• by Jack Cohen-Martin , May 31, 2013

Mobile video consumption is only going to grow, especially as more apps and services such as Vine, NowThisNews, and others offer bite-sized video content ideal for social networks, smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.

For several years, at least, mobile video growth will experience a very typical hockey-stick pattern of consumer adoption and usage. Given this anticipated growth trajectory, we think it’s extremely important that advertisers and brands realize an important truth: The truly successful mobile video advertising campaigns will be the campaigns that are created with these new platforms, new lengths, and new form factors in mind.

Currently, many digital video content providers and platforms are treating mobile video as just another desktop experience. Sure, they scale down the video as appropriate for the device, but the user is still seeing a :15 or :30 second pre-roll ad – the same ad that they would see if they were watching the video on a desktop or laptop.

Yet, with smartphones and mobile devices, the power is in the hands of the consumers more so than ever before. Smartphones are devices that lend themselves to fast bursts of information. An adept smartphone user can be engaged in multiple simultaneous text-based conversations, checking email subject lines as they come in, and perusing social media updates from friends and family. Is the person that we just described going to patiently wait for a :30-second pre-roll ad? We doubt it.

So, while many advertisers and sales teams are sticking with models and formats that they are comfortable with, we are experiencing a crisis of creativity in online video advertising. But hopefully not for much longer, as a few creative agencies are really pushing the format beyond just repurposed TV spots.

Two Vine campaigns have garnered attention recently for their innovative use of the platform. For PlayStation’s, MLB 13: The Show, Blitz Agency, PlayStation’s agency for social media endeavors, created animated baseball cards featuring the likenesses of popular players, sports bloggers, and well-known fans.

Lowe’s, the home improvement store, embraced Vine by creating a series of eight home improvement/DIY videos. What can be conveyed in six seconds of video? You’d be pleasantly surprised. Lowe’s Vine videos ranged from tips on removing rust from knives to how to unscrew a stripped screw.

We understand the budgetary reasons that have driven the current digital video advertising system. Advertisers and brands spend millions of dollars on their TV campaigns, and whenever possible they want to reuse those commercials for digital video ad campaigns.

However, we feel strongly that as mobile video continues to grow, consumers will have less patience for traditional – display and video – advertising, particularly on their mobile devices. And, it’s not just about a frustrated or bored consumer. It’s about understanding how consumers are using and engaging with mobile video and creating attention-grabbing ads that will resonate with consumers.