Brands on the Track of Next Generation Content Creators

The article was originally published in the YouTube chapter of the CANnual Report 2017

In recent years, big media agencies and program producers were just as busy as the bottom-up, new-generation content creators: in the absence of a better alternative, they relied on excerpts of their TV-optimized programs or relevant online video content related to them. Meanwhile, creative agencies and their clients were represented by their payed online and social media campaigns and branded video content. In parallel, the algorithms of social media platforms made their way towards online video as well. What’s more, even the traditional content provider sites have become the vanguards of the principle “who cares, it should just move”, when they brought the legendary fossils of the primeval Internet, animated gifs back to everyday life.

Brands and those providing services for them are clearly seeking the right creative format and the relevant motion picture strategy and they try to reach those who spend more time consuming online content than watching TV, listening to the radio or reading the printed press. The video formats of different platforms, so the dynamics of the world of online videos has an effect on media agencies as well. Ads become branded video content more and more often, and the viewers decide about their reception, success or downfall. Meanwhile, online video makers have become opinion leaders who can be targeted towards brands, can reach a huge audience and can be engaged for product placement. Consequently, old and new players of the market have started to connect with each other via their creative content creating and sharing strategies as well. TV programs and TV celebs use online content sharing platforms, brands seek opportunities to collaborate with online video makers who concurrently show up in the portfolio and platforms of big media agencies.

Video Is King

A CISCO forecast2 talks about the intensive prolificacy of this multi-actor ecosystem, predicting that the consumption of video content will generate 80% of the global Internet data traffic by 2020, and that two-third of the data flow will reach viewers via wireless and mobile devices. According to the data of Tubular Labs3, the number of video content is three and a half times more, while the number of video content publishers has increased by 250% since 2013.

The breakthrough of video format has a significant effect on the everyday life of the biggest players of the consumer market in terms of content marketing. A growing number of brands and services realize that their annual marketing communication plan means nothing without a multiplatform video production and publication strategy. Multiplatform means the joint, strategic use of online and other digital channels and tools that are relevant for the given brand. By all means, the production and publication of creative video formats (relevant for the targeted audience), optimized for the various content sharing and social media platforms should be included in this process as well. In addition, it is vital to invest in native branded content and to come up with an elaborate plan for media appearances so that placed content would be activated appropriately.

But there is more. It is necessary to continuously fine-tune the process, e.g. based on the data compiled from the consumption of text content, posts and videos. It does not hurt if you also find time to experiment with the novelties introduced on different platforms such as live broadcast, VR or 360-degree videos – if you think of video content.

The challenge is undoubtedly real. A big brand and its agencies have to do pretty much the same what creative video makers did when they started to share their content on YouTube back in the day. By the way, the ever-increasing number of brand channels rely on their experience and expertise, too. There is no excuse, you cannot blame the size, because tiny players can easily overtake the big ones in video content.

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