly, Jeep used native video advertising to capture the attention of mobile users with strong visuals and a quick-hit message that stoked a love for adventure, delivering a completed-view rate that was 50 percent higher than the auto industry average (see more).
These advertisers are right to take to mobile for video, as mobile accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 470 million YouTube views for the 10 most popular video ads on the platform in 2015, pointing to consumers? interest in branded video as their viewing habits increasingly move to mobile devices (see more).
"As people are trading TV time for mobile viewing, video marketing is quickly becoming a critical element of any well balanced marketing plan," said Jeanniey Mullen, founder of Yellow Bean LLC. "Especially with the millennial population and generation Z, mobile is becoming the new way to search.
"In addition to popularity, many ad networks offer guaranteed views, which is much more exposure and impact than banner ads alone," she said. "Buzzfeed has captivated the hearts and minds of hundreds of millions of people by mastering the video distribution network and working with designers to create compelling video content that engages and excites users.
"Verizon's decision to advertise with Buzzfeed will engage people who are already interested in the mobile format, love story-based content and share their enthusiasm with their network. It is a smart decision for Verizon's G90 as it will help drive high quality, engaged users."
Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer