We all know that television advertising is
not typically used by the Small Business market, but why is this when
studies indicate that people remember only 20% of what they hear, 30%
of what they see, but 70% of what they both see and hear? Shouldn’t
video be the major component in the marketing mix for converting
shoppers to buyers?
For the vast majority of small businesses (SBs), television
advertising carries too much risk due to the high costs of production
and media, the lack of ability to target behaviorally and
demographically, and its lack of accountability. SBs are less
interested in the long-term benefit of brand awareness and more
interested in reaching the “shopper” with their value proposition. The
old adage that “50% of my advertising works; I just don’t know which
50%,” is especially true with television advertising and represents an
unacceptable risk to Small Businesses with limited marketing budgets
and the need for short-term results.The Barriers Tumble Down
The Internet now provides a
video platform that
not only has critical reach but is accountable, economical and reaches
a high density of active shoppers. More than 65% of U.S. households now
have a broadband connection and 68% of Internet users now watch online
video advertising at least monthly (Online Publishers Assoc. Online
Video Advertising, Content and Consumer Behavior, June 2007). Combine
this with the fact that 52% of online video ad viewers take action and
16% saying they purchased2, and you have the arrival of a compelling
video advertising platform.
We think a new term is needed to describe this rapidly emerging form
of video promotion that is largely used online and displayed in
directories or search results. We call it a video “searchmercial;” that
is, a video commercial designed specifically for online search and
directories. Unlike online video display ads or in-stream video ads
that are designed to demand attention and create a brand preference,
the purpose of the searchmercial is to appeal to the active shopper by
providing the information sought. There is no need to cut through the
clutter or generate effective reach; you simply need to tell your story
and communicate value.
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