LONDON: Twitter, the social networking service, plans to increase the amount of live content on its video app in 2017 after witnessing a significant uplift in viewers.
Its app already includes National Football League matches and has covered the US presidential election debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but now Twitter is looking for more partners to get involved with its video offering.
"Brands love video and audiences love video," said Dara Nasr, Twitter's UK Managing Director, in comments to Campaign at Twitter's IAB Digital Upfronts event in London.
"We have seen video grow by 220 times since 2015 and 93% of video on Twitter is seen on mobile," he added, while explaining that Twitter has no immediate plans to become an original content creator.
"We have Niche who are creators that work with brands. It's not in the foreseeable future that we'll create our own content, we're a platform," he said. "Niche gives brands all the metrics about their campaigns with very high engagement rates."
But while Twitter appears to have no concrete plans to emulate content creators, such as BuzzFeed or AOL, there is no doubt that it sees video and interactive advertising as the way forward.
Speaking at the same event to Marketing Week, David Wilding, Director of Planning at Twitter UK, confirmed that the company plans to push out video globally.
Twitter recorded a 30% increase in viewers between the first and second presidential debates and sees its ability to be one of the first for news as an attractive feature for advertisers.
"Everything at Twitter comes down to two words: what's happening," Wilding said."Brands recognise that if they can capture people who are interested in what is happening, they can spread their message to other people. Interactive is a good way to get people's attention," he added.
He acknowledged that some brands have been reluctant to try to express themselves within Twitter's 140-character limitation, but expressed confidence that interactive advertising, such as its recent campaign for the British Heart Foundation, is the way forward.
"The biggest misconception is character limit and a limit to creativity," he said. "But we are overcoming that and more brands are seeing our potential."
Its app already includes National Football League matches and has covered the US presidential election debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but now Twitter is looking for more partners to get involved with its video offering.
"Brands love video and audiences love video," said Dara Nasr, Twitter's UK Managing Director, in comments to Campaign at Twitter's IAB Digital Upfronts event in London.
"We have seen video grow by 220 times since 2015 and 93% of video on Twitter is seen on mobile," he added, while explaining that Twitter has no immediate plans to become an original content creator.
"We have Niche who are creators that work with brands. It's not in the foreseeable future that we'll create our own content, we're a platform," he said. "Niche gives brands all the metrics about their campaigns with very high engagement rates."
But while Twitter appears to have no concrete plans to emulate content creators, such as BuzzFeed or AOL, there is no doubt that it sees video and interactive advertising as the way forward.
Speaking at the same event to Marketing Week, David Wilding, Director of Planning at Twitter UK, confirmed that the company plans to push out video globally.
Twitter recorded a 30% increase in viewers between the first and second presidential debates and sees its ability to be one of the first for news as an attractive feature for advertisers.
"Everything at Twitter comes down to two words: what's happening," Wilding said."Brands recognise that if they can capture people who are interested in what is happening, they can spread their message to other people. Interactive is a good way to get people's attention," he added.
He acknowledged that some brands have been reluctant to try to express themselves within Twitter's 140-character limitation, but expressed confidence that interactive advertising, such as its recent campaign for the British Heart Foundation, is the way forward.
"The biggest misconception is character limit and a limit to creativity," he said. "But we are overcoming that and more brands are seeing our potential."
Data sourced from Campaign, Marketing Week; additional content by Warc staff
