The Big Five Trends in video for 2020
GoodChat
Quality stories for people doing good
Video used to mean this ...
Or this.
But that's all changed
(although we still laugh at dumb stuff)
Video is shifting from being a complimentary visual tool to becoming the main piece of content.
- 95% more likely to remember with video. 10% for text (CISCO)
- Views of branded video content have increased 99% on YouTube and 258% on Facebook between 2016 and 2019. (WYZOWL)
- By 2021, 82% of web traffic will be video. (CISCO)
The Five Big Trends
Platforms
Where should we spend our time with video?
Content
What kind of stories should we be telling?
Format
What are the new kinds of videos we can make?
Distribution
What's the best way to get our videos to our audience?
Storytelling
What's the new way to tell stories?
Trend 1 | Platforms
Social Platforms. They're Multiplying.
With so many new platforms (and sub-platforms) where do we put our energy?
Let's talk Tik Tok
- Most downloaded app of the year, 500m users. New but a mash up of the others
- Video-first platform. Lo-fi, short-form, authentic self-expression
- Interactive - hello #hashtagchallenges
- A new generation of influencers and viral memes
- It's for the kids - they sniff bullshit.
- Already some activist and cause-based success stories
- Should you be on it?
YouTube
The big one. 2 billion users, 1 billion hours each day.
65% of people use YouTube to help them solve a problem, and 86% of viewers say they use YouTube to learn new things. Ideal if you can create video content that helps and educates your audience
Great for advertising: skippable and non-skippable pre-roll ads and bumper
Second biggest search engine. Huge reach but vying for many other eyeballs... and people often aren't searching for campaign or charity videos.
It just keeps growing! 800 million active users.
Beautiful and visual, it's where people go to discover.
BUT now brand-saturated and linked to increasing anxiety levels
... and can be hard to convert to action
Instagram LIVE, Stories and IGTV all going off
The best place to get traction? Stories.
Ideal for joining a conversation.
Not as well-known for video, but maybe it should be!
Tweets retweeted 6 x more with video. Why?
SnapChat
Fun, interactive, youth-focused.
But hard for brands to enter, create and track impact.
- Still the biggest platform, despite scandals and privacy issues. Where most of our clients play
- It’s more immediate - can find people in their feed
- Now an older audience - ones with time to watch, support and donate
- The audience expects to hear from brands/orgs more than other platforms
- Ideal length? That depends...
- Those pesky algorithm changes!
BUT there is an opportunity for shareable video that starts conversations ... like this video
This got over 1 million organic views and 10k engagements. Mostly, shared by mothers of 5 year olds.
In a nutshell
Facebook is still your best bet. Ideal for targeting, campaigns, conversations and communities
But YouTube is still definitely important - and there are many ways you can optimise videos to be more searchable.
Trend 2 | Content
"Good is the new cool"
1920’S we wanted enjoyment.
1940’S we wanted power.
1970’s it was about rebellion.
1980's was power and money.
1990's rejected commercialisation.
In 2010’s, we wanted control.
Now, in 2019, we feel like our leaders can't be trusted, and we're moving into the rebellion era again.
"This is our turf. Claim it."
How to become a better person
Here's how not to do it.
Here's how we do it.
1 million women.
Easy ways to do "become a better person" videos.
Exercise
What's a "become a better person" video that your organisation could do?
Trend 3 | Format
Let's get up close and personal
Interactive Video
The ability to interact with the video content itself through tools such as hovering, hotspots to other links, 360 deg views, augmented reality, camera input, data fields, polls and quizzes.
Big budget streaming platforms
Social media features
Engaging + Memorable | Active instead of passive, less likely to get distracted.
Popular | Fun, add moments of delight. Audience love interacting.
Trackable Impact | Not just view but conversions. Can monitor clicks, paths, form fields.
While Virtual Reality (VR) as a trend is plateauing, we’re seeing a big rise in Augmented Reality (AR) - a blend of the natural and virtual world.
Starting to see it emerge more in retail, gaming, apps, navigation
BUT! Don’t create interactive video just for sake of it - like a website or app, needs to be intentionally designed with a broader video strategy.
Personalised Video
Customised to each viewer using elements such as name, profile image, or data directly into the video.
Engaging, tailored, memorable.
Ideal for nurturing supporters, thanking key donors, demonstrating impact
They can be automated with technology - think the cheesy Facebook friendship ones - or this brilliant animation from Nike - or made individually for big impact like Charity Water.
BUT - still either time (like Charity water) or cost (like Nike) intensive.
Vertical Video
Majority of videos are now watched on mobile, especially by Gen Y and Z.
The vast majority of videos are still landscape, and lots are square.
But, as more user-generated content happens, we’re expecting more vertical.
Quibi
Our recommendation? BTS.
Only do it for behind the scenes stuff. Creates intimacy.
Good quality work needs to be landscape. People can simply ... turn their phones.
Trend 4 | Distribution
Content Stack
One size fits all doesn't apply any more. We need to re-purpose it per platform.
A content stack makes the most of the initial shoot and re-purposes some of the different key messages and best footage into new products.
The hero video becomes a full campaign with up to 10 products. Because every dollar has to count.
Electric Road Trip
Story | Want to know if an electric vehicle can make it from Sydney to Melbourne? Take a road trip with one of Australia's funniest men and a respected Futurist.
Style | A road trip comedy with Bondi Hipster Nick Boshier, and futurist Tim Longhurst.
60 second version
Bumper
6 second video
Trend 5 | Story
Good storytelling.
This is a crowded market. Good storytelling cuts through.
LOUIS
Every video must have one of these things.
Laugh | laughter is usually a path to emotional connection. Breaks down the barrier. Helps us share.
Outrage | one of the best ways to get people to act. Works really well with urgent
Urgent | one of the best ways to get something shared - riding the moment, being a part of trending conversations. The philosophy behind our rapid response explainers.
Inform | tell people what they didn’t know, especially about a topic that everyone is interested in. Positions the client as the expert.
Surprise | the king of louis. Try to make everything we do surprising. It is most effective in getting people to engage and share.
But, the way we tell stories is changing
Fred's River
Use a teaser trailer