The Psychology of Video Advertising

The Psychology of Video Advertising

Author: Tom More / Source: Advertising Age Google's 'Friends Furever' video targets users' soft-spots, letting emotions, not facts, drive

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Google's 'Friends Furever' video targets users' soft-spots, letting emotions, not facts, drive attitudes toward its Android product.
Google’s ‘Friends Furever’ video targets users’ soft-spots, letting emotions, not facts, drive attitudes toward its Android product. Credit: Google via YouTube

In a 2016 study of marketing professionals and online consumers, 88% of marketers stated video was an important part of their marketing strategy, while 69% of online consumers said they would rather watch a video than read a product explanation. In a different study, statistics prove that businesses using video grow company revenue 49% faster than companies without video content.

Why has video assumed this dominant role?

The theory

Taking a psychological view of advertising, there are two key ways that ads can be persuasive: the central route and the peripheral route.

The central route refers to situations whereby the consumer is invested, in the sense that they want or need the product, and thus can make thoughtful decisions based on facts and logic.

The peripheral route is where the receiver does not think carefully about the communication itself, and instead makes decisions based on superficial stimuli, also known as “cues.” Cues can include colors, music, storytelling and more. In the peripheral route, content and facts may be ignored or overlooked.

Video — a success story

Video ads generate far more emotional cues than a photo can, with the ability to tell an extensive story and appeal to a wider range of senses.

Videos trigger the central route for some people and the peripheral route for others, two avenues that eventually converge with a common goal: to sell a…

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