How Google Says We Can Bring Video Marketing Back to the Future

In a recent Think with Google article, Tara Walpert Levy discussed some of the differences between video marketing in the 1980s and now. She talked about how in the ’80s, marketers looking to achieve significant reach only had a handful of options; there were only 11 networks that millions of people would sit down and watch every night.

Now, of course, it seems to be the opposite. Now, there are an infinite number of programs to watch on a number of different devices at any given time. Now, it is easy to achieve reach, but difficult to acquire and retain attention.

We may no longer say tubular or watch tube televisions, but there are still many similarities between how people view video now and how people viewed video in the ’80s.

Prime Time is Still Prime

Whether it’s on a television, computer, or a mobile device, 8:00p.m. – 11:00p.m is when the most people watch YouTube. In fact, according to Google, more 18-49 year-olds watched YouTube in prime time than the top 10 TV shows combined. Even though what they are watching is different, people are still watching primarily in their living room or their bedroom. Also, more than half of people are watching YouTube on their TV’s and over 60% watch with other people – just like the old days.

We Still Love Characters

72% of teen and millennial YouTube subscribers say that they always watch new videos by their favourite YouTube stars within the first 24 hours; 15% of them said they watch within the first minute. Therefore, it’s not surprising that based on recent in-home eye-tracking research, attention to paid advertising is 84% higher than advertising on TV.

:15, :30, :60 and :06 Seconds

Most advertisers have stuck with the traditional set of ad lengths: 0:15, :30, and :60 seconds. However, Google has been experimenting with new ad lengths and recently launched a 6 second ad format suitable for decreased attention spans. The results? 9/10 campaigns running 6 second ads saw and increase in ad recall.

Even though keeping up with upcoming trends is important, as advertisers, we can’t forget about the value in learning from the past. As shown in Google’s article, even though the devices people are using have changed, a lot of their behaviors have stayed the same.

For more information on how you can bring these concepts Back to the Future and start a totally tubular YouTube campaign, drop us a line today!