NEW YORK, April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Content marketing
that leverages digital video is seen as one of the best
storytelling mediums by marketers and is garnering bigger,
standalone budgets accordingly, yet these same brand advertising
executives are challenged with justifying its ROI, according to a
qualitative study— "Content Revelations"— from DigitasLBi and the
Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), and conducted by Advertiser
Perceptions. "Content Revelations" is a research supplement
to a quantitative report, "Digital Content NewFronts: Digital Video
Spend Study", released on Monday, April
27th by the IAB.
Senior-level digital video decision-makers across Automotive,
CPG, Financial Services, Pharmaceutical, and Retail took part
in one-on-one 45-minute interviews, revealing three key
insights that align with statistics from the IAB quantitative
research (*).
I. Content Marketing presents an ideal way to form authentic
consumer relationships; therefore, its importance as a
brand-builder is growing. According to one marketer, "the
content is seen as a way to create 'a world' for the brand outside
of the product."
|
"I think brands
should have a voice. And content is an incredibly expressive way to
visualize and create an ethos around that voice."
–– Sr. Media Director (CPG/Alcohol)
|
Supporting Stat: Two-thirds of marketers and agency executives
believe that Original Digital Video will become as important as
original TV programming within the next three years.
II. As a result of content marketing's growing prominence and
value within the overall marketing mix, Content Marketing budgets
are evolving and increasing.
|
"Two years ago, my
video content budget was probably zero. Last year, it was maybe
$2Million. In my 2016 plan, I have budgeted $15million."
–– Product Manager (Pharma/Rx)
|
Supporting Stat: Original Digital Video as a proportion of
TOTAL Digital Video budget by marketers has increased by 17%,
between 2013 to 2015 (projected).
III. Cost, quality, and measurement are the biggest
factors inhibiting marketers and publishers from driving sustained
performance in content initiatives.
Original Digital Video is seen as being most useful for driving
consumer engagement and upper funnel sales objectives. Several
marketers cited the need to account for original content production
costs separate from traditional digital costs. From an ROI
perspective, it's being held to the same standards as paid media,
therefore it looks expensive. With this, marketers are
looking for new ways to account for original content's influence on
less concrete measures like consumer engagement and brand
awareness/favorability.
|
"The paradigm that
has to change is you can't consider [content marketing] as a fixed
cost...unfortunately I don't think every company has come to that
enlightened point of view yet."
–– Global Advertising Director/Auto
|
|
"We try to
attribute [original digital video] to sales. We have a hard time
doing that. We know it works from an awareness perspective. There's
a big opportunity for the industry – to figure out collectively how
we measure this type of program. We [as advertisers] need that to
help justify all the things that we do.
–– Director, Digital Engagement Group, CPG
(Beverage)
|
Supporting stat: ROI vs. other Media (54%), Quality of Content
(45%), Audience & Campaign Measurement (41%) and Price (39%)
are the top obstacles to spending more on Original Digital
Video among marketers.
"This study confirms that brands clearly understand content
marketing's power to effectively connect with consumers," said
Randall Rothenberg, President and
CEO, IAB. "Marketers recognize that digital video is a valuable
player in that mix, with tremendous potential for growth. Its
combination of sight, sound and motion – united with interactivity
– creates compelling storytelling opportunities."
"As a NewFronts co-founder, we are delighted that marketers are
seeing and seizing original video content as a place and space to
create stories worth telling," says Tony
Weisman, CEO, DigitasLBi North America. "The opportunities
for brands to create and distribute compelling content that will
engage, move, and surprise audiences has never been greater."
In addition, the analysis of the brand leadership interviews
revealed a guide on marketer expectations for building a successful
content partnership:
IV.Six-Point Ideal Content Partner checklist (based on the
cumulative interviews)
- Clear definition of program objectives upfront; agreement
on specific metrics.
- Intentional approach to platform; mobile first or
screen-agnostic.
- Quality production values that rival linear TV.
- Tiered sponsorship opportunities for different spend levels and
time commitments.
- Measurement plan that recognizes value of consumer engagement
with a brand.
- Adequate promotion and distribution scale.
|
"We look for partners who can help us drive
relevancy with their audience and then quality of the content to
help drive a brand message across in every authentic
way."
–– Director, Digital
Engagement/CPG/Beverages
|
(NOTE: (*) All supporting stats are from the IAB "Digital
Content NewFronts: Video Ad Spend Study," April 2015)
Methodology
To supplement the Digital Content
NewFronts quantitative study released on April 27th, 2015 by the IAB,
DigitasLBi and IAB partnered with media market research firm
Advertiser Perceptions to conduct qualitative depth interviews with
11 digital video decision-makers across key verticals: Automotive,
CPG, Financial Services, Pharmaceutical, and Retail. To view the
entire report, please go to
http://www.iab.net/contentrevelations.
About DigitasLBi
DigitasLBi is a global marketing and technology agency that
transforms businesses for the digital age. We help companies of all
shapes and sizes decide What's Next… and then we take them there.
Also a top ten global agency, DigitasLBi is comprised of 6,000
digital and technology experts across 40 offices in 25 countries
worldwide. DigitasLBi is a member of Publicis Groupe, [listed
on the Euronext Paris Exchange – FR0000130577 – and part of the CAC
40 index] the world's third largest communications group. With
approximately 60,000 professionals spanning 108 countries on five
continents, Publicis Groupe offers local and international clients
a complete range of communications services.
http://www.publicisgroupe.com @PublicisGroupe
About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and
marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. It is
comprised of more than 650 leading media and technology companies
that are responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing
digital advertising or marketing campaigns. Together, they account
for 86 percent of online advertising in the United States. Working with its member
companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices
and fields critical research on interactive advertising. The
organization is committed to professional development, elevating
the knowledge, skills, and expertise of individuals across the
digital marketing industry. The IAB also educates marketers,
agencies, media companies and the wider business community about
the value of interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is
headquartered in New York
City.
About Advertiser Perceptions
When it comes to gaining knowledge and clarity about what
advertisers think, nothing compares to what Advertiser Perceptions
delivers. They are the world leader in providing media company
executives with the research-based advertiser insight and guidance
necessary for producing superior advertiser experiences,
strengthening media brands, improving advertiser satisfaction and
increasing advertising sales. The company specializes in
determining, analyzing, communicating and applying what advertisers
think — their plans, opinions and motivations.
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SOURCE DigitasLBi
