3

Creative Excellence:
Maximising impact of
your communication
activities
• Succeeding in different formats
Video content have different requirements in different contexts
TV
Engage!
The ad is the only piece of
content displayed on the
screen, so there is less need
to stand out from other
content but the audience
may be distracted by other
things, and the ad needs to
draw them in, with something
actively involving.
YouTube Facebook Digi display
Retain engagement! Attract attention Attract attention
Compared to TV, there's a The Facebook context has We see high levels of
more captive audience high levels of distraction distraction in this context
waiting for their video to and highly personal too, so the ads need to
play so impact is more content from friends.  In attract attention with a more
about retaining engagement this context, ads need to limited hook, given more
than capturing attention capture attention and then static nature of content.
retain engagement for as
long as possible
2
Video content have different requirements in different contexts

TV YouTube Facebook Digi display

Engage! Retain engagement! Attract attention Attract attention

Branding Enjoyment Enjoyment

Enjoyment
Active
Involvement
Branding Branding
Enjoyment
Expressive-
ness
Branding Stop & Look Stop & Look

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TV
Success Factors for TV Ads

01 02 03 04
Be different Use emotion to Branding is key Be meaningfully
engage different
A distinctive creative The advertised brand
style, an idea challenging e.g. by heart-warming has to be the hero of the Create impressions that
category expectations or stories, inclusive and ad, make sure that the position the brand in a
a story telling based diverse casts, music, most engaging elements meaningful and different
approach is a great way appealing to people’s of the ad are linked to the way. Fulfill consumer’s
to achieve engaging emotional needs, or brand. needs and be unique in
and distinctive content. simply through humour comparison to other
Use branding devices
brands. Many brands
need to go beyond the
product message, to
meeting emotional and
social needs.

5
Success Factors for TV Ads

01 02 03 04
Be different Use emotion to Branding is key Be meaningfully
engage different
A distinctive creative The advertised brand
style, an idea challenging e.g. by heart-warming has to be the hero of the Create impressions that
category expectations or stories, inclusive and ad, make sure that the position the brand in a
a story telling based diverse casts, music, most engaging elements meaningful and different
approach is a great way appealing to people’s of the ad are linked to the way. Fulfill consumer’s
to achieve engaging emotional needs, or brand. needs and be unique in
and distinctive content. simply through humour comparison to other
Use branding devices
brands. Many brands
need to go beyond the
product message, to
meeting emotional and
social needs.

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Online video
Success Factors for Online Video Ads

01 02 03
Give the brand a leading role Use emotion to engage Make a lasting impression

04 05
Not all video is audio video Think carefully about video length

Source: Kantar; Creating Digital Advertising that Drives Brand Growth, 2017 8
YouTube (skippable)
Success Factors for Online Video Ads

01 02 03
Hook viewers early – show Brand upfront, but also ensure a Communicate a key message in the
something unexpected, pose an clear role first 5-10 seconds
interesting question, build story
intrigue

For those that are not going to watch the whole ad and may only be exposed to five seconds,
a brand presence (and key message early) at least gives incomplete exposures the
opportunity to create a subconscious encounter – albeit superficial.

Source: Kantar; Creating Digital Advertising that Drives Brand Growth, 2017 10
Impact of the video do not have a linear relationship with % ad viewed

If the emotional response peaks during the scenes that cue the desired brand take away, and this
happens in the first 30 seconds of the ad, it is possible that the below ads are equally impactful,
although one of them has relatively high and other relatively low retention rate.

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Facebook / Instagram
Success Factors for Facebook / Instagram
On these platforms, you are competing with some of the most engaging content – pictures
and videos by friends & family

1 2 3 4
STAND OUT CLEAR FOCAL POINT STRONG BRANDING BE AUTHENTIC

Use vivid footage and colorful Focus viewers’ attention on Make sure people know Tone of the ad must fit with
images in high definition a clear focal point to draw who’s talking to them the brand’s personality – but
the eye in remember this is a social
platform

*Examples are illustrative of principles and were not tested by Kantar

Build for the newsfeed 13
Source: Analysis of Kantar Link for Digital Norms database
Success Factors for Facebook / Instagram

5 6 7 8
LESS FUNCTIONAL – PROVIDE A REWARD TO THE POINT DESIGN FOR NO SOUND
MORE EMOTIONAL
Make the viewer smile, learn Drive home your message Don’t rely on audio
Use human language and interesting information or with engaging yet simple
don’t be too dry or functional have a positive feeling and clear post text

*Examples are illustrative of principles and were not tested by Kantar

Build for the newsfeed 14
Source: Analysis of Kantar Link for Digital Norms database
Design for no sound

Even the strongest ads could be compromised in the Facebook context if audio is a key element.
In Facebook, ads are presented in autoplay and will run in mute unless viewers actively unmute them, what
fewer than 20% of people do. This is important to consider if an ad is highly dependent on audio.

As an example, Smartcar’s ‘Reverse Parking’ launch

ad demonstrates how an exceptional ad struggled in
Facebook due to its dependence on audio.

Our case study showed that many people watched the

ad in mute on Facebook. Lack of audio significantly
compromises response to the ad, affecting both overall
enjoyment and message take away. The ‘news’ is lost
resulting in much lower relevance – suppressing the
ads contribution to longer term equity.

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Early brand reveal can support retention in Facebook

….and create a one-dimensional ‘brand’ encounter

for those that skip in You Tube

There is an interesting difference in response within

the Facebook and YouTube contexts.
It is the ‘brand’ itself that has the strongest
relationship with playback measures within the
Facebook context.
Viewers in Facebook, which is a more personal
context, are driven by a pre-existing relationship or
interest in the brand itself that help attract & maintain
attention.
Therefore one of the reasons an ad is watched in
Facebook can be how linked the brand is with the ad.

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Viewer retention is lower for Facebook compared to YouTube

We would expect to see a different

response in Facebook compared with
YouTube where exposure is forced for
the first five seconds and therefore, by
nature, will be higher….

In contrast, people need to notice the

ad in Facebook before they can
watch it.

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TikTok

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The 10 Truths for Driving Breakthrough
Practical and actionable guidance

Truth 1 Truth 2 Truth 3 Truth 4 Truth 5

TikTok, it’s just different Creators are Music hits the right key Simple is best Allow users creative
the foundation freedom

Truth 6 Truth 7 Truth 8 Truth 9 Truth 10

TikTok may shorten The TikTok audience is Link Branded Hashtag Use TikTok as part TikTok is for all brands,
the funnel broader than you think Challenges to offline / of the marketing in every category
online events ecosystem

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Online display
Success Factors for Online Display Ads

1 2 3 4
ENSURE YOUR BRAND IS SPARK INTEREST & KEEP MESSAGING INSPIRE ACTION
PROMINENT – ALWAYS FOCUS THE VIEWER SIMPLE
Make sure it’s throughout all Feature high-quality, well- Messaging should be clear Feature a clear and concise
frames and visible regardless composed visuals and concise; 1-2 messages call to action; consider
of screen size is sufficient interactivity or co-creation
Avoid clutter to keep the eye
focused on the ad

*Examples are illustrative of principles and were not tested by Kantar 21