Expert IDs drivers for mobile video

Mobile video viewers are spending more than five hours per day with content. One expert offers insight into how brands can better relate to customers through video.

by Kristina Knight

Kristina: What is driving mobile video consumption at this point?

John Piontkowski, Vice President & Industry Lead, Finance at Yahoo: Streaming video across devices has become a daily habit. With larger mobile screens, consumers are more comfortable than ever watching video on their smartphones. Our recent study found that video viewing on smartphones has increased 55% in the past year -- that's 60% higher than on PCs/laptops. That presents a unique opportunity for finance brands to reach these viewers through smart video advertising.

Kristina: Right now, mobile viewers are spending 5.5 hours with content each day; how do you expect this to change in 2017?

John: We're constantly enhancing the mobile experience as an industry, so this number will continue to grow as consumers choose their smartphones to watch high quality video programming wherever they go.

Kristina: How can businesses use video to reach and engage consumers - is it straight advertising? original content? social video? a combination?

John: For financial brands, it's a combination. These advertisers have an opportunity to create original video content as part of premium ad experiences that inspire consumers, provide valuable information, and deepen the emotional connection to the brand. Additionally, we're seeing more brands capitalize on native video ads, both for branding and direct response.

Kristina: What about live video - is this something brands need to begin researching and developing? Or will live video be a future consideration?

John: Many brands are incorporating live video into their marketing strategies now and it will continue to be a key consideration in the year ahead. As video viewership has grown, so has consumers' thirst for live content across all of their digital devices. In fact, 64% of consumers have watched live video online over the past year. It's also an incredibly powerful format for marketers -- more than one-third of consumers pay more attention to live ads compared to those around on-demand content, and ads in live programming lead to higher brand favorability and purchase likelihood. The emotional response to live video is also higher compared to on-demand video viewing. Last year, TD Ameritrade and Scottrade sponsored the exclusive pre-show and half-time report for the live stream of the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting on Yahoo Finance. When viewers were asked afterwards if they were more likely to use Scottrade for their investment needs, 47% of respondents said they were.