Video marketing - Capturing consumer attention

I read an article, written by Thales S. Teixeira, on Harvard Business Review's website discussing video ads and capturing consumer's attention, and I though about sharing the article in my own words. In the article the writer discusses also about his research findings alongside the example videos but I decided to focus on the video ads and how they capture consumer attention when used in the right context.

There has already been several mentions of video marketing in these previous blog posts all highlighting the effectiveness of audio visual advertisements in marketing. It is true that videos are a powerful way to strengthen brand image, market products and ultimately persuade consumers into buying those products but in order to have that effect the videos need to first catch consumers' attention. Only by capturing consumer attention can the message of an ad be delivered.

Surely there is no fool proof recipe for this but what matters is the content in the right context. Take movie theatres for example. In cinema people are sitting down in a closed environment already looking at the screen so they tend to pay more attention to ads and trailers. On the other end we have teenagers (with already low attention spans) watching videos on their tablets. If an ad comes up they can easily switch over to their smartphones while the ad runs in the background. Not much consumer attention there. This is why it is crucial to choose the right content in the right context so that people pay will pay attention.

Here are four examples for video advertisements that have succeeded partially because they were used in the appropriate context.

1.  When you have your audience still

 

Generally advertisements need to do two things: engage and persuade. They need to engage the consumer so that the message of the ad can be delivered and they need to persuade the consumer into thinking that the advertised product is the best alternative.

With today's constant stream of on-demand information engaging the consumer is the part advertisers should put the most effort into. However, there are also exceptions. Consider cinema where people are already sitting down and have no intention leaving. It is fair to assume that the audience is mostly engaged and the commercial can focus on persuasion - giving the consumer information about the product and convincing them of the product's quality. This Samsung commercial is a good example:

This ad shows the features of the product in a simple yet interesting way and at the end even explains how the product is operated.

2. When your audience starts off paying attention

 

Television ads don't have the luxury of an already captivated audience. People who watch television can switch channels as soon as commercials start or they can go to the fridge or even pause and skip through the ads once they're ready to continue. So the ad can't be too long and it needs to capture the audience's attention quite quickly while also giving the consumer enough information about the product and at the same time be entertaining.

What I think is good about Pepsi's 'Love Hurts' ad is that it quickly establishes the so called plot - the woman doesn't want her man to enjoy unhealthy foods. They keep it short and deliver the information, 'zero calories - maximum taste', quickly and top it off with the entertainment to make it feel less like a sales pitch.

3. When your audience is not paying attention at first

 

Generally a good ad captures the audience's attention in the first five seconds or so but sometimes the audience is not even looking during those five seconds. They might be looking at their smart phones so the ad needs to capture their attention over the course of the ad. This ad for Target aims to do that:

This ad might feel a bit long but that is why it is aimed at an audience that is not paying attention to begin with. The colours are bright and the music is cheerful. If you hear this ad at the background or catch a glimpse of it in the corner of your eye you most likely will check it out. The stop motion type of filming gives it an artistic feel that is intriguing. They leave the information at the very end when the audience is actually looking and they keep it short, simple and informative.

4. When there's no attention (and the product is not really that interesting)

 

Sometimes the audience's attention is so divided that capturing it is a lost cause. On top of that the product itself might be so mundane that people have no interest in hearing what's so good about it. Take batteries for instance. We all use them, many of us even daily, but we pay no attention to them. That is until we have to buy new ones and even then most of us opt for the cheapest alternative. So how does a company with a mundane product market itself? With this ad Duracell has managed to rack up almost 16 million views on Youtube:

It was not an easy setting for Duracell to turn this ad campaign into a viral sensation. They are marketing a product that we all see as a commodity, the ad is a about free climbing, a somewhat marginal sport, and it stars Kevin Jorgeson, a name that says nothing to most people.

The way Duracell approached this challenge was by targeting the ad to a very narrow target group. Professional climbers, bloggers, internet personalities and other remarkable people related to climbing world. Then those people would share the ad and other people would see it, and that is exactly what happened.

I liked this ad very much and even watched some behind the scenes footage that Youtube suggests at the end of the video even though I am not a climbing enthusiast. The ad tells an emotional story while very subtly shows the product and in the end makes the information clear to the audience.

So first and foremost advertisers should focus on capturing consumers' attention. With mobile devices and social media full of ads it can be complicated. Nowadays people want to be entertained so advertisers should focus on that and once they have the attention then they can deliver the information.

Source: https://hbr.org/2015/10/when-people-pay-attention-to-video-ads-and-why