TrueView Fundamentals

When users are watching YouTube they are not viewing passively. There is strong intent and interest in what is being consumed. Therefore, when interrupting a users YouTube experience you need to consider how you will capture and retain the user's attention.

It will always come down to the execution so there are no silver bullets to what works best in the TrueView space. However, through experience we have learned that some tactics tend to have a better chance of working well and we have some tips on how to begin to approach the creative challenge. Read the below and please feel free to send us your feedback if you found it helpful.

Passive VS Active Viewing Environment

Whilst TV ads tend to follow the traditional passive viewing story arc (below), we must consider a different approach for the active viewing environment (YouTube). Rather then allowing a TV ad break wash over them YouTube users are curating their own programming, choosing what to watch and when to move on. If you are going to interrupt them make it interesting and don't indulge in old school TV techniques like a slow rising sun to open the ad.

TrueView's creative canvas can be split into three stages:

These three stages (seen below) can be used as a lens to help evaluate the concepts being created for TrueView.

1. The Audition - Capturing user attention

If we paused the ad at 5 seconds what has been communicated? Have you delivered anything of value? Anything of interest? Why would anyone stick around for what comes next?

2. The Itch - Converting attention to curiosity by creating the itch

So they have stuck around...how are you keeping them engaged? How do you begin to seed a story or develop a narrative at a pace which retains attention?

3. The Scratch - Closing the loop and really scratching the itch

If someone is enjoying the concept and you've retained their attention for a good period of time, how do you close the loop? Sometimes when you have created a really great scratch the best thing you can do is offer the user a really indulgent scratch.

1. Experimentation is King

We'd love to share the silver bullets for exactly how to create advertising for TrueView but the reality is that the best approach for different brands and creative concepts is to experiment and measure. Our advice is to borrow from some of the principles below which will give your experimentation the best opportunity to perform well and then evaluate your work against The Audition, Itch, and Scratch as listed above. The more you experiment the better you will understand this space and what will work for your brand.

2. Know your audience

If we were all honest about what we watch on YouTube, what channels we subscribe to and which creators were our favourite you'd quickly realise that everyone's YouTube experience is unique. Knowing the audience is a fundamental principle of advertising. So, knowing what your audience enjoys most on YouTube is critical when developing the creative you are planning to interrupt them with...especially when they have the option to skip. You Need to earn their attention. Maybe just start with the most popular creators that your target audience enjoys. You can use a tool like peg.co to work it out.

3. Break the forth wall

YouTube is full of content creators who speak directly to their audience down the barrel of the lens. This technique is often considered faux pas in traditional broadcast advertising but, if harnessed properly, it can make brands feel more authentic and less scripted on the platform. Ads that engage the viewer by speaking directly to the camera are associated with improved brand metrics.

4. Take control of time

TrueView isn't bound by traditional length restrictions. We have seen brands like GEICO have huge success in this space. Reference the skip button, fast forwarding the ads for the users, freezing the scene to hold engagement as long as possible...all of their experiments with time have delivered above benchmark performance in the TrueView space. The key is start with a brief that aims to tackle the unique TrueView canvas at its core. And remember you've paid for the view once you've driven someone past the 30' mark so keep the viewer engaged for as long as you can.

5. Humanising your advertising

One could argue that YouTube contains the largest amount of video content that spans the entire spectrum of emotions. When people watch YouTube they laugh, they cry, and everything in between. Brands which do a good job of embracing this emotional spectrum and begin telling more real, human stories as part of their content mix have had huge amounts if success.