ROUND UP: Insights from Google, emerging tech & our favorite holiday ads
Q4 is quickly coming to a close and the holiday season is in full swing. Here’s a quick roundup of the quarter as you prepare for a new decade in marketing and advertising.
Insights from Google
YouTube Trends:
With a new year and decade ahead of us, it’s vital that marketers evolve their strategies to fit the times. Video is a powerful and effective tool for brands, but trends come and go at a faster rate than ever before. So here’s three key behavioral and cultural shifts on YouTube to help you keep your evergreen content strategy relevant in the new year.
Authentic diversity:
In 2020 and beyond, make inclusive marketing a priority. A recent study from the Female Quotient shows that diverse campaigns have the power to affect consumer perception and action. Consumers are more likely to consider or purchase a product when the advertising is inclusive, especially if the representations are authentic and positive.
Insights review:
We love this curated 2019 review of Google and YouTube research that uncovered five key themes that are expected to continue into 2020 and beyond.
Emerging Formats and Tech
AI is everywhere:
Digital advertising is being shaped by technology that continues to bring new experiences to users. The application of AI represents one of the most significant drivers of change, as it is posed to affect professionals around the industry, from creatives to media buyers, while creating new opportunities for interaction. The same can be said for new display ad units that tap the power of conversational AI provides an experience that’s personalized, engaging, making it easier for consumers to directly connect with a brand. We’ve partnered with Google’s AdLingo to do just that, bringing the two-way dialogue to online advertising.
Re-imagine TV ads:
Connected TV ad spending is predicted to grow 28% in 2020 as available inventory increases, but it still poses challenges for marketers when it comes to scale. Every CTV provider and platform has a different set of metrics and policies, requiring patience and precision to execute across the landscape. Despite the discrepancies in provided metrics, our partners at true[X] have found that measurement of ad effectiveness on CTV, especially in the form of brand lift studies, can help marketers craft a broader strategy. That said, the potential for creative advertising has never been greater, new creative formats will shape the way we view digital video for years to come.
Shoppable ads just got more shoppable:
Shoppable video ads are a favorite for the holidays and are here to stay in the new year as online platforms look for more opportunities to strengthen their commitment to commerce. YouTube video ads have been updated to be more interactive, with new sitelink extensions and store location information. These units also capitalize on the increase in video content production as brands strive to boost engagement.
Our favorite holiday ads
Coca-Cola rolled out a global online campaign focused on “Accepting Santa” as it promotes tolerance and togetherness during the holidays. The advertisement is more political than Coke’s typical commercials, but it carries a strong message in seasonal fashion. Coca-Cola and Santa Claus go hand-in-hand thanks to the ingenious brand storytelling that began in the 1920s.
The New York Public Library released a pseudo-Black Friday retail campaign to raise awareness of the resources and services available to patrons. The tongue-in-cheek advertising publicizes deals like “100% off Everything” and “for an unlimited time only” to social media users and email subscribers.
Squarespace’s latest ad uses a character the represents the opposite of holiday cheer: Oscar the Grouch. The film features Oscar’s rise to stardom as his trash collection takes over the art world, despite his protests. Squarespace also collaborated with an actual artist to sell limited edition cubes of trash, and all of the proceeds go to the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Sky UK suggests that we reconnect this Christmas with their ad that reunites Elliott with ET. The ad is almost more of a sequel than a Christmas ad where ET comes back to Earth for the first time in 37 years. Yes, a whole lot has changed.
