Automakers Embrace Online Advertising Through Short Videos
The internet has changed the ways consumers shop, and in the same fashion, short online videos have revolutionized the way companies advertise.
Recently, short online videos have become the recipe for success for automakers. Hoping to go viral, automakers such as Toyota, Chevrolet, and Volkswagen have leveraged the internet to spread the word on their newest models. This year for example, several automakers released their Super Bowl ads onto the Internet ahead of their debut during the big game.
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Recently, Japanese automaker Toyota turned to five-second clips to promote its RAV4 model. According to data from comScore, 37 billion videos and 11 billion video commercials were viewed online in October by 183 million Internet viewers in America alone. Earlier this year, Toyota also turned to YouTube.com to promote its new, Prius c model.
There are several advantages with advertising online through video content according to companies. One major one is it’s the perfect way to target their young consumers, while others enjoy the fact that they are able to experiment with out-of-the-box ads. Other automakers have leveraged online content streaming sources such as Hulu.com to advertise on, rather than traditional television channels.
With the advent of portable media devices such as smartphones and tablets, users on the go can still get their television fix in without having to sit on the couch and watch the TV. As such, companies are finding it more advantageous to advertise through those online streaming services.
Volkswagen’s Passat commercial, which aired during the 2011 Super Bowl, garnered over 55 million views on YouTube this year. Honda has shifted a majority of its advertising budget from television to online media as a result.
“It’s now a foundational element of our plans so that most of the time when we go to market there is some type of an online video element,” said Dionne Colvin, national manager of media planning at Toyota. “A few years ago, there weren’t as many opportunities for online video from our perspective.”
[Source: Automotive News]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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