The Creative Conundrum – New Media Formats Are Exploding

From the tride and true :30s and :60s to 6-second Vines and pre-rolls; video advertising is faced with a format surplus. And many of these emerging opportunities are no longer one-offs but rather part of programmatic platforms with scale.

I just wrapped up on OMMA’s panel: “The Creative Conundrum – Defusing The Format Explosion” at MediaPost’s “Internet Week” in New York. We challenged each other to solve for no longer being able to just re-purpose TV spots to ‘version’ for new media formats. As marketers, we want our message to be told where our audience is. Due to timing and budgets, Media planners are being forced to either go with a (non-channel relevant) chopped down video, or (possibly worse,) simply have their venders execute. If creatives and planners are not working together, and thinking strategically about building video campaigns with format fragmentation in mind, then our message wont ever reach our audience, in an effective way.

Here’s three possible solutions that kept coming to the front:

Media planners are story tellers too.
Coming to creative with insights and data that start to tell the “why,” will help creatives get to a big idea that can be amplified and therefore have bigger reach with a solid content strategy. Re-setting the expectations up front will start to change the conversation as well as the industry’s universal KPIs.

Whats old is new again.
Remember when Media and Creative used to work together up front, and develop the strategy together? Lets get back to what worked in the first place. This will determine if we need to create content that is modular and automated, for example, thus keeping us relevant, and on the right side of our budget and schedule.

Find new ways to test.
Historically, much of the testing was done focus groups, which could enable concepts to be crystallized prior to spending on creative or media. However, the pace has changed. Today, if we think digitally first, then we can test with infinite variables. Check test it, and optimize it on the fly, allowing us to go to market with the content that will make the biggest impact (rather than just relying on scale.)

New technology, data and creative content brings us new opportunities to amplify programmatic platforms in a truly new and more effective way. As a creative, I can’t wait to see how partnering with my media friends will allow us to reach our audience in a meaningful way that we’re proud of.