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YouTube is more effective than TV says Google boss

YouTube – which is owned by Google of course – is claiming that new research shows that ROI (return on investment) is greater on its channel than on conventional TV, which should set the thinkers at TV marketing body Thinkbox thinking.

The finding emerges from what YouTube calls a ‘meta-analysis’ of 56 case studies across eight countries, carried out with partners including BrandScience, Data2Decisions, GfK, Kantar Worldpanel, MarketingScan and MarketShare. YouTube says the research “used a variety of robust methodologies to understand the correlation between media exposure and offline sales.”

Examples include Mars UK which ran a Snickers campaign in summer 2015. The campaign tested the mix of TV and online video activity to see whether the media plan across channels and devices maximised in-store sales. The results apparently showed that YouTube delivered more than double the ROI of TV for each pound spent reaching the main shopper.

Another was a campaign by Danone in France for Danette desserts claimed to have produced ROI two to three times higher for YouTube than TV for every euro spent with seven per cent of the sales attributable to the online video activity. YouTube accounted for 66 per cent of sales among light purchasers.

UK/Global Media Director for Mars Chocolate UK/global media director Marc Zander says: “This test highlights the importance of YouTube as a medium as part of our overall media strategy. YouTube clearly has a role to play in our ongoing media plans in addition to TV.”

MediaCom planner on Danone Marie Matthieu says: “This study really strengthens our global approach to optimise video communications to complement our TV communications.”

The findings, if such they be, were unveiled by Google UK boss Matt Brittin (below) at Advertising Week today.
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There’s no doubt that YouTube is the big beast of the online video world and this makes a reasonably compelling case for advertisers using it more. Mars and Danone seem to be saying that it’s an essential complement to TV while Google/YouTube clearly thinks it can do the job on its own.

Let battle commence.

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