As VP of Account Planning at Exponential, Jim Johnson spends his days conducting consumer research and developing customer insights to support the needs of clients. In a recent Q&A with Adotas, Jim employs his consumer-centric perspective to address the latest trends in video advertising. Excerpts are shared below and you can read the full piece here.
On larger video advertising trends:
“One of the major trends are requests for demonstrable ROI on video advertising, while at the same time looking for formats that don’t annoy or intrude on prospective consumers…The fact remains that consumers desire relevant video messages that they can choose to interact with on their terms…this age of consumer choice only makes a forced or intrusive advertising experience more jarring.”
On the future of the industry:
“The move from analog to digital devices created a seismic shift in how people consume media and content. However, what it didn’t change was the fact that human beings are curious for more information and long for interaction. The next shift will involve the blurring of lines between the physical and digital worlds, as immersive media allows for a new level of consumer engagement.”
On the effectiveness of video vs. other formats:
“If there’s one major downfall of the current era, it’s that video advertising still largely remains a vehicle for push messaging, forcing its viewer into an experience, not of their choosing. In this way, its effectiveness is capped since the consumer is not as receptive to the message as they could be if the message was opt-in, data-driven and interactive…When done right, the impact of video advertising is undeniable. There is no other widely available medium today that can offer the benefits of emotional impact, interactive functionality, and storytelling capability that video can.”
On video advertising across platforms:
“More and more brands are thinking about how users interact on different platforms and devices, which is hugely important, as the use case is often more important than the technology or platform itself. Context is key when developing video creative, and brands would do well to develop specific creative based on the platform the consumer is viewing the ad. For example, integrating a store locator into a mobile video experience for a fast food restaurant is likely more impactful than on a Connected TV app, since the mobile user can tap for directions and use their GPS while on the go, where most spontaneous dining decisions are made.”
