Earlier this month, MediaPost published an interesting article on "Why This is the Year Agencies Must 'Own' Video" about why it's become obvious that agencies need to own online video if they are going to achieve success for their brand customers.
According to comScore, roughly 179 million U.S. viewers watched more than 38 billion videos in February 2012, so it's not a surprise that brands and agencies are making video an important part of their digital marketing plans. But, according to the article, the pressure is on to show real value from video initiatives and ensure they are deliving maximum impact with a clear ROI.
Online video represents a huge branding opportunity for agencies and brand marketers, but this year it is more important than ever for agencies to develop true in-house expertise and strategic technology relationships to ensure they can add real value for their clients. The article notes that "acquainting their in-house teams with video technology enables agencies to demonstrate higher value to clients, reduce their dependence on intermediaries and gain a far deeper insight into which portions of their clients campaign actually perform." This also includes agencies directly engaging with third-party ad-serving, audience targeting and verification technologies.
The article does not recommend that agencies develop their own tools to compete with cutting-edge technology companies, but rather they "reach a new level of sophistication and expertise that helps them execute their video buying, optimization and measurement." This will make it easier for agencies to deliver targeted campaigns with greater understanding of what is most effective.
This article certainly hits home for Brightcove, as we are proud to partner with many of the leading digital agencies to help them expand their video expertise and build innovative video campaigns for their clients. We understand the importance of building strategic relationships with our agency partners and making it easier for them to deliver multi-screen, advertising-supported video initiatives for their clients that can also be measured and optimized for success.
If you are interested in learning more about our Solution Partner program for digital agencies and how Brightcove can help you to evolve your video practice, please feel free to contact us here.