The annual show, which returned to Vegas for the second year in a row, following a short break during the pandemic, brings the broadcast, media, and entertainment industries together to “experience innovation in action and harness the power of possibility.” 

What does that mean for podcasts and online video ads?

We looked at data from Q1 2023 to find out.  

Advertisers Tiptoe into 2023

In Q1 2023, advertisers spent $33.3b on digital, print, and TV ads, representing a modest 5% YoY decrease. Even digital advertising, which accounted for 45% of Q1’s spend, decreased by 7%. 

For the thousands of advertisers kicking off the new year, the reduction in spend was likely driven by the natural reset from the holidays, but more importantly, their adjustment to the uncertain economy—a level of uncertainty that led eMarketer to cut $5b from its 2023 digital advertising outlook. 

According to eMarketer, ad spending won’t bottom out, but marketers are taking a long look at their budgets. Analysts said, “With inflation driving up operating costs and a potential recession looming, marketing is getting deprioritized. Advertisers that can afford to keep spending, will…But the longer the recession, the harder it becomes to maintain this strategy.”

Some ecosystems are still getting attention, including connected TV (CTV), which eMarketer expects will attract $26.92b this year. 

Podcasts and online video ads (OLV) are two channels that could also get some love despite the uncertain macroeconomic times.

A mixed bag of podcasts

In 2016, podcasts were still relative nobodies in the digital world. In fact, just 21% of Americans over the age of 12 said they listened to podcasts back then. 

But in less than a decade, that number has grown, with 41% of Americans over the age of 12 now saying they’ve listened to a podcast in the past month. 

The growth of podcasting and other voice technology has caught the eyes of advertisers. 

Although podcast ad spending dropped slightly in Q1 (4% YoY to $122mm), the format still has plenty going for it due to its broad appeal, authenticity, and lack of reliance on third-party cookies.  

In Q1, five categories received a dominant share of ad dollars, including comedy, news, true crime, politics, business, and society & culture, collectively accounting for 56% of the podcast advertising investment in Q1. 

Three programming categories stood out in Q1: 

• Comedy: Advertisers from brands such as BetterHelp, Happy Money, and Squarespace spent $16.7mm on comedy podcast ads, up by 5% YoY. 
• Crime: Ad spending on crime podcasts increased by 15% YoY to $11.2mm as advertisers from Amazon Music’s mobile app, HelloFresh, and SimpliSafe invested. 
• Business: Business podcasts attracted $9.4mm in ad revenue, representing a 12% YoY increase, thanks to spending from Amazon.com, Capital One, and Shopify.
  

Advertisers aren’t the only party fixated on podcasts. Spotify CEO, Daniel Ek, said the company spent big on original shows and exclusive content to “retain users and boost advertising revenue.” 

Spotify’s investment in podcasting has been so profound that eMarketer predicted the digital music service would soon become the “Netflix of audio.”

If that prediction becomes a reality, Spotify will continue to monopolize podcast advertising. According to eMarketer, Spotify’s ad-supported listener growth will outpace its paid listener growth over the next several years. Ad revenue is expected to increase by 30% this year alone.

Spotify’s dominance will, in turn, force the hands of others in the ecosystem to shift to alternative revenue streams, like premium podcasting and memberships.

Online video (OLV) ads 

Digital video is set to soar past TV in viewing time this year, and as it does, advertisers are upping their investment in OLV ads. 

In Q1, 12.2k advertisers spent $6.3b on video, up 13% YoY. Unsurprisingly, almost all those ad dollars ($5.7b or 91%) went to YouTube. (Ad spending on YouTube increased by 28% YoY.)

Interestingly, pharma advertisers who’ve historically steered clear of digital formats upped their investment considerably in YouTube advertising to promote OTV meds and prescriptions. 

Overall, pharma advertisers, including Gilead Sciences (Preparation H, Epclusa) and AbbVie (BOTOX), increased OLV ad spending by 163% YoY to $446mm. 

Meanwhile, spending for TV shows increased by 54% YoY to $422.5mm thanks to big investments from Amazon, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Discovery to promote shows like Harlem and The Last of Us. At the same time, spending to promote movies and films increased by 105% YoY to $392mm.

Advertisers for snacks & desserts (Mondelez, Lindt Lindor, and Ferrero Rocher, etc.) and automotive models (Hyundai, General Motors, Buick, Chevrolet, etc.) also upped their investment in OLV advertising.

OLV’s universal adoption has been plenty to get advertisers excited, as has YouTube’s more than 2.6 billion active users who spend more than 45 minutes a day on the platform. 

Moving forward, video’s appeal, but especially YouTube’s, could be about something much smaller. While YouTube’s audience will always far surpass its contemporaries, advertisers drawn to it may be done so by the opportunity to reach niche audiences. 

For example, gaming advertisers can advertise on the thousands of channels on YouTube Gaming Live. In an expanding online world with dwindling targeting capabilities, channels that can offer advertisers the ability to reach refined audiences will stand the test of time. 

Authenticity & Alignment Will Be Key in 2023

Authenticity and audience alignment will be the name of the game moving forward. In 2023 and beyond, advertisers will prioritize channels that can provide them with an authentic means to reach targeted consumers. 

Online video and podcast ads are already checking those boxes, which will continue to catch advertisers’ eyes—and ad dollars—far beyond 2023. 

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here. 

In 2017, Google announced that Chrome would instill stricter ad-blocking standards. The announcement raised speculation, as publishers and advertisers were left to wonder exactly which ads would be blocked and how Google would handle violators.

In December of that year, Google gave “an update on Better Ads,” officially confirming that “Starting on February 15, in line with the Coalition’s guidelines, Chrome will remove all ads from sites that have a ‘failing’ status in the Ad Experience Report for more than 30 days.”

Now that these standards are officially in place, however, it’s important that publishers and advertisers know exactly what is being blocked, given that Chrome currently holds more than 64% of the global web browser market share.

And, more importantly, what does Google’s advertising future look like?

What is the Coalition for Better Ads^®?

The Coalition for Better Ads is an alliance of companies and associations that have come together in an effort to give internet users the best possible experience with advertising. The Coalition put the Better Ad Standards in place to clarify how content producers can best interact with viewers and serve ads in a way that is not annoying or intrusive.

The Coalition for Better Ads developed the Better Ad Standards based on “comprehensive research involving more than 25,000 consumers” while citing “Extensive consumer input and empirical data” as factors in shaping the new standards.

In a broad sense, the Better Ads Standards were implemented to create a more user-friendly online experience, ridding of the most annoying, least preferred ads on both desktop and mobile.

But what do we, as internet users, prefer the least?

What Exactly Is Google Chrome Blocking?

Google Chrome is blocking 12 types of ads across desktop and mobile (four types of desktop ads and eight types of mobile ads).

Desktop Ads

Pop-up Ads^*

This one should not come as a surprise to many.

Pop-up ads have long existed to the disdain of internet users. When considering ads as “disruptive,” nothing is quite as disruptive as an ad that pops up in front of the content a web user is trying to enjoy.

The Coalition’s website states that pop-ups “are among the most commonly cited annoyances for visitors to a website.”

People are generally not fond of anything that disrupts their experience to this level—82.2% of the sample from G2’s study said they hated email pop-ups.

Auto-playing Video Ads with Sound

We’ve all had it happen… You’re scrolling through a tremendous article when suddenly, noise erupts from somewhere unknown.

Before you realize that there’s an auto-play video ad on the page, you’re jolted from concentration and left searching for the “mute” or “close [X]” buttons.

Video ads that require a click to activate sound did not fall beneath the Better Ads Standard and are, therefore, still allowed.

Auto-play ads are a hot topic outside of Chrome’s walls.

Traditionally advertisers have opted for it due to the ability of auto-play ads to introduce words rather than just text and subtitles. While Facebook and other popular advertising ecosystems allow advertisers to launch auto-play ads, they make it just as easy for users to disable them, which many of them do.

Prestitial Ads with Countdown

Prestitial countdown ads are the ads that appear before a page’s content loads, forcing the reader to wait a few seconds before allowing them to click and continue.

The Coalition states that these ads “can disrupt users in a way that dissuades them from waiting for the countdown to finish and continuing onto their content.”

They also note that for desktop, prestitial ads without a countdown do not fall below the Better Ad Standards’ threshold for acceptability and are thus okay for publishers to use.

This begs the question: What about pre-roll ads on YouTube and popular OTT streaming services? Ads that play before content—and “count down”—are widely popular in these ecosystems and generally excepted by users.

Large Sticky Ads

Large sticky ads attach themselves to the bottom of a page of content, staying there as the user scrolls down the page. To qualify as “large,” a sticky ad must take up more than 30% of a desktop screen’s real estate.

Regardless of the device, consuming content on a full-screen is always much more preferred by viewers, especially on mobile devices that people generally hold vertically. That’s good news for advertisers as it allows them to maximize real estate on mobile devices.

Mobile Ads

Pop-up Ads

For pop-up ads, there’s not much difference between desktop and mobile. According to internet users, they’re annoying no matter where they appear.

For desktop and mobile, pop-ups with and without countdowns fall beneath the threshold for viewer acceptability.

Prestitial Ads

Prestitial mobile ads, like on desktops, appear before the content of a web page loads. The difference on mobile, however, is that all prestitial ads are restricted, not just the ones with a countdown.

On mobile, prestitial ads tend to take up more real estate, which, even without a countdown, can make them more disruptive than on desktop.

Ad Density Higher Than 30%

“Ad density is determined by summing the heights of all ads within the main content portion of a mobile page, then dividing by total height of the main content portion of the page.”

In short, within a piece of content, a publisher may not have more than 30% of the space in which that content sits being filled by advertising.

When considering the “content portion” of the page, that only means the real estate where the content sits, excluding headers, footers, and anything outside the content itself. The 30% also applies to the entire content portion of the page, the page in total, not just what is viewable on a user’s screen.

Sticky ads count toward ad density, with the height being counted toward the page’s ad density percentage. Video ads “that appear before or during video content that is relevant to the content of the page itself are not included in the measurement.”

Flashing Animated Ads

The Better Ad Standards restrict the use of “ads that animate and ‘flash’ with rapidly changing background, text or colors” because they can be “highly aggravating for consumers, and serve to create a severe distraction for them as they attempt to read the content on a given page.”

Not all animated ads are blocked on Chrome – only the ones that rapidly flash.

Auto-playing Video Ads with Sound

As they are on desktop, auto-play video ads on mobile are also restricted.

Users won’t have to worry about finding the “mute” button on Chrome for mobile anytime soon.

Postitial Ads with Countdown

Postitial countdown ads appear after a user has followed a link in a piece of content.

Once they follow a link, the ad appears with a countdown, making the user wait before they can be redirected to the page they were trying to access.

Much like prestitial ads with a countdown, users may be inclined to leave the page once they see a postitial countdown appear, as it makes them wait to enter the following page.

Full-screen Scrollover Ad

Scrollover ads are unlike inline ads, as they do not move with the content on a page but instead sit on top of it.

Scrollover ads, in a certain sense, can almost be looked at as something similar to a pop-up since they lay on top of content, obstructing it from view.

The Coalition for Better Ads refers to these ads as “disorienting” for mobile users, as they may distract users from the content they’re trying to read.

Large Sticky Ads

On mobile web browsers, large sticky ads can appear on more than just the bottom of the page but serve the same static disruption that sticky ads do on desktop browsers.

* All images and quotations used above are from https://www.betterads.org/standards/. Visit the site to see the full breakdown of the Better Ads Standards.

What happens to violators?

Sites that violate Google Chrome’s ad blocker and use at least one of these ad types will first be notified by Google that they are violating the Better Ad Standards and given 30 days to remedy the issue.

If the site owner repeatedly violates the new standards and ignores Google’s notifications for those 30 days, only then will Chrome start blocking all of the ads on that site.

So, while Google is putting in great efforts to make online advertising better for everyone, the metaphorical gavel is not being dropped on violators as quickly as many had initially anticipated.

Still, the risk of a publisher losing all their online advertising is likely not something they want to play around with.

There is no question that these changes are, at the least, the beginning of a much better user experience with advertising on the internet.

This brings us to our next topic: What else is Google doing to tackle the user experience.

Google Sunsets Third-Party Cookies

Stricker ad-blocking standards aren’t the only measure Google is taking to ensure the millions of people who use its browser don’t get tired of ads.

Google is also sunsetting third-party cookies in 2024 (after delaying it for several years). The delay not only gives Google more time to test its Privacy Sandbox but gives advertisers more time to prepare for a world without their beloved third-party cookies.

The impending deprecation is understandably concerning for advertisers, considering more than 80% of senior marketers in the U.S. rely on third-party cookies.

Third-party cookie alternatives

So, what will advertisers use when Google says goodbye to third-party cookies next year?

If they want to advertise on Chrome, Google’s Privacy Sandbox will likely be the solution. But other alternatives exist, including The Trade Desk’s Unified ID 2.0, which allows for targeted advertising without revealing the end user’s true identity. Other likely third-party-cookie alternatives are email addresses and phone numbers.

Outside of Google’s walls, retail media will continue to gain steam as consumer brands capitalize on first-party shopper data.

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here.

With more than 4b people actively using social media, it’s hard to fault the infatuation.

But social advertising didn’t reach its lofty status overnight; it’s been a journey.

The Origin of Social Advertising

While there are many opinions about the true first social media site, 2003 marked the real, initial take-off of social media. Despite various attempts, the idea had never really caught on.

Myspace and LinkedIn were launched in 2003, and Facebook in 2004. These three networks signaled a new and exciting landscape for a rapidly growing number of internet users.

By 2005, both LinkedIn and Facebook had reached 1 million users. For both platforms, the sizable audience triggered the search for advertisers.

Facebook’s first ad appeared in 2005, and LinkedIn’s in 2006.

Facebook’s original ads looked something like this:

In fact, 2006 marked an important year in the social media timeline.

LinkedIn launched its first ad.

Facebook introduced users to its Newsfeed and entered the mobile space.

Twitter went live.

Among the advancements to existing platforms, Twitter seemed to be the first innovative expansion of social media.

Myspace, Facebook, and LinkedIn mostly focused on connecting people with people they already knew.

Twitter, however, was the first social media network to introduce the intangibles of its users, allowing them to express their thoughts in 140 characters or less.

Here’s the first Tweet ever, which sold for nearly $3mm in 2020 :

Compared to now, the original Twitter feed, of course, looks a bit primitive. For example, look at all of the unused space on the page – a present-day-publishers nightmare:

More Photos, Fewer Words

2010 marked the launch of the image-based social media platform, Instagram, followed by Snapchat in 2011.

Since Twitter’s introduction in 2006, this was the biggest advancement in the world of social media.

Users had been offered the chance to share photos on other platforms, but never as the main attraction.

By 2011, Myspace had run its course, while LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat had all found—or at least started to find—their place in the market.

The social media mountain had finally begun to take shape.

Platform Expansion

Think about how personal the first rendition of Myspace was. Most users would not connect with anyone other than their literal friends and family (and Tom Anderson, the founder of Myspace).

Now, think about what social media looks like today. Almost anyone can connect with anyone else.

That goes for advertisers, as well.

In today’s social media landscape, advertisers can connect with their total addressable audience (TAM).

Because of this ability, social advertising has steadily increased year-over-year.

Social media ad spending will reach more than $268b in 2023. Unsurprisingly, Facebook continues to lead the charge. In 2022, advertisers were expected to spend $58.11 billion on Facebook ads, representing a 15.5% YoY increase.

Other social media platforms have made a name for themselves in advertising.

Snapchat, for example, generated more than $3 billion in advertising revenue in 2021—a figure expected to increase to $5.9b by 2026.

While that’s no surprise, the evolution of social media has taken some unexpected and strange turns.

The Evolution of Social Advertising: 2017-Now

To say the least, 2017 was an interesting year for social media.

Let’s just say there was a minor shift in tone…

When social advertising was first introduced, brands were reluctant to advertise due to the uncertainty of the surrounding content. At the time, the content seemed a bit unsupervised.

Once social platforms started policing their content, brands became more comfortable and adopted social advertising.

As social media platforms gained monumental numbers of users, however, it turned out that they were lacking another form of policing – that of fake content (ads, users, etc.). Twitter is still grappling with this challenge—just ask Elon Musk.

People noticed that some brands, politicians, and celebrities had extremely high numbers of fake followers, engagements, etc.

At first, it seemed like a way for brands to build a reputation.

Later, it became clear that it simply made real advertising extremely difficult – 100,000 Twitter followers no longer represented 100,000 people, making it almost impossible to measure actual reach.

This also built heavy momentum toward sensationalism in social media.

Sensationalism

There are two things to consider here…

First, we have generally seen a rise in sensationalism relevant to politics.

Secondly, one of the greatest traits of social media is its ability to create viral content within minutes, if not seconds.

Put those two traits together, and that brings us to the present.

With fake users, fake content, fake ads, and “trolls” populating social platforms, brands are left with an interesting environment.

Some of them are taking to the environment, however.

When the new year arrived, one notable Tweet sparked quite a bit of controversy.

We’ll let the tweet do the talking for itself:

Needless to say, amongst the masses, there were mixed feelings when seeing this Tweet.

KFC UK & Ireland, however, saw this as an opportunity. They used the controversial Tweet as a way to “troll” the POTUS, take a competitive shot at McDonald’s, and give customers a chuckle:

It’s hard to imagine that in 2006, upon Twitter’s invention and the social media environment of the time, anyone could have forecasted something like this.

After all, it’s more likely that Twitter users will notice Tweets about “nuclear buttons” than they will about any brand on Earth. So, KFC decided to throw itself into the mix.

This was an attempt to play to its audience in previously unavailable ways.

KFC UK & Ireland’s demographic is not emotionally tied to supporting the United States President. However, since this tweet was international news, it decided to capitalize.

This example highlights the social advertising environment in which brands currently exist.

Interacting with users is more personal than ever, yet because of that, there can be heavier political and emotional implications.

But social advertising has advanced considerably in just a few years, offering brands even more powerful ways to connect with consumers:

• Social commerce: Younger generations are increasingly turning to social media to help them make purchase decisions—72% of millennials say social media impacts the items they buy. As social commerce goes mainstream, every major platform scrambles to answer the bell.
  
  Instagram Shopping, for example, is a set of features allowing people to shop brands’ photos and videos across Instagram. Meanwhile, Snapchat recently launched a new “catalog-powered shopping lens” that allows users to try on items virtually.
• Influencer marketing: 61% of consumers trust influencers, compared to 38% who trust brand-produced content. As a result, the social world has become a hotbed for influencers.
  
  Social platforms have responded by introducing ad features that make it easy—and natural—for influencers to connect with consumers.
• More inventory: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and LinkedIn have had a stranglehold on social advertising budgets for years—and they still do. But as the social world expands, new ecosystems are forming, and as they do, new inventory is opening up.
  
  TikTok, for example, is expected to have nearly 1b users by 2025. Its advertising engine is benefiting. In 2022, TikTok’s ad revenue surpassed $11b, representing a 200% increase YoY. The direct line to Millennials and Generation Z will continue to attract advertisers in droves—and as that happens, TikTok will rapidly evolve its ad ecosystem.

And it’s not just B2C brands basking in social media’s glory. B2B brands are also getting in on the fun.

As advertisers flock through social’s walls to access one of the most mature advertising ecosystems available, especially as third-party cookies fall by the wayside, all major social media platforms will continue to evolve—and that’s excellent news for advertisers.

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here.

About midway through 2017, Google first expressed their intentions to unroll new ad blocking standards on Chrome. As a way to create a more enjoyable online experience for all, Google announced that, come February 2018, they would begin blocking all ads on sites that do not meet the Better Ad Standards.

As February came and went, MediaRadar thought it would be helpful to survey all of our B2B clients, to gain direct feedback, and to see exactly how publishers feel about Google’s ad blocking and the potential impact it could have on their business.

In Q1 of 2018, 28,892 advertisers bought digitally with B2B Media. Furthermore, we found that, among B2B publishers, the average portion of ad sales from digital was 53%. In considering this adoption of digital, however, our survey results proved to be quite intriguing.

As it turns out, simply knowing what types of ads are being blocked on Chrome is not the only thing that publishers need to understand. There are many factors, and many misconceptions that could lead an online publisher to violate the Better Ad Standards.

 

]]> https://mediaradar.com/blog/facebook-are-advertisers-leaving-the-social-network/feed/ 0 https://mediaradar.com/blog/4-ways-to-master-valentines-day-advertising-with-social-media/?content= https://mediaradar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4-ways-to-master-valentines-day-advertising-with-social-media-1.jpg Wed, 14 Feb 2018 23:10:27 +0000 https://mediaradar.com/blog/4-ways-to-master-valentines-day-advertising-with-social-media/ Before the existence of social media, there weren’t so many occasions. So many “Days,” and things to celebrate. To put it plainly, there was once a time where occasions were just that… Occasional.

The rapid and monumental rise of the social media universe changed all of that, however – the universe that currently has about 2.5 billion users overall.

Not before recently did we ever see people celebrating days like, “National Pizza Day” or “National Coffee Day.” Atleast not in business’ unrelated to pizza and coffee.

Holidays go well beyond that now, as well. We celebrate the things behind the things… “National Book-Lovers Day,” for example, is a celebration of the reader behind the book, behind the bookstore, behind the publisher, behind the author, and so on.

Consider how many literary, book-related holidays there are within the calendar year. On top of “National Book-Lovers Day,” there is also, “Read a Book Day,” “Author’s Day,” “National Read Across America Day,” “Children’s Book Day,” “Paperback Book Day,” as well as more specific days like, “Tolkien Reading Day,” “Winnie the Pooh Day,” and so on.

By now, you probably get the point. There are simply a ton of holidays to remember – a multitude coming with any one-subject.

For social media advertisers, our newly loaded calendars merely bleed of endless opportunity. More days and more occasions simply means more ways for them to connect with their audience.

 

 

Anywhere, Anytime

This is where the unique power of social media comes into play.

Due to its incredible reach and user-accessibility, social media gives advertisers a way to interact with every single person that might be celebrating Christmas, the Super Bowl, or “National Pack Your Lunch Day…” Any holiday imaginable.

Social media affords advertisers the opportunity to be present at all times. Which, when considering advertising of the past, is fairly astounding.

Take the following (fake) ad for example:

This is a mock Twitter ad, with creative that looks like it’s from the 1950’s.

First of all, in looking at the ad, reading “By following or being followed” in this context feels abundantly more creepy than anything you’ll read online today. The copy also seems very out of place sitting next to the creative.

This is a bit of a time-warp, meshing the old with the new, showing us how far we’ve come technologically and in the advertising world. Perhaps the most notable phrase in the ad, “Previously unimagined experiences” sums up the idea of Twitter pretty soundly.

The point here, is that social media is truly unlike any other platform in the history of advertising. And when used effectively, it’s incredibly powerful and cheap for advertisers.

The immense number of national holidays, however, provides a perfect example of why social media advertising can be a lot to handle. There’s so much to consider, that it’s sometimes hard to know how to use the medium effectively.

And that brings us to today (literally, today). Amongst the “Talk in an Elevator” and “Greasy Foods” holidays, still lies the age-old day for romance – Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is a perfect example of how powerful social media can be for any and every holiday. Why?

Think of how many types of brands sell products that coincide with Valentine’s Day. Jewelry, chocolate, flowers, restaurants, etc. All things considered, there’s not a lot of companies that stand to benefit from direct sales of Valentine’s products.

But once again, in comes social advertising. With the abilities available to brands on social media platforms, there’s no reason not to participate in Valentine’s Day.

As you’ll see, from donuts, to non-profts and on, Valentine’s Day can be a great opportunity for any brand to connect with customers through social advertising.

So, with that, we bring you the 4 ways to master Valentine’s Day advertising with social media:

 

Playing to a Feeling

This comes first and foremost. The best way to incorporate any holiday-based social advertising campaign, is to play to the feelings brought about by the holiday.

Valentine’s Day, of course, is a day dedicated to significant others, love, and romance.

Take that feeling, or take ordinary, real-life scenarios related to that feeling, and work your product into the mix.

This Oreo video ad campaign from 2015 is a perfect example. They ran six ads for their “Red Velvet Oreos” surrounding Valentine’s Day. Each video depicts the feeling of meeting someone for the first time, and the unconventional, potentially awkward ways that it might happen.

In this video, a grocery store cashier rings up a customer’s items. Upon scanning Red Velvet Oreos, however, she moves in slow motion, staring into the eyes of the man buying the Oreos.

This is a perfect example of one way to work yourself into the equation. Despite being a cookie brand, Oreo can connect with their social media followers by reminding them of the first time they met their significant other – or, at the worst, by giving them a quick chuckle.

 

Holiday-Branded Content

Another way to capitalize on Valentine’s Day is simply to theme your content around the holiday with colors, language, and more.

You can incorporate hearts, as well as the reds and pinks that remind people of love. You can use relevant #ValentinesDayHashtags in social posts, and push other relevant holiday content on your social profiles (perhaps a blog post…).

Simply use the already-instilled theme of the holiday to start a conversation with your audience. In a way, each holiday is a brand of its own. Think of your own content as being sponsored by Valentine’s Day, and dress it up as such.

Valentine’s Day social advertising content doesn’t have to speak directly of your product either.

You can take your own advertising message, and use the holiday as the branding, or, you can take a holiday-based message, and use your own company as the branding, to simply have a conversation with your followers.

Take this Omaze video ad for example. In it, actor Idris Elba talks to children about Valentine’s Day, asking their advice on a few things – and for 3:30, that’s all he’s doing:

Not until the last 30 seconds of this four minute video does Elba actually tell you what’s being promoted. This is a perfect example of simply discussing the holiday to connect with followers.

 

Contests/Polls

Social media contests and polls are another great way to get your followers involved on Valentine’s Day.

One major perk of social advertising, is that brands can take advantage of user-generated content. For example, when and with who do most of us take the most photos?

During the holidays, with our families and significant others.

Dunkin’ Donuts has been a very big Valentine’s Day advertiser for some time now. Every year, around the holiday, they sell heart-shaped donuts to celebrate.

This year, to get their followers involved, they’re holding a contest, asking customers to post photos on Instagram showing “how their relationship with someone ‘runs on Dunkin’,” with the hashtag #DDLOVECONTEST.

In the midst of all this, they’ve been re-posting user-generated photos of their heart-shaped donuts, simply repurposing someone else’s photos of their Valentine-themed offering. This is an extremely effective way to get their followers involved in their brand.

Self-Gifters

When planning a Valentine’s Day advertising campaign, it’s also crucial not to forget the singles and self-gifters of the social media world.

Valentine’s Day is a very good time for companies with products that cater to singles – dating sites being the most notable example.

Last year, eHarmony ran this video ad, where a bunch of children discuss the meaning of love, among other things. This video was part of an attached promotion for new-users:

While these children seem to have a weirdly-sound grasp on what true love actually is, the ad serves as a reminder of what the holiday could mean for anyone that decides to use eHarmony.

In the end, whether you’re selling cookies, donuts, a dating site, charity, or anything else, staying active on social media is one of the best ways to master your Valentine’s Day advertising campaign.

]]> https://mediaradar.com/blog/4-ways-to-master-valentines-day-advertising-with-social-media/feed/ 0 https://mediaradar.com/blog/a-full-scale-advertising-boycott-of-youtube-a-post-mortem/?content=uncategorized https://mediaradar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/a-full-scale-advertising-boycott-of-youtube-a-post-mortem.jpg Tue, 02 May 2017 20:29:49 +0000 https://mediaradar.com/blog/a-full-scale-advertising-boycott-of-youtube-a-post-mortem/

Like you, we read those articles last month threatening a full advertiser boycott of YouTube last month (for example, here), fall-out from poor editorial controls. We were curious to see if the list of brands that said they were boycotting actually went through with it.  And what impact did that have on YouTube’s overall sales? The results surprised us. Posted below is a quick summary. 

]]> Like you, we read those articles last month threatening a full advertiser boycott of YouTube last month (for example, here), fall-out from poor editorial controls. We were curious to see if the list of brands that said they were boycotting actually went through with it.  And what impact did that have on YouTube’s overall sales? The results surprised us. Posted below is a quick summary. 

Summary:

There were 8 brands frequently mentioned in the press as stopping on YouTube: Starbucks, Dish, Pepsi, GM, AT&T, Verizon, J&J and Walmart.

Starbucks, Dish, AT&T, and Pepsi did stop buying abruptly in April, but 4 others – GM, Verizon, J&J, and Walmart – continued on YouTube unabated.  GM’s ads did move to the YouTube homepage, where there are no editorial adjacency concerns, presumably.  Walmart and J&J however kept running through April, on a variety of channels.  Those ads ran on Google Preferred channels, suggesting there is a flight to quality.

Big picture: We observe about a 5% drop in the number of advertisers in April on Google Preferred channels.  I’ll let you know if we see them bounce back in the second half of the quarter.

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