Dmexco 2015: What makes a great mobile video ad?

This article was written by Miha Mikek, Co-founder and CEO of Celtra, and originally published by The Wall blog.

Mobile video was undoubtedly one of the hot topics at Dmexco with speakers including Robert Bridge, vice-president, head of international marketing & editorial at Yahoo, and Debbie Weinstein, director, brand solutions & innovations for EMEA at Google, discussing the critical importance of mobile video in today’s marketing landscape.

A common thread running through all the presentations was the need for brands to implement successful, multi-screen ad campaigns to enable them to retain consumers and build their reputation. Today’s consumer moves seamlessly across channels and devices, and brands that are unable to offer a personalised, engaging and relevant experience on mobile are potentially missing out on new customers, and alienating existing ones.

The one question that dominated the video debate at Dmexco was, ‘what makes a great mobile video ad?’ So let’s look at the facts.

Put simply, advertising that works on TV doesn’t necessarily work on mobile. Mobile ads have the same potential as TV ads to tell a great story, but need to be adjusted to meet the requirements of this different viewing experience. Ads on mobile should adjust seamlessly to vertical viewing, and be short and punchy – mobile viewers have a much shorter attention span than TV audiences – while also engaging the consumer without sound. Insights from Celtra found that nine in ten (90%) of consumers watching ads on their mobile do so on silent mode.

When it comes to ads, the new generation of video consumers considers authenticity a key priority. While the most successful TV ads are traditionally big budget productions that replicate the techniques used in Hollywood blockbusters, mobile video ads must be relatable and direct in their message to appear genuine, and capture the hearts of their audience.

The mobile video ad industry is also in dire need of new creative tools that simplify video editing and ad production for mobile. These enable text to be easily inserted in the absence of sound, or convert an existing ad from its original format to the more interactive HTML5 format.

Not only must these mobile video ads be delivered in their old in-stream form of pre-, mid- and post-roll but also in newer out-stream formats: video banner and the highly effective vertical video. These formats must also provide a high quality viewing experience, loading instantly and in a consistent manner across both mobile apps and browsers to make ads feel like a native part of the user experience.

Mobile video is undoubtedly a vital consideration for brands and must not be ignored, but marketers cannot simply transfer their TV ads to mobile. The nature of mobile viewing has led to a shift in consumer habits and advertisers must design campaigns that adapt to each different device to benefit from the true value of mobile video.