For brands to successfully engage on social,Unruly’s ShareRank is a godsend. The algorithm incorporates thousands of data points to predict how many shares a branded video will receive. This is accomplished based on intensity of emotional response, and social motivations, that have been experienced by viewer panels. Given their involvement with the most shared branded video of 2013—Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’—Unruly’s success is not to be ignored.
“Creating and distributing shareable content for social media is at the top of the agenda for CMOs,” explained COO Sarah Wood, “and brands can use the Lab experience to pinpoint exactly what’s trending.”
GWI’s Q1 2013 data explains how “experience brands” geared towards events and leisure activities can use branded video to interact with consumers most effectively. In Q1 2013, 40% of surveyed internet users aged 16-64 in 31 market strongly agreed that they wanted financial rewards from brand interactions—more than double the number of respondents (17%) who simply agreed with the same statement.
But beyond fiscal rewards, the success of branded videos like Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ fits with the fact that close to one fifth of respondents also wanted “experience brands” to be both inspiring and targeted. 18% of surveyed internet users in Q1 2013 agreed that they wanted to be entertained and inspired with ideas and content; 19% strongly agreed with this same statement. Similarly, 24% strongly agreed that they like for brands to inspire them with new products and ideas.
What’s been driving this growth? As Frank Besteiro of the AOL On Network opined to Forbes, it’s difficult to say whether this surge in content is due solely to organic consumer desire, or if it’s a reflective reaction to the surge of available content. But targeted market research into each individual audience will allow brands to meet unique, personalized needs like never before.
In Q2 2012, 29% of GWI global respondents reported that creating online videos featuring brands would improve their brand opinions, while 37% said that creation of a website that allowed for interaction with brand/company directors would do so. As online videos evolve in competitiveness, brands would do well to bear Unruly’s criteria for success in mind prior to execution.