TV advertisers are starting to turn to short-form ads, which can be as effective as the traditional 30-second spot at far less cost, but marketers and brands need to ensure they are achieving the right objectives and are executing the ads properly.
Writing for WARC, Jim Berridge of Phoenix MI, says that short-form ads – defined here as 5-7 seconds – will provide a huge opportunity for marketers over the next 12-18 months.
A study by Phoenix MI, involving 100 short form TV ads viewed by 38,000 US adults, compared their effectiveness with the norms of the longer form and found that on metrics like ad memorability, brand linkage and brand memorability, they scored almost on a par.
And, Berridge reports, “the same characteristics of what makes an effective 15 or 30 second ad are applicable to short-form ads as well”. So, keep things simple, focused, and exclude information overload.
And as consumers, already familiar with short-form ads online, become accustomed to seeing them on TV, he expects their prowess and power will continue to grow. (For more, read the full article: The rise in short form ads on TV – opportunities and challenges.)
But advertisers should ensure that they keep a sense of balance and avoid simply ditching longer ads and pivoting to a shorter format, Berridge warns.
“One of the main challenges for marketers and brands is having the control not to go all in on shorter form ads and neglect other formats,” he says.
“What the industry needs to avoid is another App Store scenario, where marketers rush to embrace the concept without really thinking about what is right for their brand.”
While a properly executed short-form ad can be effective by itself, they “tend to work best when running alongside longer form ads or as supporting wider marketing campaigns”, Berridge states.
“Just as social media is a way to amplify a brands message, so are short form ads.”
Source: warc.com
