Red Bull has the best social video strategy, according to a new global report by Aol-owned video distribution network, Goviral. This is the first Goviral ‘Social Video Equity Report‘, which lists the 100 most powerful brands in branded content over the last year. The study looks at how video content is being used by global brands as part of their marketing strategy.
The various brands were audited on volume, total views and engagement for content uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook in 2012. Goviral then evalutated the quality, purpose, innovation and audience relevance before calculating its final social video equity score.
The infographic below lists the top ten ranking companies (click to enlarge):
The results, however, should of course be taken with a pinch of salt (as should pretty much all industry rankings of course). Firstly, the fact a company is ‘leading’ in social video could simply mean they spend more and invest more time and effort because they have found it’s the best way to reach their desired demographic. Social video is something that will suit some brands more than others of course. For example, the opportunities for Toilet Duck branded content are limited in comparison to a brand like Red Bull, both in terms of the creative opportunities and in terms of reach.
That said, the rankings do highlight how social video is being successfully deployed by a wide variety of brands, and not just those at the hipper/tech-oriented end of the spectrum. Luxury fashion brands for example, have been doing exceptionally well with Prada (7th), Burberry (16th) and Louis Vuitton (18th) all featuring in the top twenty as a result of high engagement scores.
The rankings highlight how companies who shake off (or are in a position to shake off) an overly conservative, brand-safe approach to branded content tend to do better than those who don’t. While you might be able to communicate your brand’s values through a slightly cheesy 30 second spot, content of a similar nature is likely to fail as content because you’ve given people nothing to talk about.
“The results of Goviral’s Social Video Equity Report prove that when it comes to branded content, fortune favours the brave”, said Mads Holmen, Planning Director, Goviral. “Brands like Red Bull, Old Spice and Nike are risk-takers, constantly disrupting what’s expected to spark agenda-setting conversation. An effective social video strategy can elevate a brand beyond the product, creating an experience consumers really want to part of.”
