As an industry, digital video advertising is, to put it mildly, smoking hot. In the Middle East, it’s on fire. And during Ramadan, it’s ablaze.
Globally, digital video advertising is growing at an average rate of 30 per cent year on year, and its momentum will keep going until 2031 at least. The MENA region, meanwhile, outstrips global trends, having the highest number of connected devices per household, the highest number of digital subscription services, stratospheric VOD penetration and some of the highest social media consumption rates anywhere. In short, this fire isn’t going away any time soon.
The industry’s high state of flux – propelled by emerging technologies, escalating internet penetration and speeds, the proliferation of platforms and devices, shifting consumer preferences and more – presents both challenge and opportunity. For those who get it right, the rewards are tremendous; for those who get it wrong or don’t get it at all, the results can be crushing.
How do we make all this promise and potential work for us? I believe there are at least four core areas we as an industry – brands, agencies and practitioners – must crack if we want to better manage that fire as a tool for the long-term success of our businesses, our ecosystem and larger community.
First is effectiveness. There is simply no substitute for platform-specific content. It may sound like a no-brainer, but I think many of us are still planning our video campaigns based on wishful thinking that a one-size TVC fits all. It doesn’t.
Consumer behaviour – their needs and expectations – is responsible for the proliferation of platforms and their capabilities like VODs, OTTs, Amazon Prime Video, Snapchat and so much more. Consumers demand access on their own terms, on any device they want, to content they want – and they know exactly what they do not want. We must be clear on the distinctive and unique capabilities of platforms from YouTube, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels to TikTok, Meta, Netflix, outdoor digital, etc and provide content that is fit for both platform and purpose, not merely fit for format and length and other basics.
We must create content that resonates across multiple screens and formats, personalised and contextual advertising that delivers a message that is relevant to our consumer at that moment and on that screen.
Second is exchange. Consumers give us their time. What do we give them in return? They value entertainment, education, personalisation, authenticity and relatability, micro-influencers over mega-influencers and more real-world human content. They do not want to be sold to. Are we aligned to this? How well are we doing with not just providing value but values?
Evolution is also a critical factor. We have seen platforms evolve to provide a multiplicity of services, from helping brands create, edit and target content to best fit their parameters and client needs. We’ve also seen evolving partnerships between platforms and production houses, and evolving access. The partnership between social platforms and the likes of MMS and Rotana is a great example of how social media platforms are working with traditional media houses to provide an exclusive platform for them to showcase their content.
Brands no longer need blockbuster budgets to have successful presence in vertical video, and now have an unprecedented ability to work directly with creators to integrate brands into content in more natural and seamless ways, along with new pathways to engage with and understand target audiences.
Much has been said about the threat of ad-free premium subscriptions, but the truth is subsidised, and free content still wins. Content is king, yes, but cost is queen – and brands will follow where audiences go.
Finally, are we efficient? Allocating budgets across platforms in the hope that some traction is better than none isn’t enough any more, especially when there are better alternatives available. We must constantly be looking for ways to better monitor what’s working and what isn’t in our digital strategy and be able to both measure performance in the short term and adapt and deploy quickly in response.
At Mindshare, we’re working to combine video across different screens/platforms to expand reach and effectiveness no matter the budget, market, project or media plan. Our video-neutral planning tools determine what works best depending on the campaign objective and optimise budget allocation across different platforms to drive effective reach – it also allows us to test all available media options in real time so that we and our brands can make better decisions about where to spend media dollars and achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency.
All of us who work in video are on a journey to engage, acquire and retain audiences in a fast-changing and complex environment. I believe that if we lead in these four areas, we can direct, manage and sustain this fire well into the future, regardless of what the future holds.
