How brands are leveraging mobile video to stay ahead of the curve

Southeast Asia (SEA) saw a surge in Internet users during 2020, a year with most of the world in lockdown

The region raked up a 9.9% growth in internet users, pushing the total number in SEA to over the 400 million mark. Since the lockdown, consumers have spent more time online for personal use with time spent online during the initial lockdown being 30% higher than the pre-lockdown period. This has led to a strong mobile inclination among all connected consumers in SEA.

With a significant increase in Internet users, gaming, content consumption, and download speeds, consumers in Southeast Asia are increasingly moving from mobile-first to being mobile-only. These shifts provide relevant opportunities for brands to connect with consumers in new, unexpected, and meaningful ways.

Brands that have leveraged on these shifts and invested in mobile-first campaigns have gained an advantage over those that have fallen behind. Especially, mobile videos have witnessed 65% growth in ad spends across SEA in the last year thereby providing a highly engaging ad experience. Mobile videos offer 179% higher Click Through Rate (CTR) when compared to other ad formats. Offering consumers immersive mobile video experiences gives advertisers an edge over competitors that are relying on standard mobile video formats.

In this scenario, how can marketers plan their mobile video strategy to be future-ready? Here are some leading brands in APAC that have quintessentially leveraged mobile to drive the desired impact and record results.

Brand #1: Sprite drove record engagement and conversions with shoppable video ads

Leveraging InMobi audiences, Sprite identified personalized audience cohorts and engaged them with 15-second short-video ads featuring two young individuals going through a boring day and how consuming Sprite elevates their mood instantly. The final call-to-action on the ads redirected users to the shoppable page, driving them to take immediate action of purchasing the Sprite beverage.

The Results:

• The campaign reached 770,000 unique users and recorded a video completion rate of 88.7%
• Up to 50% conversion rates on popular e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Alfacart
• Two times the click-through rate of industry benchmarks

Brand #2: Royal Stag drove brand awareness with mobile video ads on gaming apps

Pernod Ricard India's flagship brand - Seagram's Royal Stag saw an opportunity to increase their presence in the alcohol spirit category by deepening connections with their young and digital-savvy consumers. With a mobile-first campaign, the brand engaged its core targeted audience through the most engaging ad format - video. Notably, the ads were delivered within top casual gaming apps that smartphone users increasingly use, resulting in remarkable results.

The Results:

• In just thirty days, the campaign reached 2 million unique users and generated 4 million completed video views driving cost efficiencies
• The video completion rate was 1.4 times higher than the industry benchmarks

Brand #3: Pond's creates awareness to practice skin hygiene through interactive video ads

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the brand launched the #CuciTanganmuCuciMukamu campaign (Wash hands then wash your face) to generate awareness about the importance of washing faces. The campaign was targeted at Indonesian female audiences aged between 18-35 years to keep their hands and face clean through a detox process, to avoid possibilities of any infections that could happen because of touching the face. Through the use of vertical videos and end cards, the campaign educated the audience about the importance of hygiene and detox during the pandemic.

The Results:

• The campaign reached 6.8 million unique users
• The video completion rate was 1.5 times higher than the benchmarks
• Increase of 450% in click-through rate compared to benchmarks

Mobile video is the way ahead for marketers to engage and acquire consumers

Having a mobile presence versus being mobile-first can be a fundamental differentiator for a brand. While there is a greater push towards a mobile-first strategy across industries, thinking mobile-first is only the first step. Given the unparalleled rise of mobile video, brands must leverage the highly engaging format to drive their business growth. Learn more about how mobile video has grown over the last year from our 2021 Programmatic Mobile Video Report India and SEA.

To read more success stories, check out the resources page on the InMobi website.

by Rajesh Pantina, director, marketing, Asia Pacific