Video advertising is promotional content that plays before, during, or after streaming content. It can also run as a standalone when it's placed natively within content.
With streaming video consumption on the rise, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing similar trends within marketing investments. TV ad spend will decline 15% this year, while digital video continues to capture additional dollars with an expected 11.3% increase by the end of 2020. This exponential growth is expected to continue with video ad spend doubling it’s current levels by 2024, reaching $69.4 billion.
As digital video increases, so do the variety of formats to choose from. The chosen type will depend on asset availability, objective you’re aiming to accomplish, and platform.
While there are a wide array of video formats available, they predominantly fall within two main categories:
A variety of video lengths are possible. However, it’s important to align video length with your chosen platform and objective.
Video has historically played a larger role in the awareness and consideration phases of the consumer journey. However, it is an integral part of the marketing funnel, contributing to lower funnel metrics. Your video strategy and the formats you choose will be tailored based on the objective you’re trying to achieve:
With the increasingly blurred lines between digital and traditional, digital allows for a one-stop shop for video inventory transactions Video inventory can be purchased digitally to run across a variety of devices and platforms:
It can also be transacted through a variety of means, depending on the priority objective. See the table below for an overview:
| Campaign Type | Inventory | Objectives |
| Programmatic | Open Exchange | Efficient CPMs Enhanced targeting Ample scale Inventory variety Minimal inventory control |
| Private Marketplace | Premium CPMs Enhanced targeting Ample scale Inventory variety Increased inventory control |
|
| Direct | Site/Partner Direct | Premium CPMs Potential targeting limitations High inventory control & transparency |
A non-profit organization committed to improving the health of mothers and babies through research, community services, education & advocacy needed to raise brand awareness to educate the public about the cause and inspire people to take action.
Basis Technologies’ managed services team developed a robust search strategy designed to connect ads with a highly targeted audience who are actively researching. The strategy was led with an “always-on” all-year-round approach and supplemented with event-specific nationwide and local campaigns to stay top of mind and generate as many donations as possible. Both strategies' key performance indicators (KPIs) focused on donation revenue and a $1 or less cost-per-dollar raised (CPDR). As a Google Premier Partner, the Basis Technologies team has a direct line to Google that comes with data, advanced optimizations, and more. They leveraged their partnership to provide continuous optimizations and increased performance.
Basis Technologies provided the expertise and buying power that resulted in 8,542 donation conversions generating $748,433 in donation revenue with an effective $0.40 CPDR. Their success is attributed, in part, by continuously reviewing measurement reports and optimizing keywords in real-time that improve results and reduce costs.
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Video advertising used to be so simple: there were three major networks, you placed your TV ad in front of tens of millions of people during primetime and...well, yeah, that was pretty much it.
Today, however, is a different story. While good ol’ fashion television remains in the top spot for video consumption, digital video viewership is soaring. In fact, by 2023—just two years from now—digital video viewership in the US is expected to surpass time spent with TV for the first time in history. With Millennials and Gen Z increasingly cord-cutting (or cord-never-ing), the digital video revolution is only just beginning.
What does this mean for advertisers, and why should you think about expanding your digital video ad budget? Let’s take a closer look:
In short: because that’s where the eyeballs are. According to eMarketer, US adults will spend 2 hours and 29 minutes per day viewing digital video this year—up nine minutes from 2020. US digital video viewership has steadily risen in recent years, climbing from 229.7 million in 2018 to 244.4 million in 2020, and is projected to hit 260.5 million by 2024.
It’s not just younger people who are watching more and more video, either—it’s everyone. Out of 244.4 million digital video viewers in the US, 32.6 million are from Gen Z, 45.7 million are Millennials and 21.7 million are Gen X or older.
It’s also worth noting that the growth of digital video viewership is not limited to the United States—the numbers are also expected to grow in the UK (from 47.0 million in 2020 to 50.7 million by 2024) and Latin American countries like Argentina (from 26.3 million in 2020 to 27.7 million by 2024).
Everywhere, all the time, possibly even right behind you RIGHT NOW!
(Did we scare you? Sorry. We just get really excited about digital video!)
In the US, 58% of smartphone users say they use mobile to stream digital video content. Smart TVs are not far behind, with 53% of people tuning into platforms such as streaming services on their bigger screens.
On average, US adults watch 26 minutes of digital video a day on their desktops/laptops, 51 minutes a day on their mobile devices (such as smartphones or tablets) and one hour and 12 minutes per day on other connected devices such as connected TVs or gaming consoles.
Video’s triumphant rise will only grow in years ahead, as the introduction of new social media tools (such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and Facebook Stories) and the unstoppable rise of video-on-demand services (such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime and others) continue to transform the way we create, view, and interact with video.
As you might expect, the abundance of free and subscription-based content distribution services and platforms—combined with skyrocketing viewership across a range of demographics—has created an extraordinary opportunity for marketers to engage their target markets.
Digital video ad spend in the US grew is expected to grow to a record-breaking $76.2 billion in 2022. By 2024, it will hit an astonishing $105.2 billion.
What about programmatic, you say? US programmatic TV ad spending is forecast to grow by 35.4% in 2021 to nearly $5.5 billion and is expected to hit $7.95 billion by 2023. By 2022, more than 10% of linear TV advertising will be transacted or fulfilled programmatically.
The market for digital video advertising is growing increasingly large—and increasingly programmatic. Want to dig deeper? Download our Video Unleashed guide to get tips for how to run a strategic video campaign, gain more digital video advertising insights, and a whole lot more.
The American Booksellers Association (ABA) is a national not-for-profit trade organization, working with booksellers and industry partners to ensure the success and profitability of independently owned book retailers, and to assist in expanding the community of the book.
The ABA partnered with Basis Technologies to help bring their in-store events campaign “Don’t Box Out Bookstores” into the digital space to extend their messaging and drive engagement. The event brought attention to convenience culture and its effect on independent bookstores across the country.
Basis Technologies' Media Strategy and Activation team developed a Twitter campaign that targeted journalists, activists, and book lovers that would support and spread the word. In parallel, the team geo-targeted readers within a ten-mile radius of any independent bookstores to help drive foot traffic.
The campaign generated national press across the country from publications such as The New York Times, LA Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, Forbes, Business Insider, Daily News, and more. The campaign even reached global heights with mentions in Europe, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and Russia.
Business Impact:
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Marketing Manager, American Booksellers Association
"Before the campaign, 25% of independent bookstores were in danger of closing, and since the launch of the campaign, that number has drastically dropped to 5%."
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The COVID-19 pandemic served up a heavy hit to the food and beverage industry in 2020, but with vaccination rates rising, daily life is set to return to something more reflective of pre-COVID normalcy.
As we return to restaurants and the homes of friends and loved ones, food and beverage marketers will be wise to take steps to ensure their brands are poised to capitalize on the upswing. With what seems like endless options for reaching your audience online, Centro recommends trying the following strategies to strengthen your brand’s transition into the post-pandemic world.
You’ve heard it a thousand times: location, location, location. Food and Wine Magazine reports that 63% of respondents to a poll asking diners to list the factors they considered when choosing a dining establishment named location as a priority. In fact, location was third on the list, behind only health and safety ratings and price point. This means your customers are all around you.
Hyperlocal targeting can be a very effective tool for reaching your resident neighbors and those just passing through. Leveraging technology that is based on mobile phone GPS location data to target consumers who are physically present within a radius of your establishment, as opposed to the location their IP address is linked to, gives you an edge in reaching those who are nearby as they are making decisions about how to fill their bellies.
Leveraging a PMP, or Private Marketplace, gives marketers access to premium inventory that will appear adjacent to content that your target consumer is already interested in. As Didgiday explains, open ad exchanges are the public pools of the web where anyone can come take a dip, and PMP’s are the country clubs that allow select swimmers access to the pools with the palm tree fountain and swim-up bar.
How does it work? Publishers sell premium inventory to advertisers whose brands align with the user experience they want to provide their readers, allowing those advertisers the opportunity to reach a highly engaged audience with a greater level of interest in in their products.
Basis DSP provides access to over 2,000 PMPs, including those targeting users who seek out drinks, dining, entertainment, and lifestyle content. Travel-related PMPs put you on the radar of visitors who will be in your area soon, but would be missed by location targeting as they’re planning their trip from home.
Once you’ve chosen the ideal programmatic tactics to get in front of your audience, you’ll want to support those efforts with creative that draws them further in. The key to any good creative strategy is to be sure the tactics you’ve selected and the creative that will run against them are aligned. Tactics that focus on awareness are common among advertisers in the food and beverage vertical, and often utilize video creative.
Video is a great choice for any awareness campaign. Its visually captivating nature makes it effective at keeping attention longer than standard display creative. Programmatic video typically can run for six, fifteen, or thirty seconds. This allows for restaurant industry advertisers to showcase their kitchen’s work by featuring menu items they are most proud of, as well as the atmosphere diners would enjoy it in.
Video allows B2B advertisers selling everything from industrial kitchen equipment or linen laundry services to demonstrate the advantages they offer over competitors. Something to remember about video creative is that video completion rates are lower for longer videos. A good creative agency will be able to help you create video ads that leverage the attention that video creative draws in, but get the point across quickly.
Display creative is also effective when strategically paired to a programmatic tactic that aligns well with the content. For example, display is an effective means of advertising promotional offers to users who have already visited your website via a retargeting tactic. If you are using a tactic that seeks to bring new customers into a restaurant, featuring mouthwatering food photography in your creative is a great way to entice consumers to try something new.
Food and beverage marketers face a variety of challenges in 2021 as we reemerge from the pandemic—read more about how to help your marketing program recover from COVID-19 here.
This is the fourth in an 11-part series of blog posts that focus on Centro’s corporate guiding principles, and how those values show up in the workplace and in the lives of our people.
Recently, gold medal Olympian Simone Biles made headlines for her decision to withdraw from the Olympic games. Simone took the initiative to put herself and her mental health first before anything.
To reach greatness, everyone must take some time out to breathe. At Centro, our Reframe community group provides a safe space to rethink how we understand mental health conditions and discuss practices to manage them.
The Reframe mission statement goes hand in hand with one of Centro’s core principles, “breathe:”
“We work hard to build amazing products and achieve victory; however, we also recognize the importance of keeping life in perspective. Taking moments of stillness and breath allow us to consistently find peace and joy along the journey, as it’s an invaluable component to sustainable and lasting success.”
Reframe’s leaders, Kasia Sosin and Cody McGuire, host regular discussions to share experiences and speak to the ways in which culture and society impact how we view mental health.
“When a lot of people hear about mental health, they think depression, which isn’t always the case. Depression is a part of it, but there are other topics, such as anxiety, stress, and mindfulness. Reframe is meant to be a safe space to come and hear what other people are going through,” McGuire says.
According to Sosin, “another goal of Reframe is to break mental health into four quadrants: financial, physical, mental, and holiday (as company-wide holidays can feel different for everyone), and have a topic of wellness for each one. We also want to work to destigmatize mental health in the workplace.”
According to the CDC, poor mental health and stress can impact an employee’s performance, productivity, engagement, and communication with coworkers. Taking some time out of your day to just breathe can make all the difference for your quality of life.
In the future, Reframe plans to continue educating Centrons about mental health and mental health in the workplace.
Learn more about life at Centro.
This is the third in an 11-part series of blog posts that focus on Centro’s corporate guiding principles, and how those values show up in the workplace and in the lives of our people.
The great Socrates once said, “Let him that would move the world, first move himself.” In these past few years, we have seen how quickly and drastically life as we know it can change, for better or for worse. The ways in which we react to change can have powerful effects on individual growth, development, and resiliency.
Whether it is positive or negative, change is the only constant in our lives, which brings us to Centro’s next guiding principle: "Embrace Change." A world that is constantly evolving necessitates adaptation. We must learn to either welcome change, or risk falling behind.
Although it is necessary, coping with change can be complicated and difficult, a fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized. According to the CDC, 40% of adults in the U.S. reported struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse in late June of last year.
A disproportionate amount of those surveyed were “younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers.” With the threat of another pandemic shutdown looming, exploring healthy coping mechanisms is essential to overcoming change rather than surrendering to it.
Allow Yourself Grace
In a pre-pandemic world, low productivity and high stress levels may have been easier to deal with. With continued isolation and the shift to remote work, the boundaries between work life and home life have blurred. The pressures of maintaining productivity levels and simultaneously juggling domestic responsibilities can be exasperating. Employees have taken to regularly extending workdays, and are finding it harder to disconnect from devices at the end of a shift. A survey from Staples reported that between 2019 and 2020, the average employee workday increased by 6.1%.
Allowing yourself grace can be a positive method for coping with changes brought about by the pandemic. Take breaks when you need to, and self-care days when you feel overwhelmed. Adjusting to this new way of life requires a considerable amount of energy and, understandably, you will feel burnt out. Find ways to reduce this feeling by disconnecting from your devices and focusing on activities that make you happy. Not only will this be beneficial to your mental health but may also diminish work-related anxiety. Also, take advantage of wellness events and activities offered by your employer (for example, Centro’s Wellnesspalooza).
Stick to a Schedule
Although it can be difficult while working from home, keeping to a routine will prove advantageous in the long run. If possible, continue your morning rituals as if you were still leaving for the office. Establish your work hours as well as a dedicated workspace to prevent work and home life from mingling too often and leading to distraction. A sense of normalcy may assist with adapting to post-pandemic changes as well.
Here are some additional tips for working from home.
Stay Connected
Sheltering at home has diminished our social lives by preventing us from seeing family, friends, and coworkers. Luckily, the virtual world has provided us with a way to socialize while avoiding the risks associated with the pandemic. By hosting movie streaming parties, playing online games, or even having simple video calls, we can retain our social connections. Participating in workplace community groups can be a great way to build friendships with colleagues as well.
Staying connected to our own minds and bodies is just as important. At Centro, employee mental health and wellbeing are priorities, and employees have access to free workout classes, mental health webinars, and even guided meditation subscriptions.
So, What Now?
As we know, change is constant and inevitable. There is no definitive way to embrace change, so we must construct our own methods for adaptation. Only then will we be able to progress towards a new—and hopefully even better—normal.
With a mission of delivering memorable game-day experiences and serving a Louisiana-inspired menu that offers food and drinks made from scratch daily, the quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchises have become a local favorite.
The QSRs success has grown with over 100 franchised locations in the works across 15 states. With a unique concept, an innovative food menu, and a winning culture, the brand is on track for strategic franchise expansion nationwide.
Like many leading brands, the client was already reevaluating their partner strategy with their agency of record, and the pandemic only moved the process forward. AdExchanger reports that 70% of digital marketers are reevaluating their partner plans. While only 18% of the respondents are reevaluating partners specifically due to the pandemic, more than half (52%) were already evaluating their strategy and now say the outbreak has accelerated those plans.
The client desired an ad tech partner that delivered the perfect combination of full-service management, digital expertise, data-driven strategy, and analytics obsessed that could effectively reach consumers in various designated marketing areas (DMAs) within an ever-changing digital media landscape.
The client evaluated a variety of solutions, ultimately selecting Basis Technologies’ Managed Services due to its unique business model, performance-focused approach, and raving fan service.
The client utilized Basis Technologies’ team for strategy development, activation, insights, and optimization recommendations to drive their first-ever digital media efforts across 37 DMAs. The channel strategy implemented a Facebook and Instagram campaign to boost online orders and app installs. The Basis Technologies team leveraged their Facebook partnership for analytics reports, advertiser spends optimization recommendations, measurement best practices, creative tips, and more to help maximize ad budgets and achieve the results needed to succeed.
Basis Technologies provided the expertise and buying power that resulted in 46,194 clicks (0.57% click-through-rate) generating almost $800,000 in revenue with an effective $1.45 cost-per-click. In summary, Basis Technologies provided:
Smarter media performance with award-winning subject matter experts who plan, buy, & execute across all digital channels & devices within Basis Technologies' owned and operated tech, Basis.
Received robust reporting, insights, and optimization recommendations during weekly in-depth performance reviews.
Achieved the level of support that the brand needed to extend its bandwidth and see real performance from digital media campaigns.
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As a recently graduated Black woman who is just beginning her career, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and workplace culture are extremely important to me. When searching for opportunities after graduation I knew I wanted to find a company that shared my values.
One of the reasons I chose Centro was because of their willingness to learn and incorporate DEI, as well as their passion for helping employees to become better versions of themselves. Centro’s CEO Shawn Reigsecker even wrote earlier this year about his own journey of self-improvement and DEI.
Companies are always striving to better ensure success for themselves and their team members, and incorporating DEI and improving workplace culture are great ways to achieve this. In fact, around 70% of diverse companies are better positioned to capture new markets.
Listening to your employees is an important way to continue that journey to success as a company. If a team feels silenced, tired of trying to speak up, or not heard, that’s a direct reflection on the company’s investment in their people.
To see if other young professionals shared my opinions, I asked fellow Centro interns Bhavika Mullick (Human Resources), Cindy Huang (Paid Search), Tyler Forster (Ad Operations), Damon Whitman (Digital Media), LaTosha Pointer (Growth Marketing) and Nafisa Sarowar (Software Engineer Apps) to discuss.
Wangui Gathungu: In an ideal workplace, how would your employer address and incorporate DEI?
Bhavika Mullick: By having hiring and retention strategies in place, such as community groups. What’s the point of hiring those diverse groups when there is nothing to keep them there and allow them to grow and excel?
LaTosha Pointer: By acknowledging the different holidays within different cultures and not being afraid to encourage or show that we have differences–not just saying “we’re all the same.”
Tyler Forster: By hiring people from diverse backgrounds that can provide different perspectives. Often companies who have more diverse employees tend to do better because they have different backgrounds that can lend more creativity. Also, having a committee that talks about DEI.
Damon Whitman: I think it starts with hiring—you should hire people of all different backgrounds. People who have different backgrounds can offer different perspectives.
Nafisa Sarowar: By listening to their employees and taking their concerns seriously. Just overall support, and that can come in many ways.
Cindy Huang: Acknowledging the diversity within the workplace as well as different social issues. For example, if something in the real world happens, set up a meeting to educate people about what they can do to help.
WG: How important is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace to you?
BM: DEI is probably the most important thing for me, because what is a business without diversity? There are statistics that say if you have diversity then your productivity increases. It introduces us to different cultures and perspectives.
LP: I’m used to being in predominantly white workplaces and being the only minority, so I don’t expect too much when going into new spaces.
TF: Very important. Where I grew up was diverse, so now I seek out diverse environments when I look for jobs.
DW: As a Black queer person, DEI is very important to me. It’s important to me that I’m included because sometimes I’m looked over because I’m so different.
NS: I think it’s important. If a workplace acknowledges that DEI is important, it can encourage more thoughts and perspectives. If they don’t have that and something goes wrong, they won’t know what to do and maybe just make excuses. If you’re not acknowledging everyone fairly, you won’t be able to properly identify the problem and find the best solution for it.
CH: It’s important for me. You kind of stand out in a way being the only minority.
WG: What else are you looking for in an employer?
BM: Having frameworks in place for employee mental and physical health. Now that we’re all remote, it’s harder to separate work life from home life.
LP: Somewhere I can grow and learn. A place I feel comfortable at, where I can gain knowledge.
TF: A company that is attentive to their employees, meaning that they care whether their employees are happy, healthy, and enjoying themselves in a safe environment.
DW: One of the main things I look for is professionalism. I also look for companies that have people that look like me—being a double minority I want to see myself reflected in the company. I want to work for company that genuinely cares about me and not only the work I can do.
NS: A good work/life balance is important. I try to get all my work done during work hours so that I don’t have to take it home.
CH: I want a good team to work with, with a good team ethic.
WG: What do you like about Centro’s workplace culture?
BM: The community groups—I love that you can create your own group about anything you want, and use it to find people who feel the same way. I also like that Centro keeps us interested with different events.
LP: Everybody is nice, and they cater to people’s strengths.
TF: Everyone is genuine about wanting to help you and support you. No one on my team has a problem with taking some time out of their day to help me out.
DW: The first thing that comes to mind is everyone's supportive nature. Centro really takes their core values to heart.
NS: I love how everyone is so nice and down to earth, and how everyone talks to one another regardless of what position they are in.
CH: I like how everyone is nice, genuine, and willing to help and everyone strives for self-growth.
WG: How did you hear about Centro?
BM: COOP, which is a program for first-generation college graduates or college graduates who received financial aid. It provides you with networking help and help with job prep such as resumes and interview tips.
LP: I heard about Centro through Handshake, but I got my internship through an HR recruiter.
TF: I found out about Centro while researching jobs on LinkedIn.
DW: When I moved to Chicago I Googled “digital media roles in my area” and Centro popped up. I did more research and I saw that they have a good reputation.
NS: A recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn. The interview process was casual, and everyone was so nice.
CH: Through an apprenticeship program called COOP. Hearing one of the Centro representatives speak so passionately and genuinely about Centro made me interested.
