Helping brands speak the language of online video
The concept, called TILES, brings together companies, marketers, video developers and distribution partners on one easy-to-access online platform. An internal matchmaking algorithm means that brands can find ready-to-be-branded videos, while creators have a platform from which to sell their productions and monetise their talent. Finally, digital channels can decide what to publish. Revolutionising online video ‘We saw a big gap between how videos are viewed online and how users interact with these videos, and how brands and companies actually use video content as a communication instrument,’ explains TILES project coordinator Delia Di Bona from Mosaicoon in Italy. ‘For us, video is the new language of communication, and it’s a language that brands still need to learn. Also, the advertising industry has not adapted to this new reality, which means that brands are not able to use video to market their products in an effective way.’ This is a massive missed opportunity. Billions of videos are replayed on social media sites every day, while videos that integrate questionnaires and surveys can help businesses turn static videos into active tools and drive greater consumer engagement. Europe’s digital advertising enjoyed a growth rate in 2014 of 11.6 % compared to a mere 0.4 % increase in EU GDP. Nonetheless, many businesses and brands feel lost in this new digital world, which is where the TILES platform comes in. ‘Clients will simply access the platform online, and from a single dashboard chooses a creator, perhaps propose a video project or select a video that is already available to be branded,’ says Di Bona. ‘What we’ve tried to do is put creative content at the centre; in the past, clients would make a brief and say what they wanted to communicate, but the problem now is that brands simply don’t always know what they want, or who to target and how. Moreover, creative process was extremely complex and we searched for a way to make it simpler and cost-effective. So we wanted to encourage brands to trust in their creative sources, and to really use this platform as a way of finding their ideal creative partner and the right distribution channel. With Mosaicoon, brands can realise their video strategy in a quick and easy way. Global ambitions The platform is set to be launched at the end of April 2017, and the company is especially interested in tapping the Asian Pacific and US markets. ‘It is absolutely our objective to go international,’ says Di Bona. ‘We feel proud to be able to show that it is possible to revolutionise an industry from Sicily, which is a region not usually associated with digital innovation.’ Di Bona also points out that Mosaicoon has been named by Facebook as a marketing partner on video content, one of the few in Europe and worldwide. ‘This shows that our technology is reliable and it works,’ she says. Di Bona also sees EU funding as an acknowledgment of the firm’s vision, and as something that has provided support beyond the financial. ‘This project has been really useful for a company like us, moving from start-up to scale-up,’ she says. ‘Having milestones to meet means that we have to clearly define our objectives and this has worked really well because we’ve had to manage so many variables. The experience has also enabled us to network with other SMEs and venture capital firms in Europe.’ The company is currently finalising the platform ahead of the launch, and recently opened offices in Singapore, Seoul and New Delhi to better understand the Asian-Pacific market. By making it easier for brands to tap into a new generation of digital consumers, the TILES project could transform video marketing in the years to come.
Keywords
TILES, Mosaiccoon, video, digital, advertising, marketing, Sicily, innovation, communication