Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

What we know about online video audiences

Article • WARC Best Practice, July 2019

Explores the current reading and thinking on the topic of online video audiences, which are increasingly shifting to mobile - here, brand messaging is largely unwelcome, necessitating exceptional creative and controllable ads.

How to develop an effective YouTube content strategy

Article • Julian Saunders, WARC Best Practice, July 2016

This article provides best practices for developing a content strategy on the most visited online video platform in the world, allowing brands to engage a different culture from the mainstream and find a place in the 'everything channel'.

KitchenAid cooks up innovative YouTube strategy

News • 04 March 2020

KitchenAid, the appliance brand owned by Whirlpool, deployed a smart ad sequencing strategy as it engaged consumers on YouTube, the video-sharing platform.

KitchenAid uses “moment marketing” YouTube strategy to boost awareness and recall

Article • Reed Karaim, Event Reports, IAB Annual Leadership Meeting, February 2020

KitchenAid, the home appliances line owned by Whirlpool, leveraged a dynamic YouTube ad campaign to drive brand awareness and recall.

Gotcha! Realism of comedic violence and its impact on brand responses: What's so funny about that bloody ad? The moderating role of disposition to laughter

Research Paper • Malgorzata (Mag) Karpinska-Krakowiak, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 60, No. 1, 2020, pp. 38-53

Two experimental studies in Poland examined how perceived and manipulated realism of comedic violence may influence consumer responses to brands.

Addressing mass audiences at scale in 2020

Article • Martin Radford, WARC Exclusive, February 2020

How brands should adapt to shrinking TV audiences in the age of media fragmentation.

Cocomelon gets into merchandising

News • 13 February 2020

Cocomelon, the hugely successful kids’ YouTube channel, is moving into new areas, including merchandising, albums and movies, which may be a response to the ad targeting rules that came into force last month.

RYOT (A Verizon Media Company): EARTH brand animation

Case Study • SABRE Awards, IN2, North America, Best in Brand Animation, 2020

Verizon Media-owned content studio RYOT Studios created an animated music video, Earth, to generate global awareness about the imminent dangers of climate change and raise funds in support of environmental charities.

Behr: ASMR for DIYers

Case Study • SABRE Awards, IN2, North America, Best Use of Video Networks, 2020

Paint manufacturer Behr Paint created an Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) video to connect with DIYers in the US, using emerging technology.

Nicorette: Taste Test Drive

Case Study • SABRE Awards, IN2, North America, Healthcare, 2020

Nicorette, a nicotine replacement therapy brand, increased awareness and sales of its new lozenges in the US by partnering with former smoker and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr.

How GQ extended its brand into sports

News • 05 February 2020

GQ, the lifestyle publication, successfully found a way to tap into consumers’ passion for sports by developing a brand extension that provides a unique insight into the lives of athletes.

What’s driving social video’s APAC growth and where the opportunities are for brands

Article • Low Lai Chow, Event Reports, VidCon Asia Summit, December 2019

Stephan Jenn, sales director and APAC head for Tubular Labs breaks down social video’s popularity across the region and shares content opportunities at the VidCon Asia Summit.

How GQ Sports rapidly built a new lifestyle-media brand

Article • Stephen Whiteside, Event Reports, CES, January 2020

GQ, the lifestyle publisher, identified an opportunity to extend its coverage into the sporting world by providing a unique take on the lives of athletes.

Never mind the algorithms, optimise video for user satisfaction

Article • Low Lai Chow, Event Reports, VidCon Asia Summit, December 2019

Social video industry consultant Mark Robertson shared his tips for optimising video content at the VidCon Asia Summit in Singapore.

IAB brand safety survey coincides with latest controversy

News • 20 January 2020

Danone, L'Oréal and Samsung are among more than 100 brands whose ads unwittingly appeared alongside climate misinformation videos on YouTube and the news comes as a survey of leading digital marketers confirms that brand safety remains a top ...

The Young and the Textless: The key to reaching generation Alpha is YouTube and Instagram, but brands need to be wary of privacy concerns

Article • Anne Field, ANA Magazine, ANA Magazine, December 2019

For marketers eager to reach generation Alpha, the first generation entirely born in the 21st century, the story is instructive as they are conditioned to an always-on society, with the ongoing screenification of culture.

Mondelez: Hunt the white creme egg

Case Study • Data and Marketing Association, Gold, 2019

Mondelez, the food and beverage company, increased sales of its Creme Egg in its third year of the Creme Egg Hunting Season campaign by creating a sense of urgency for consumers in the UK.

The Brand Benefits Study

Research Paper • MRS Awards, Finalist, MRS Award for Media Research, 2019

Pearl & Dean, a cinema advertising company, utilised a unique implicit testing methodology to prove that cinema is instrumental in benefiting brands in the UK.

Sport Chek: Digital Window Shopping

Case Study • Touché!, WARC Media Awards, Gold, Best Use of Data, 2019

Canadian online retailer Sport Chek used cart data to create a mass retargeting campaign, backed by traditional and digital media, to drive sales on Black Friday.

Tim Hortons: The Away Game

Case Study • WARC Media Awards, Gold, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Tim Hortons, the restaurant chain, leveraged a favourite pastime - hockey - with The Away Game campaign to revive love for the brand in Canada.

Clear Men: Data Driven Emotion Mapping

Case Study • Soumya Ranjan Panda, Ha Tran, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Best Use of Data, 2019

Shampoo brand Clear Men conducted a TV, digital and out-of-home campaign, #BeYourOwnChampion, built around the 2018 FIFA World Cup, to connect with men in Vietnam.

Children's Panadol: First Timers

Case Study • WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Best Use of Data, 2019

Children's Panadol created a custom algorithm to drive sales and deliver outstanding results in Australia.

Pond's X Maudy Ayunda

Case Study • Avitasya Febryani, Fadila Hafsah, Mikhal Anindita, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Best Use of Data, 2019

Skincare brand Pond's took a precision-marketing approach to support an influencer partnership, in a bid to revamp its image to halt declining market share among young women in Indonesia.

Santoor: Beauty Spot

Case Study • Kedarnath Gupta Devadula, Sonia Bhatnagar, Siju RS, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Santoor, India's leading beauty brand, rolled out its Beauty Spot campaign to connect with young voters during the recent elections.

Tourism Québec: Born to Let Go

Case Study • Hearts & Science Montreal, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Tourism Quebec harnessed the power of data to inspire travellers from abroad to visit the province.

Online video