Crack the code on mobile video creatives with tips from the expert

Mobile video is a must as increasingly mobile consumers embrace video — but getting the creative right to stand out from the noise can be a challenge. Surprisingly — or, perhaps, not — data can be a marketer’s best friend when it comes to creating creative that resonates. According to research by McKinsey, the management consultancy, companies that successfully integrate creativity and data enjoy a “2x difference in revenue growth.”

In our recent masterclass, Small Screen, Big Impact — How your mobile video creative can stand out, Katja Griesser, Country Director, MMA Germany talked to four experts about how mobile video creative can stand out and equip you to achieve positive outcomes with your campaigns. Get the top tips for mobile video from each of the panelists below.

Have a plan — Andreas Rau, Head of Media Agencies DACH, Facebook

Andreas Rau helped MMA Germany compile research for its Mobile Video Checklist, and reiterated some of the learnings we compiled for this report. He began with the conceptual phase when he says it’s important to:

• Have a clear objective and really know how to measure it
• Have mobile video in mind right from the start of the creative idea and the campaign concept. “That is really important to unlock the full potential of mobile video, else you often end up having just digital or mobile extension of an existing film.”

Then when you move on to the creative phase, when it’s important to keep length in mind. He says, it’s imperative to get “to the point very quickly because mobile is super fast.” The smaller format means you need to think about sound, framing, and other formatting issues. “But if I would like to condense all these techniques down to the very essence, it’s all about creating with empathy, crafting empathy of the user.”

Don’t limit yourself — Benjamin Schoderer, Senior Marketing Manager Digital, KFC Germany

While the medium does dictate the form to some degree, Benjamin Schoderer has some slightly different advice. In order to stand out, he says, “you need to be distinctive, you need to be relevant. And if you limit yourself from the start by saying ‘I need to create an ad for a phone,’ you will never get something that stands out or anything that’s impactful, right?”

Just because the medium changes doesn’t mean your marketing should, says Benjamin. If you understand what you want to achieve, “And if you liberate yourself from the limitations and think about, what can I creatively do, and then think about the platform, optimize towards,” he says. “I think, then you can be successful and stand out, but not if you limit yourself from the start.”

Experiment and measure — Beate Rosenthal, CMO, STADA

“I think the industry keeps trying to catch up with consumers, but they’re faster than us,” says Beate Rosenthal. “And that’s why I’m thankful for all the platform players which are sharing their knowledge.” Once you know the basics it’s time to get creative and experiment, says Beate.

However, it’s not enough to just experiment — it’s also important to understand what works. “But the best thing is in the digital era, we can measure everything we can measure it fast. So I share the point that we need rules because we need to unlearn the old practices of TV first.”

Beate adds, “But we also need to learn and experiment and measure and at the same time.” Not only does your content need to be “thumb-stopping” and stand out as users scroll, but once you have their attention the video also has to be entertaining, informative, or provide a service.

Think about engagement — Jan Gräwen, Managing Director, YOC

In his work with media agencies, Jan says the focus is often on the view-through rate (VTR), but that approach can be a bit “one dimensional.” Engagement can also be an important metric to keep an eye on, and you can create more opportunities for engagement by including interactive polls.

“So you don’t just cover that people see you or see a video,” says Jan. “They interact with it. And that’s much more value for the brand.”

To get more insight into how to make your mobile video creative stand out and drive the results you desire, tune into the entire panel discussion.