As marketing goes more visual, marketers are turning towards branded video content to connect and engage their consumers. But in order to do so, brands need to go beyond the product messaging, and look into culturally connecting with their target audience. This is the advice that Chris McCarthy, Creative Program Manager Lead, The Zoo Southern Group, YouTube, MENA has for brands that want to reach out to consumers in any meaningful way.
“Culture embodies our passion. It is about our conversations, and is something that speaks about yourself. In videos, we need to speak on this passion, conversation and trends. YouTube is a good source of creating conversations and amplifying them,” Mr McCarthy said.
Sharing some numbers here, he informed that 300 hours of content is uploaded every minute on YouTube with KSA standing as the biggest consumer of video with 65 per cent users on mobile.
“It’s safe to say that video today is the shared language for human culture. They are a source of learning and a place for self expression,” he added.
He reitarated that since YouTube is about fuelling people’s passion, it has become an apt vehicle for brands to create conversations that matter, and are of interest, to their consumers. He said, “Brands that are sensitive to the culture around them and the cultural conversations are bound to succeed.”
While there are challenges that most often brands face to engage their audience at a deeper level, there are opportunities too.
“Video content and the media’s ecosystem that brands have to operate in today, allows brand to engage in a deeper and wider way. Although, it’s still about creating great stories in a cultural context. Crafting the right story and using technology to amplify it, makes for a very powerful mix,” Mr McCharthy concluded.
Mr McCharthy was speaking at the recently concluded Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity.