CMOs: 3 Ways to Use the Mobile Video Explosion to Your Advantage

As a marketer, you know that mobile devices are now used almost constantly by your high-value markets.  As a student in Northwestern's Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program, I've found two insightful articles to help you maximize your potential mobile marketing.  It’s not hard to see that the popularity of mobile devices is greater than ever.

“What TV Everywhere Means for Advertisers” written by Joe Martin, Marketing Analytics Manager for Adobe Systems, discusses the rise of mobile in online video consumption.  With mobile eating up an increasing amount of market share, it is projected to surpass desktop in online video starts by the end of 2016.  Additionally Martin mentions that while viewing a 60 minute show online, he saw the same ad repeat 3 times, demonstrating the need for more video ad content to keep up with the increase in mobile video consumption.

Photo Source: "The Drum" - http://bit.ly/1zaROSr

Chain Reaction, an online marketing performance agency likewise posted the mobile marketing trends they have observed for 2015 calling this the “most exciting year yet for mobile video ads.”  With mobile video ad spend doubling yearly since 2013, it’s easy to see why.  It’s not just the ad spend that’s increasing but Chain Reaction has found that consumers on mobile (vs. computer) are three times more likely to view a video.

Based on the findings from these two articles and from my studies in the IMC program, I would make 3 suggestions for marketers:

• Invest in video - The growth of online video means an increase in traffic for video ads, and as Martin mentioned, the increase in mobile video consumption has left us with a need for ad content. 

• Integrate multimedia - Video ads are only part of the picture.  With consumers significantly more likely to watch video on their mobile devices, it’s imperative to integrate video into every part of your marketing strategy.

• Format for mobile - With mobile viewers making up almost half of online video audiences, it’s imperative to make sure your video can be viewed on a variety of mobile platforms.  If it’s difficult to get your video to play, viewers are going to just move on.

As streaming technologies continue to improve and mobile screens seem to just keep getting larger, mobile video is likely to become more and more popular.  While many marketers are happily jumping on board, some might be more hesitant to invest in these areas. However, both mobile and video individually are no longer optional in a marketing plan – they’re a must.  So with them rising quickly together, it seems crazy NOT to prioritize them in your own strategy. 

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I'm Becky Canfield, a senior at Northwestern University studying Communication Studies, Psychology, and Integrated Marketing Communications. I have spent the past two years in the marketing and public relations fields, working as a Marketing Associate at Chicago-based retirement plan consulting firm, PlanPilot, and spending this past summer as a Public Relations Intern at Adobe.  This coming August, I'll be starting as a Public Relations Manager at Adobe.

I can be contacted through my Twitter (@bcanfield014) or LinkedIn.