2014 Video Marketing Trends: Blockbusters, Original Content, and Innovative Ads Advance Together

The volatile year of 2013 has passed, and the value of video marketing has continued to explode in its advance. According to the "Video Advertising Trends Insights" white paper recently released by Millward Brown, video ad spending has surpassed comprehensive portals to become the most favored form of online advertising for advertisers. Looking at real-world cases from top-tier advertisers such as Samsung and Shanghai Volkswagen, we find that blockbuster exposure, original content integration, and advertising innovation have become the three major trends in current video marketing for advertisers, and will continue to influence the new direction of video marketing in 2014.

The Value of Blockbuster Marketing Multiplies Exponentially

Data shows that 60% of online video user traffic is now contributed by blockbusters, making blockbuster marketing the main battlefield of video marketing. In 2013, Tencent Video achieved an exceptionally high hit rate for popular dramas by strictly implementing scientific drama selection criteria. According to data from EntGroup, the total online playback volume of the top 30 blockbusters on Tencent Video reached 8.413 billion views. Since its launch, 104 popular dramas have surpassed 100 million views, setting a record for the highest playback volume across the entire network.

In fact, with the growing maturity of media operations and matrix promotion, online video has become a key driver of successful brand blockbuster marketing. Through the three major system links of content selection, drama creation, and platform broadcasting, leveraging media operations and matrix promotion, and integrating Tencent's large platform including WeChat, Weibo, and QQ, Tencent Video's blockbuster marketing enables brand exposure to multiply exponentially.

In this regard, Wang Congyong, General Manager of Jinguan Food, stated that through its title sponsorship of Tencent Video's spring blockbuster "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," Jinguan's pre-roll ads achieved 290 million effective exposures and 3.7 million clicks, with over 12 million target user interactions in engagement activities. Additionally, Qianjin Pharmaceutical leveraged Tencent Video's blockbuster marketing opportunity by sponsoring and placing pre-roll ads on the popular drama "Legend of Lu Zhen," which targeted its audience. It also integrated platforms such as Tencent Entertainment, online shopping, and Tenpay for integrated marketing communication on women's topics. The campaign achieved 308 million effective ad exposures, covering 19.75 million target users, with ad click lift index 7.23 times higher than average, effectively enhancing brand awareness and reputation.

Original Content Marketing Transitions from Quantity to Quality

According to survey data from the "China Online Video Original Content Research Report," the playback volume of all original content is expected to reach 2.1 billion views in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 54.4%. Meanwhile, the audience for this content is characterized as young and highly educated. Meeting the needs of this audience is key to whether brand video marketing can truly achieve mainstream influence.

In 2013, guided by the "Internet innovation spirit," Tencent Video began to shine in the field of original content. With 200 episodes of high-quality self-produced dramas and 22 premium original programs, it brought over 1.3 billion brand exposures for advertising clients, achieving a transition from quantity to quality. For example, Minzhong Zhentian's title sponsorship of Tencent Video's self-produced high-end celebrity interview show "Big Name Coming" achieved 62 million views in just 10 episodes, covering 25.47 million people. While effectively enhancing brand influence, online and offline point-based interactions also boosted sales.

Xiang Dongping, Executive Director of Brand Marketing and Senior Director of Sales at Shanghai Volkswagen, also highly values the marketing potential of Tencent Video's original content. He stated that when the new Santana was launched in early 2013, Tencent Video specially produced a micro-film themed around genuine emotion for us, which was disseminated through Tencent's own social platforms. The campaign reached 1.56 million people, with 1.3 million participants, allowing consumers to quickly embrace the image of the new Santana.

Similarly, Yinlu Food maximized its marketing value by leveraging Tencent Video's original content. Chen Zhaoyang, Assistant President of Yinlu Food, pointed out that through cooperation with Tencent Video's celebrity talk show "Love! Happy Men and Women," in addition to title sponsorship and pre-roll ads, social content was integrated into the program's interaction for the first time. Content was collected and disseminated through integrated social channels such as Tencent Weibo and WeChat. Influenced by the emotional stories of 26 celebrities, users voluntarily uploaded over 5 million pieces of content, effectively enhancing brand preference.

Innovative Ad Formats Drive New Breakthroughs in Marketing Value

With the development of video advertising, in the content-driven video industry, external creative ad formats are becoming increasingly important. The latest "Video Advertising Trends Insights" report from Millward Brown shows that in 2014, advertisers are pursuing a deeper integration of creativity and media products (such as custom dramas, soft placements, etc.). Formats like title sponsorship, channel cooperation, viral videos, and micro-films are all new forms advertisers are eager to try.

In this sense, whoever can innovate more diverse and effective communication formats will secure a higher share of advertiser spending. Leveraging its innovative understanding of video marketing, Tencent Video has created highly impactful ad formats such as "Bomber," "Micro Channel," and "First Pre-roll," further enhancing advertiser marketing value. For example, to promote its newly launched Samsung Mega phone, Samsung adopted the "First Vision" ad format, ensuring that all users logging into Tencent Video immediately saw the product's large-format ad. This allowed the Mega phone to perfectly cover the first touchpoint of video users in a short time, effectively boosting product awareness.

Oreo leveraged the 2013 Spring Festival marketing opportunity to collaborate with Tencent Video on a special page for the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Using various creative ad formats such as cookies strung together like firecrackers, it achieved 865 million exposures. Zhao Zixia, Deputy Director of Marketing at Mondelēz China, stated: "The Oreo brand was everywhere on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala page. Tencent Video's planning team also helped us embed interactive elements in the ads, stimulating user participation, deepening the emotional connection between users and the Oreo brand in the short term, and enhancing our product's reputation."

Conclusion: Industry Transformation Deepens, Video Marketing Poised for Explosive Growth

The year 2013 saw a continuous stream of impressive video marketing cases. In 2014, online video will continue to gain momentum, especially as Tencent Video has launched three major strategic layouts: Mobile First, Premium Content, and Tencent Original 2.0. It will continue to join forces with top-tier brand advertisers, providing tailored marketing solutions and creating benchmark marketing cases within the industry. Therefore, although the future remains full of uncertainties, we have reason to believe that online video will achieve leapfrog development driven by leading video sites, and video marketing will enter a period of even greater explosive growth.