Brands Should Make Sure Stories are Designed for Smaller Screens

The list of challenges for social and mobile brand marketing grows by the day, as new technologies radically shift consumer demands. Those that are most agile and adaptable to what's next stand to benefit, and it takes trusted partners to both traverse the perils inherent in the current social-mobile marketplace, and embrace the opportunities laid out in front of brands today.With the help of WHOSAY, makers of the Match Platform for influence marketing, we were able to connect with one such partner, Mark Book, VP/Group Director of Digitas Studios to discuss how his team and the brands they work with are evolving to stay ahead of the curveTV[R]EV: Tell me a bit about DigitasLBi. Give me your creative agency elevator pitch.

Mark Book: DigitasLBi is a global marketing and technology agency. To meet the rising expectations and complexity of modern marketing, we unify data, creativity, media, strategy, and technology to realize a brand’s most magical aspirations. We’re consistently recognized by the industry as one of the top content marketing agencies in the U.S., and our creativity stretches across platforms, from mobile apps to editorial content to record-breaking events. In the past year alone, we’ve won 140+ awards including Grand Prix and Gold Cannes Lions.

TV[R]EV: There are a lot of social-mobile platforms and tools to tell brands’ stories. Which do you rely on most? Facebook? Instagram? Snapchat?

MB: Facebook and YouTube - these seem to be the places that allow for the most creative flexibility and scale of audience.

TV[R]EV: What role can brands play in amplifying the increasingly mobile-social user experience?

MB: Brands can make sure that stories are designed for smaller screens if that's the intent of the distribution. Making sure that the medium and the output are married are paramount to user experience.

TV[R]EV: How has your investment in social media advertising evolved over the years? And what is it now -- IE, how do you describe it to brand clients?

MB: Certainly it's a pay to place marketplace -- but it's become more and more of a suitable platform for different lengths of stories and different experiences.

TV[R]EV: Have you noticed an uptick in your clients/brands requesting influencer marketing campaigns in recent months/years?

MB: Yes, certainly -- influencer marketing is a hot topic right now, as social platforms have increased distribution, and influencers are an authentic way to reach key demographics.

TV[R]EV: Why did you choose to work with WHOSAY? Why wouldn’t you just go to influencers directly?

MB: WhoSay is in a unique position in that they have proprietary tools, up-and-down influencer relationships, and the experience that we can trust to manage easy, medium, or difficult influencer package partnerships.

TV[R]EV: How much of a concern is brand safety when working with influencers?

MB: Brand Safety and adhering to FTC guidelines is paramount to influencer marketing, regardless of the scale of the project.  One slip or issue could cause a disaster for our program and our brand.

TV[R]EV: The major social networks don’t agree on what a video view is, and some count a view if it shows up in feed without sound on -- does this concern you at all? And does it impact your creative decisions -- like using more text overlays, perhaps?

MB: Yes, we have our own way of measuring dependent on the platform, but quartile completions for video content are what we are measuring - the engagement is what matters to us.

TV[R]EV: Have you tried Facebook’s 6-second video ads? If so, what’s your experience been like?

MB: I have not personally yet.

TV[R]EV: How do you see Facebook changing as the ‘Watch’ product stack evolves?

MB: It's a smart move from Facebook to take advantage of a centralized hub of content in which advertisers, agencies, and programmers can utilize the front door past the feed.

TV[R]EV: Are there things you’re doing now to anticipate Facebook’s more TV-like evolution?

MB: We’re monitoring developments closely to anticipate these potential changes and stay ahead of the curve.

TV[R]EV: Are you getting into Snapchat advertising at all? Any plans to? What about Instagram or Twitter or some of the more Gen Z platforms like Musical.ly?

MB: Musical.ly is something of interest to us and our brands - the growth alone is staggering, and the medium offers fun opportunities for integration and brand play.

TV[R]EV: How do you balance your investment in social media advertising versus more traditional forms of advertising like TV?

MB: They complement each other well. Traditional can help with big splashy scatter shots based on contextual needs while social has become a hyper targeted way of delivering more personalized messages to specific audiences.