Data-driven videos: the next trend in advertising?
By Killian Menigot, Senior Production Manager, Tokyo, Nexxen Studio.
The APAC landscape is experiencing a creativity crunch. While customers increasingly demand hyper-personalised experiences across a growing range of digital channels, brands find themselves falling short. Only a quarter (25%) rate themselves as “good” at creating and delivering content, a recent report finds.
Is time up on creativity?
Marketers are juggling several campaigns at any given moment. They’re crunching numbers, forecasting, managing stakeholders and preparing presentations — all of which leave very little wiggle room for creativity to blossom. No wonder two in five (41%) APAC marketers cite lack of time to be creative as a barrier to delivering excellent customer experiences.
It’s not the only barrier though. The fear of the unknown also hinders marketers from taking creative risks. It’s safer to stick with the tried-and-true standard route to success. While this aversion to the unknown may provide a sense of security, it can also stifle innovation and limit the ability to captivate audiences with fresh and imaginative campaigns.
Even more, it opens brands up to being leapfrogged by their competitors. In an era where trends evolve swiftly and consumer preferences constantly shift, staying ahead requires a dynamic and flexible approach. Brands must quickly adapt their campaigns to ensure their messaging speaks directly and compassionately to the customers they’re targeting.
Overcoming creative roadblocks with data-driven insights
We’re seeing a landscape where consumers increasingly embrace customised ads and anticipate tailored experiences. That means, there’s a transformative opportunity for marketers to capitalise on data-driven insights. While Gartner suggests a potential reassessment of personalisation efforts by 2025, we see this as a pivotal moment to reshape strategies and amplify creative impact.
Considerable effort is invested in leveraging data to define and reach target audiences. However, the true potential lies in applying this data-driven approach to creative endeavours. Research underscores that robust creative elements can contribute up to up to 89 per cent to the success of an ad.
Data-driven, in-stream video ads, for example, offer brands a powerful way to monetise their content while providing viewers with more personalised and engaging experiences. By leveraging data analytics and segmentation, publishers can optimise ad targeting and create a win-win situation for both publishers and advertisers.
Let’s take a deeper look:
• Data Collection and Analysis: Collect and analyse data about viewers, including demographic information, browsing history, online behaviour and preferences. This data can be gathered through cookies, user registrations, analytics tools and third-party data providers.
• Audience Segmentation: Segment audiences based on the collected data to create specific user profiles or audience segments. Segmentation allows for a more personalised and targeted approach when serving ads.
• Dynamic Ad Content: Create dynamic ad content that can be customised for different audience segments. This content may include personalised messages, product recommendations and offers tailored to the viewer’s profile.
• Real-time Ad Delivery: Data-driven ad platforms use real-time bidding and programmatic advertising to serve the most relevant ad to each viewer. The ad content and format are dynamically selected based on the viewer’s segment and behaviour.
• Interactive Elements: Interactive elements within the ad, such as clickable buttons, polls, quizzes and gamification are designed to align with the viewer’s interests and preferences.
• A/B Testing: Conduct A/B testing to refine ad content and interactions based on performance data, ensuring ads continually improve.
• Performance Tracking: Data-driven ads are closely monitored, making it easier to track metrics related to user engagement, click-through rates, conversions and other relevant KPIs. Data analysis helps to optimise ad campaigns for better results.
• Boost Brand Metrics: Personalised ads have been shown to positively impact brand metrics, such as ‘Brand Recall, Brand Favourability, Active Attention, Purchase Intent and Intent to Find Out More’, offering a comprehensive enhancement to overall brand performance.
• Monetisation: Monetise in-stream video content by offering highly personalised and engaging ad experiences to advertisers. The increased engagement and relevance of the ads can lead to higher CPMs and more revenue.
Delivering next-gen creative capabilities
Moving forward, rather than adhering to a one-size-fits-all approach, brands can harness the power of data to craft compelling and relevant stories for every individual within their target audience. By seamlessly aligning creative content with data-driven insights, they can ensure a personalised and engaging experience for each user, steering clear of potential roadblocks and charting a course toward unprecedented success.
Data-driven, in-stream video ads not only offer publishers a robust tool for monetisation but also pave the way for viewers to experience advertising that is both engaging and tailored to their preferences. This convergence of creativity and data signifies a new era in advertising – one where insights drive narratives and personalisation is the key to resonating with audiences in an ever-evolving landscape.