Diverse ad formats boost brand metrics, Twitter study finds

Brief:

Multiple ad formats lift consumers' research intent by six times, while purchase intent doubles, according to study results that Twitter, Magna and IPG Media Lab shared with Mobile Marketer.
Twitter's attention-grabbing "first view" ad format that appears at the top of the content feed in its mobile app is 27% more cost efficient at affecting purchase intent than other ads that appear first. The finding indicates that brands can improve the effect of campaigns by casting the widest "attention net," per the study.
Twitter's pre-roll and promoted video ads also help to boost awareness and other metrics. Pre-roll video ads drive an 8% lift in product awareness and research intent, or urging people to learn more about a brand. Promoted video ads improve viewer perceptions of brand quality 9% and cultural associations 18%, the survey of 4,000 Twitter users found. The study looked at six industry verticals and 136 combinations of ads.

Insight:

Twitter aims to show how brands can more effectively use its platform to boost key metrics like awareness and purchase intent as advertisers increasingly demand their campaigns show measurable business outcomes. The social network's findings suggest brands see better results from a diverse mix of ad formats, which for Twitter includes its first view, pre-roll and promoted video placements. The mix lets brands grab attention while telling a lengthier story, according to the company.

Findings from Twitter's ad format study arrive as the social network ramps up sales efforts for Q3 and Q4, which include the key back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons. The company withdrew guidance for Q2 in its most recent earnings report, citing economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Twitter's ad revenue edged upward $3 million to $682 million in Q1 from a year earlier as the health crisis started to dampen growth.

Meanwhile, it's too early to tell whether Twitter will benefit from this month's boycott of Facebook by major advertisers because of concerns about its hate speech policies, which has spread to other social media platforms in some cases. Twitter has taken a stronger stance in its content moderation policies, which have included the labeling of President Trump's tweets with warnings about tweets that allegedly have inaccurate information, incite violence or show doctored videos. Trump responded by signing an executive order to limit legal protections for social media companies, which led tech rights groups to sue the administration. Political issues are likely to affect social networks even more as the U.S. election approaches in November.