Motion content is everywhere. The need for content has exploded, from the digital billboards that line the streets to the mobile phone you hold in your hand. Long gone are the days when you’d get your visual fix from the TV alone or simply bolstered a campaign with flyers and billboards like the old advertising days. But what does that mean for retailers? Finding ways to create original work that will impact an audience is essential. In this challenging era for retailers there have been a few big names to fall by the wayside, including Intu and House of Fraser. The need for the high street to reach their customers is more important than ever.
If you want to show your brand off to the world, there’s no better way than by using motion content. It provides retailers with multiple windows that potential customers can use to look in on their brand and become a fan. Beyond the extended brand awareness, motion content is also proven to keep consumers engaged for much longer than other mediums. It gives your brand message the best chance of being seen and heard. As with any medium, finding the right method is the key and depending on what you want to achieve, the execution can be altered to suit your messaging. Whether you want to reignite your loyal base on social media or create unique interest pieces (such as branded content) to attract a new audience, the power of filmed content is unrivalled.
It’s clear that motion content is a major driver for retail business but here are our top 5 reasons to show you why it needs to be at the top of your marketing plan.
It creates an emotional connection. Creating a strong and honest connection with your customers is the single most important rule in advertising. This is the real magic of moving imagery. Think of how audiences react to campaigns such as the M&S “This is not food” adverts or Aldi’s long running “Like brands, only cheaper” campaigns. These ads are watched, shared and talked about by the nation becoming a part of everyday culture. As advertisers we want to tap into this emotional state and help viewers identify with brands.
As of 2019, up to 87% of businesses were using some form of motion content to promote their services. The positive return of investment for visual marketing is reported to be successful for 83% of businesses that use video content, which is up from 78% reported in 2018. The stats don’t lie. The world of retail needs this kind of boost in audience engagement with opportunities for ecommerce sales going through the roof this year and next.
Motion content lasts in the memory. This is really connected to the emotional punch of your advert. If you’ve created something that touches a viewer then they’re much more likely to store it in their memory. In fact, viewers of motion content are reported to retain up to 98% of the information from a video rather than as low as 10% via written content (Insivia). It also creates a great pathway to conversion as the visual nature of a video will lead them further down the customer journey. It’s hearts and minds marketing that is sure to succeed.
People love to share videos. It’s a part of human nature to share the work we enjoy best. Be it a film recommendation or funny YouTube vid, we’re constantly watching and sharing what we see every single day. Now with social media and multi-channel video platforms, the way we share media has changed forever. People are connecting with the content they view and are more likely to share their favourites by up to 1200% compared to text or images. And 87% of consumers have stated they’d be happy to see more video content on their screens. If brands invest in content that connects with their audience, their content will be shared time and time again to grow a life of its own.
Audiences are growing. It’s predicted in 2021 people will spend over 100 minutes a day watching branded content on phones alone, this covers everything from YouTube to VOD (video on demand). This is an increase of over 15% since 2018. Jonathan Barnard, Head of Forecasting at Zenith said: “This fast- expanding supply of audiences is fuelling rapid growth in demand from advertisers. Making online video the fastest growing digital channel by advertising expenditure.” Now is the time to capitalise on such growth and get your brand messaging into the hands of more customers than ever before.
Motion content adds kudos. Like many business sectors in 2020 the retail sector has taken a thrashing due to COVID 19. By re-invigorating your brand perception and adopting a motion content strategy, there is a chance to get their brand back in the spotlight. Customers need to be reminded why they love you. A stunning piece of motion content will carry your brand messaging and give you a return of investment like no other.
Article by Sam St John from Paragon Pictures
