A recent study conducted by the LinkedIn B2B Institute, in collaboration with advertising research firm Media Science, reveals that a significant portion of B2B video advertisements fail to engage viewers effectively or enhance brand recall. The research involved presenting 109 authentic B2B adverts to 770 participants as they navigated their LinkedIn feeds. Findings indicate that 53% of viewers did not recognise the advertisements, and among those who did, only 36% could accurately identify the brand. This translates to a mere 19% of participants both recalling the advert and associating it with the correct brand.
The study underscores that 81% of the time, investments in creative and media aspects of campaigns do not yield the desired visibility or memorability. This research focused exclusively on video advertisements within the LinkedIn feed, a platform primarily recognised for professional networking rather than advertising, which may have influenced the low recall rates.
These insights emerge amidst a trend where many B2B brands are striving for more daring creative approaches. Data from LinkedIn indicates that over three-quarters of B2B marketing leaders in the UK are pursuing bolder creative strategies. Additionally, Marketing Week’s exclusive 2024 Language of Effectiveness research, supported by Kantar, reveals that 57.9% of surveyed B2B marketers report an increased focus on creative quality over the past year.
Despite the growing emphasis on creativity, the study suggests that current efforts may not be as effective or cost-efficient as possible. The research offers four key recommendations for improvement:
- Attention is Fleeting: In today’s media-saturated environment, viewer attention is transient and fragmented. Eye-tracking data shows that while adverts are displayed for an average of 12.3 seconds, viewers engage for only about 3.7 seconds, often shifting focus multiple times during this brief period. The study highlights the importance of making the brand the focal point of the message to maximise advertising value.
- Brand Early and Often: Frequent and early brand mentions correlate with better recognition and correct brand identification. Adverts featuring the brand three or more times achieve 48% correct brand identification, compared to 32% for those with a single mention. The research finds no adverse effects from multiple brand mentions, suggesting that over-branding is not a concern.
- Keep It Concise: Cognitive processing data indicates that viewer attention peaks during the initial four seconds of an advert. Shorter adverts, particularly those under 10 seconds, yield slightly higher recognition rates (68%) compared to longer ones (59%). This suggests that concise and succinct brand messages offer better value for money.
- Strategic Use of Sound: Although LinkedIn defaults to a sound-off environment, incorporating sound can enhance memory and engagement for the minority who enable audio. While video adverts should function effectively without sound, including audio elements can maximise impact for those who listen with the volume on.
In summary, the study indicates that a substantial proportion of B2B video advertisements on LinkedIn do not effectively capture viewer attention or facilitate brand recall. Implementing strategies such as emphasising the brand early and frequently, crafting concise messages, and strategically utilising sound can enhance the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of B2B video advertising campaigns.
Source: https://www.marketingweek.com/b2b-video-ads-fail-attention/
