Five Key Takeaways for Transitioning to Vertical Video

Cheetah Mobile Ad Week Europe panel
People are spending more time on their mobile phones than ever before, and 99% of that time, they’re holding their phones vertically. Studies show that vertical video is an effective way to reach this growing population of mobile users. As such, quite a few vertical video platforms have entered the mobile market, including Cheetah Ads, Cheetah Mobile’s advertising business. Cheetah Ads leverages Cheetah Mobiles artificial intelligence strength to make ads smarter, offering customized, targeted vertical video across all mobile moments.

Michael Smith, UK sales director of Cheetah Mobile, moderated a panel at Advertising Week Europe that explored how agencies, advertisers, and publishers are using vertical video, including the benefits, opportunities, and challenges that are currently being faced. Here are five very important things to keep in mind, shared by the insightful panelists, when transitioning to vertical video. 

Education
We need to educate our clients on the insights we gain through campaigns. For example, the different view-through rates we are seeing based on ad duration. Since vertical video is in its infancy, we need to push these insights to agencies and advertisers. By working together and examining the overall performance, we can learn from each other, set benchmarks, and then educate into market.
Michael Smith, UK sales director, Cheetah Mobile

Cheetah Mobile Ad Week Europe panel
Timing

Vertical video sits in between social and mobile, and the role is determined by the audience. It’s effective for reaching people organically in social platforms (like Snapchat and Facebook) or through “moment targeting” in inventory outside of the social environment. You can more effectively reach people throughout the day by understanding their moods and mindsets in different scenarios
Celine Saturnino, chief commercial officer,  Total Media

User Experience
We need to listen to consumers and get their feedback as we build out these new vertical video formats. For example, they might not want to be hit with auto play and auto sound. If we put off the users who are actually engaging with our content, it doesn’t matter what formats we’re using. Make the experience good for users, and they will welcome it.
Rhys Denny, head of international business development, Verve

Cheetah Mobile Ad Week Europe panel
Relevancy

Vertical video works well for brand advertising, because it’s seamless and interactive. If you get the content right, even in a short video, you can start to tell the brand story. However, it’s very important that you create engaging video that’s relevant to the audience you are trying to reach.
Lisa Mendalodo, chief revenue officer, Chalk Global

Good Inventory
Generally speaking, there’s an infinite supply of vertical video inventory, but due to safety concerns, like fraudulence and verification, brands are looking for premium inventory, which includes “white listed” inventory on trustworthy platforms and sites. There’s currently a shortage of premium inventory, so it’s important to encourage publishers to start creating more quality vertical video supply.
James Hill, commercial lead for the UK, Teads.tv