Poll: Video drives brand engagement

An online poll conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of marketing agency Digitas found that video content can be an important tool to drive brand engagement, said Stephanie Sarofian, managing director of Digitas brand content unit The Third Act.

The poll, conducted between Mar. 22-26, which surveyed 2,211 adults at least 18 years of age, found that 51% of online video viewers between the ages of 18-44 would look up a new product or brand if they saw it mentioned in an online video. 39% of viewers at least 55 years old also answered affirmatively. Additionally, 58% of consumers aged 18-34 that follow brands on social media would watch a video if a brand they follow posted a video.

The poll found that gender was a significant factor for consumers aged 55 and above. For instance, 44% of women within that age group were likely to look up a brand after seeing an online video, compared with 34% of men.

Sarofian emphasized that “deep audience insight” was the most important factor to ensure clickthroughs following a video. This insight includes “what [consumers] want and need and where they are spending time in their digital lives and then of course, the content must be relevant based on those insights.”

Sarofian added that content had to be dependent on the goals of each brand's campaign. “Content is the manifestation of an active branding idea which drives business objectives,” Sarofian said. “It can be any type of program - loyalty or acquisition, recall or awareness - as long as the next step in the engagement leads consumers directly to solutions or further valuable engagement and not to a dead end.”

Toward that end, brands need to leverage insight they have into consumers' digital lives, including what consumers want at any given time as well as their specific device profile. “Brands and their agencies must develop the engagement based on what consumers need at that point in their journey - whether it's information, directions, movie tickets, research, social interaction, or purchasing - whether it's at home or on the go or while using another screen,” said Sarofian.

Ultimately, video marketing and e-commerce are inextricably linked, Sarofian said, adding that “the actions that people take after watching your video, whether it's looking up a new recipe or a new phone, entering a contest—that's what turns viewers into buyers.”