Just how short can a message be before it loses meaning?
A recent piece in Adweek titled Why Brands and Agencies Are Preparing for the Era of 6-Second Ads, predicts that these “snackable” ads will begin to come into their own, if not by the end of this year, then by 2018. This is proven by the NFL using 6-second spots during this season’s games on Fox. Advocates argue the bite-sized videos are ideal for attracting Millennials and Gen Z, who, at least stereotypically, have little patience for longer-form formats.
Plus, research shows that these mini-ads work, at least when it comes to building brand recognition and especially when targeting new customers. A Google-sponsored study found that 90 percent of the ads succeeded in producing ad recall, while 6 in 10 ads generated greater brand awareness.
Given the gathering success of six-second ads, should we be considering a public relations equivalent? Not necessarily.
[RELATED: Craft messages that resonate with internal and external audiences and moves them to act.]
One reason for the micro-ads’ growing popularity is that this kind of advertising is by its very nature disruptive. The short sales pitch stands as the price of admission before web users can access their desired content. Yet, no matter how creative a mini-ad is, to the viewer it is as annoying as that car driving 45 in the left lane on the highway. Viewers and ad executives alike must wonder, if six seconds is less bothersome, would five be better?
This marketing trend validates what PR pros have long known: PR is far more effective in creating context than advertising. PR may not be able to compete with ads when it comes to sheer frequency, particularly if consumers can now be bombarded with ads in six-second increments, but when it comes to organic engagement and connecting an audience in a way that showcases expertise, public relations wins out.
The difference with PR is that it creates content specifically developed for a target audience. They have likely either actively sought it out or, given their demographic or consumer profile, had it delivered to their social media news feeds. Audiences are seeking information and expertise, and if you have content on their subject of interest, they can go directly to the source and bypass the advertisement.
If the targeting is accurate—via online ad platforms—the content will resonate with the desired audience. If users are finding the right content, they are willing to spend more time digesting it.
Even so, there could be some lessons for PR practitioners based on the growing popularity of yawn-length ads. The same rationale for six-second spots is behind why images do so well as a form of content—it delivers the message quickly. It’s also why employing Twitter as part of your content strategy is worth considering as a means for summing up longer-form content with short, pithy links. These tools are perhaps the six-second equivalents in the PR world and should be kept in mind, especially when Millennials and Gen Z comprise your target audience.
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