The Video Wire

In the third and last part of our series, we’re taking what we’ve heard from advertisers and agencies and applying it to the other side of the bargaining table: publishers.

Publishers are truly on the front lines of television and online video, having to balance offering the best possible consumer viewing experience and content with the needs of advertiser and agency partners.

Here is what they think about video in 2013, what they are saying about it, and the actions they hope will be taken to move the industry forward:

Thoughts.  A common theme arose from our publisher survey data: TV is no longer thought of as just programming on a television screen. Content continues to drift into mobile, online, and other connect platforms. Consumers have shown that they want their content on many different screens, and as more video proliferates to those devices, publishers are thinking about combining ad sales opportunities and supporting it with better analytics across devices.

Words. It’s not surprising “video” and “content” is what publishers are talking about, nor is “mobile” which is where an increasing swathe of their viewers are accessing their content. This year has already seen a plethora activity to appease that consumer demand for video, with TV Everywhere deals coming in hard and fast over the past several months. The surrounding words in the cloud paint a picture that publishers are ready to take the next step and truly become multi-screen video powerhouses:

Actions. Publishers had a number of action-oriented insights for the coming year.

Their goal, as it has been for some time, is to bring TV budgets to the Web, and that may mean going away from the digital-TV silos that the buying community is now separated into. As the definition of TV continues to transform into billions of screens, there will just be an aggregate group of buyers, possibly transacting with terms and conditions closer to how TV is currently operated rather than “unreliable IAB standards,” as one publisher put it.

Publishers will also be under pressure to bring in more premium content (i.e. live and episodic video, linear cable and television programming, and more) as advertisers increase demand for paying against viewable impressions and completed views. Consumers have shown they are comfortable with an ad-supported experience, as long as the content they are viewing is good. As long as there is a commitment from publishers to grow and syndicate their video offering, they should be able to effectively market their content above the lower-grade online video fray.

Along with quality, publishers say that the length of videos will adapt to meet advertisers’ interest in audience video snacking behavior. “Advertisers will want shorter videos and they will offer shorter ads. They will want share of voice by time watched, instead of impressions,” predicted one publisher.

And, finally, another published observed, “Everything is going to go to private marketplaces and/or real-time bidding. The traditional ad network model is going to go by the wayside.”

For perspective from the other side, check out what agencies and advertisers had to say.  Or, download the full Adap.tv and Digiday State of The Video Industry report here.

We are continuing our three-part series of predictions compiled from our our semi-annual State of the Video Industry report with a look at what ad agencies are expecting from digital. (Read what advertisers had to say in our previous post.)

This cross-section of the 750 digital media and marketing professionals we spoke to about the future of video ad buying and selling have very strong opinions, especially around the importance of mobile in a marketing plan. 

Here is what they are thinking about, the words they use to explain the oncoming change in the industry, and specific actions the industry can take to move forward:

Thoughts.  Mobile figured prominently in the minds of the agency community for the upcoming year.

They anticipate a heavy increase in demand for such inventory, which will require performance commensurate with investment. Also of great interest were the coordination of TV and video, integration with publishers, and the need to better understand how digital channels contribute to overall advertising goals. Agencies expect 2013 to deliver a greater comprehension of online video and traditional TV audience delivery.

Words.  Mobile TV, video and inventory were top of mind at agencies when describing upcoming changes in online video advertising. The following words were also used to describe the transitions they foresee for this year:

Actions.  Increases in programmatic buying of video are expected along with the availability of premium video from private marketplaces. Agencies also anticipate inventory availability to ebb and flow – first, tightening as more marketers enter the space, then relaxing as video-on-demand use widens through a number of connected TV devices. More options, such as scale, standardization, and better integration of quality content, will generate a shift to online video in client budgets. As targeting and delivering audience segments becomes an integral part of video planning, TV networks will have to adopt greater digital targeting techniques or risk losing spending to those who can. Agencies are awaiting and preparing for immense and fast-moving changes in TV and video marketplace.

To download the full Adap.tv and Digiday State of The Video Industry report, click here.

Coming up: the final installment of our three-part series — insights from PUBLISHERS on what will happen in online video this year!

We recently released our semi-annual State of the Video Industry report, in conjunction with Digiday, which compiled breakthrough insights  from more than 750 digital media and marketing professionals across the ad industry about the future of video ad buying and selling.

The following are predictions about video this year from brand advertisers based on their direct feedback, exemplifying what they are thinking about, the words they use to explain the oncoming change in the industry, and specific actions the industry can take to move forward:

Thoughts. Brand advertisers sense that video will become more targeted, inventory more accessible and inevitably forced to perform commensurate with its investment, and an increasing amount of inventory will be in mobile.

Words. The following word cloud reveals pictorially the emphasis of brand advertisers’ open-ended responses to the question “What’s the biggest change you anticipate in online video advertising over the next 12 months?”

Actions.  Brand advertisers demand better targeting and reporting on actual views. They believe that mobile video will become abundant once better targeting is established, which in turn will create more interactivity in ads. Video is expected to become an enormous part of everyday life, especially via social platforms. Real-time bidded video inventory is also predicted to mature, as will the creative that brands bring to the table. They insist campaigns prove their worth through performance, and expectations on performance are high. Brand advertisers look forward to building something unique vs. simply repurposing commercials. Increased inventory, when coupled with better targeting, will undoubtedly give rise to new creative opportunities for this important segment of our industry.

Stay tuned for PART 2:  Predictions from agencies in 2013!