Video has always held a key place in the growth marketer’s playbook. As brands face rising challenges, video needs to move into a more primary position for DTC brands. 

The bottom-up, performance focused tactics (Facebook/Google PPC ads) will increasingly hit their limits. Moving forward, brands will need to seek out more break-thru moments to jump from one tier to the next.

Efforts with video should be directed towards the following opportunities;

  1. TikTok videos. The 30-45 second TikTok video is destined to become the foundational social media advertising unit. Being able to create impact with this short format video is imperative.
  2. Livestream video is also revealing itself to be an important opportunity. Experience in China shows that brands can use it for a range of goals; selling, creating brand experiences & entertainment, customer service and product demonstrations. 
  3. Longer form, branded content still has an important place in the mix also, especially where brands can create shared experiences.

Experience from China where there are no truly effective bottom-up ads solutions, show how critically important video is for fueling brand growth. Short videos, livestreaming and long-form video all play a key role in building the audience attention that brands subsequently convert to sales.

Great videos can secure more deeply rooted emotional connections with audiences - connections which engender trust, affinity - connections which last. And, as brands face a confluence of challenges (rising ad costs, limitations on 3rd party cookies and valuation resets), video may offer the break-thru moments that brands need to make larger gains in share of voice (and share of market).

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