Moz Dee, co-founder and director of Contented Digital Media, talks to Figaro Digital about the unstoppable charge of live content, and how brands might be preparing themselves for this next step.
With technology constantly evolving and becoming more integrated into the daily life of the consumer, it’s no wonder that marketing agencies are always seeking the latest digital trend into which to pour their efforts. As marketers seek out more and more ways to connect with their audience, it might be fair to say that the goal post is being moved further away. While it’s now the norm for brands to advertise on social media, the introduction of live streaming into the fray has raised the bar even higher for brands looking to keep ahead of the curve on these platforms.
The Power Of Video
While video is often acknowledged as one of the most powerful tools in the marketer’s arsenal, the sheer potential for its reach is only just beginning to be explored. Moz Dee, co-founder and director of Contented Digital Media, believes that this new foray into live video for brands is just the start. “[…] there’s a lot of video that [marketers] can create that [brands] can distribute both natively and off-platform that will travel, that will get that message across. And increasingly that’s what brands are turning to – as opposed to looking at that old campaign-type creative, they’re looking at building video that talks to their audiences in real time.”
Capturing A Younger Audience
The uptake of brands on platforms like Snapchat is one such example of this, with brands and networks like Buzzfeed, MTV and The Food Network sharing short form, disposable content giving their consumers an easily digestible glimpse of their campaigns. It is also a goldmine for user-generated content, with Snapchat’s geofilters allowing users to log their experiences at brand-sponsored events in real-time, like the Superbowl or the Rio Olympics. For the digital generation, it’s no longer enough to share experiences after the fact. “We used to upload our experiences. Now we want to share them in real time,” continues Dee. “[…] it has the potential for revolution. That’s where those young audiences are. Brands are having to adapt to where those audiences are and look at different types of content that will engage and interact with those audiences on social channels, and I think that’s where we have seen and where we will continue to see brands looking to be more and more innovative in how they do that.”
Dedicated Channels
With the popularity of Facebook Live, Snapchat and Twitter’s Periscope increasing daily, it is creating opportunities for brands to tap into these live customer interactions, to be able to see results of their exchanges almost immediately and adjust their strategy in line with their results. “I can see them getting really futuristic about it,” says Dee. “I’m convinced brands will become broadcasters. They will begin to develop IP, they will have live channels, they’ll be supporting and creating formats that fit their lifestyle creation, and that’s how you engage your audiences in the future.”
Rethinking Your Spend
On the flip side of this, if brands are going to change the way they interact with their consumers, and are really determined to get on board with this “always on” mentality, it will necessitate a change in the way brands fund and manage their content creation. “[…] it doesn’t mean a reduction in spend, but it means a shift in spend,” says Dee. It would mean an end to big-budget production of commercial content. “In this new space, that is no longer fit for purpose, because actually what [brands] want is ten bits of video every day. [Brands] want to be able to convey a message, consistently. You just transfer that spending to a different set of talents, a different way of talking to the audience.”
There’s a chance that this migration to live content could see marketers developing very different sets of skills in order to keep their brands at the cutting edge. But whatever the next hurdle in the digital marketing race might be, it’s clear that live feeds are here to stay.