Most of us automatically combine branding measures with large-scale TV campaigns, radio, large-scale outdoor advertising or sponsorships in top-class sports. But even digitally, there are now a number of ways to push brands and build brands. At this point, we would like to give you an overview of digital branding options.
Digital Branding: Common & Innovative FormateConnected TV
Smart TVs have now found their way into two thirds of German homes and have permanently changed media consumption through various streaming offers and YouTube. And with that, the media market. Connected TV now allows advertisers to jump onto the big TV sets in the living room away from TV advertising. Advertise targeted within the desired target group while they train in their own home using a yoga YouTube workout. A few years ago, fantasy, now reality. Accurate targeting, large-scale distribution via smart TV and a low purchase price make YouTube, for example, a serious competitor to traditional TV advertising. Or even become a congenial partner through targeted extension of large-scale TV campaigns.
Video ads
On all other digital devices, video ads are now among the classics among digital advertising formats. Almost every platform offers its own version and dynamic content can be played even via display slots thanks to HTML5 technology. Good targeting options and a wide reach are among the major advantages of video ads. Targeting is also the appropriate keyword, because in order for video ads to develop their potential, they must also be watched. Since the competition is correspondingly high, it is all the more important to convince the appropriate target group with relevant content.
DOOH
Digital-Out-Of-Home combines digitization with traditional outdoor advertising and offers completely new opportunities. Although the number of traditional outdoor advertising spaces is currently even higher, DOOH spaces are constantly catching up. Their numbers are increasing, especially at highly frequented locations such as airports or train stations. Instead of boring poster campaigns, eye-catching moving images with a “wow effect” are now a reality. As well as the option to adapt advertising in real time to parameters such as location, time of day or weather. The target groups themselves can also be reached much more easily with DOOH. Managers with purchasing power are reached via screens in airports or hotels. Spontaneous buyers in shopping centers and streets and local campaigns only run on screens within a fixed radius.
Digital audio
In order not to have noticed the audio hype that has been going on for a long time, you probably really have to live on the moon. Spotify, podcasts and even newcomers like Clubhouse are too omnipresent. Let's pick Spotify as a specific example. Advertisers now have a variety of advertising options here. From classic audio and podcast ads, to sponsored sessions where free users are sponsored ad-free listening, to sponsored playlists, virtually anything is possible. Even video advertising can be placed on Spotify. In combination with the wide range of targeting options and specifics, which involves audio advertising, has established a new player within a very short period of time that there is hardly any way around it.
Native advertising
Native ads are a special advertising format that creates advertising in the look & feel of the respective platform. In this way, the platform itself acts as a neutral sender and the actual advertiser fades into the background. They are closely related to advertorials known from the print sector, i.e. paid articles in an editorial environment. This results in subtle advertising opportunities in desired environments that do not directly relate to the advertiser. However, this subtlety also entails criticism, as not every user may recognize at first glance that it is advertising. Topics that require explanation are particularly suitable for native advertising, as they are very good at presenting advice formats or detailed content. Social media ads or influencer collaborations are also often referred to as native advertising, as they work on a similar principle.
Between digital outdoor advertising and brands in the living room
Digital branding is driven by digitization and technical innovations. While smart TVs are now standard equipment in living rooms and bedrooms, the proportion of digital out-of-home spaces is gradually being expanded. Digital audio is gaining more and more market shares as a result of the never-ending podcast hype and platforms such as Spotify and is still at the beginning of a major development. This gives marketers more and more opportunities to make their brand known to the desired target groups. Targeted and without major wastage, such as in TV advertising. The new opportunities offered by digital branding also have an impact on the battle between branding and performance mentioned at the beginning. Measurability and tracking options make brand advertising more tangible. A perfect basis for sophisticated full-funnel strategies that combine branding and performance.
