If Interactivity is the Way, Personalized Video is the Technology…

Earlier this month, MarketingSherpa released a report stating that marketers want more interactivity in video ads. Isn’t that what the Internet is all about?

We’ve talked about this before at Real Time Content, but the online viewing experience is completely different than the linear experience viewers have when they’re watching a linear medium like TV. Seriously, how much interaction do you have with the television while you’re lying on the couch?! On the Web, you have the full keyboard and computer screen so you’re more apt to interact with and maintain control over the content you consume.

According to MarketingSherpa’s post, 73% of video marketers said that interactivity increases the effectiveness of an ad. This is comparable to the differences in teaching tactics between telling and showing. Were you an avid listener and note taker during a lecture, or the type of person to ask questions and engage the professor in dialogue? Many people learn by doing, and with interactive advertising, you’re not just telling a viewer that a product is cool; you’re actually inviting them to learn about the brand by interacting with branded content. The interactive experience is similar to the dialogue between student and professor, in which the viewer impacts the type of content and how it is received through their engagement with the content.

It’s interesting to see how marketing is shifting and taking advantage of integrating different Web technologies to give the viewer a greater interactive experience. Another finding from the survey was that 66% of marketers agreed that developing different personalized versions of an ad, geared to the individual, increases ad effectiveness. This takes interactivity to the next level of personalization, whereby the content presented is customized for the audience member based on their profile, behavior or preferences. Since viewers can relate to personalized content, it is more appealing and increases the likelihood that they will want to interact with it. No longer is advertising a method of broadcasting product information, the Web is forcing marketers to reevaluate their tactics and develop new ways to start a conversation with their consumers by increasing advertising engagement.

Tags: Advertising, Interaction, MarketingSherpa, Research, Video
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