The Video Wire

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!