These online video formats generate high reach

Half of all video views on YouTube take place on mobile devices.After Generation Y comes Generation C. A formative force in culture and retail. They produce and consume more content online every day than ever before. Videos are at the forefront: No medium is more popular - especially online.65 percent of Generation C are under 35, but they also include members of older generations. It is not a description of where and when you were born, but how you live. They are people who use new technologies to search for and use authentic content on various platforms and devices - when and where they want. User-generated content accounts for around a third of all media consumption and is therefore outstripping all other media formats, meaning that moving image content is becoming increasingly important in the online world - including in the area of marketing. What does this mean for companies and what opportunities does it open up for advertisers?The user makes the contentReaching a target group used to be easier - today you have to keep track of all generations - whether Z, X, Y or C. The new technologies have complicated some things, but have also made many things possible and opened up new advertising opportunities. For example, social media makes it difficult to distinguish between the author and the audience. This is why some companies have come up with the idea of turning the audience into the author. The target group conveys the message - itself, so to speak. Consumers prefer to hear what other consumers say about the product rather than what the distributor says about it. Generation C has an opinion and wants to share it with the world. If you combine this with moving images, you hit the jackpot, as Pampers proved in 2013 with its "Love, Sleep & Play" campaign. In the video, the company shows various babies in special moments. The clips were filmed by the parents themselves and approved for publication. The video is intended to show that there are different parenting methods and that none of them are wrong. What babies really need is love, sleep and play. The campaign made waves throughout Western Europe.

Target group becomes a starSimilar examples can also be found in this country: The best known is Bendrit Bajra, who became a star on Facebook because he parodied his origins in his videos and was able to build up a community of 180,000 friends as a result. Today, the 20-year-old is an advertising medium for companies such as Samsung, Emmi, Blick am Abend, Rivella and Edelweiss, for which he produced four clips a few months ago with the agency Scholz & Friends. In them, Bajra draws attention to the fact that Edelweiss flies to Pristina in Kosovo and Skopje several times a week. According to a statement from Scholz & Friends, the first clip quickly attracted over 400,000 views and 1,000 comments on the Facebook pages of Bajra and Edelweiss.

The snack for in between mealsIn addition to user-generated content, another important format is making the rounds on the web. Ultra-short videos, also known as "snack content". This is content with a maximum length of six seconds. This includes animated GIFs, memes, cinegraphs and infographics. The pioneers are Buzzfeed, Vine and Instagram. Snack content brings the message to life and creates the kind of emotion that makes a brand likeable - precisely because it has so little to do with traditional communication and almost nothing to do with the usual way content is made.this type of video is produced quickly, entertains and makes people curious for more. That's why it's more likely to be part of a campaign - as a video series, for example. Otherwise, the generated reach quickly evaporates. The great advantage of snack content is that it works ideally as a mobile campaign and thus achieves a wide reach thanks to the smartphone boom.A spin around itselfHalf of all video views on YouTube take place on a smartphone or tablet. In order to increase shares and user interactions here too, companies should optimize their moving images for mobile. One format in particular makes watching videos on a mobile device an experience: 360-degree clips. Not only can products be presented from all angles, but the viewer can also be taken directly into another world. Samsung demonstrated this in November: To present its new Wireless Audio 360-degree speaker, the manufacturer produced a 360-degree music video in collaboration with the Serranetga agency and Swiss soul singer Seven.

Video is the futureNo matter which format you choose, one thing is clear: video is well on its way to becoming the main medium. But as easy as it may seem to implement, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself in order to be successful: Which target group is being addressed? What is the main message? How can the video be woven into the overall marketing strategy? What is the perfect length for my message?Author: Melanie Granados_____________________________________

"A video needs a goal"

Ultra-short videos and 360-degree videos are becoming increasingly popular. Simon Künzler, Managing Partner at Xeit GmbHin an interview about these entertaining video formats.

MK Mr. Künzler, what significance will ultra-short videos have in 2016?SIMON KÜNZLER Everything is getting faster and faster, so content and stories have to be told faster.MK Which stories work best?KÜNZLER Particularly surprising, emotional, funny or shocking content always works. Simple situations and messages are particularly suitable for short videos. It is important to inspire the viewer in the first five seconds.MK What are other success factors for snack content?KÜNZLER The videos must pick up the user, appeal to them and be understandable. And at the same time convey a message or contribute to a goal. A video just for the sake of it is rarely the goal.MK 360-degree videos have also reached Switzerland, when does it make sense to use this type of video?KÜNZLER Here, too, it depends on the company's goals and the target group. Otherwise, it is often just a gimmick. However, if a company or brand is positioned as a trendsetter, the use of such a tool will certainly contribute to the goal - if you are quick. As a company, it is always about testing out the latest possibilities and gaining experience. This has a lot to do with the culture of a company.MK It is becoming increasingly important that videos are also worth watching on smartphones. What needs to be considered during production?KÜNZLER In terms of content, excitement should be created quickly on a fast medium such as mobile so that the user stays tuned in. Technically, the right compression and delivery technology must be ensured. It is also good if the video content works without sound, i.e. is understandable without sound or even with subtitles.MK Actually, we can all film a video with our smartphone. But why should companies call in experts?KÜNZLER Anyone can create content. But the difficulty lies in creating content that fulfills corporate goals. And to tell a real story that also reaches users.MK A video strategy is essential for a company. What could such a strategy look like?KÜNZLER This must be tailored to the needs and interests of the target group, but also to the company's goals and brand. It also seems important to me that the topic of moving images is also seen in the context of content marketing, so that the use of videos is strategically planned, intelligently designed and produced so that the respective video content is then continuously used optimally for its intended purpose and distributed on an ongoing basis. This requires the right personnel policy in order to have the necessary know-how in-house.Interview: Melanie Granados