Study: Top brands increasing investment in YouTube

New research carried out by YouTube and video marketing firm Pixability has found that brands like Apple, Disney and Samsung are investing in long-form content.

New data found 10% of videos uploaded by the Top 100 brands in the 12 months (ending June 2015) are over 10 minutes long.

The Top 100 brands – as determined by the Interbrand 2014 Best Global ranking – are also uploading a video to YouTube every 18.5 minutes.

Brands' channel subscriptions are up 47% from the last financial year – and for good reason. Views of branded content are up 85% in the last 12 months as the Top 100 brands analysed increased their investment in the platform by 40%, spending 60% more than they did in the last financial year.

Cenk Bulbul, Head of Strategy and Insights, YouTube Ads Marketing, discussed the research resultsin a blog post. He said brands are adopting similar strategies to YouTube creators.

"They're actively managing their YouTube channels, and publishing new content on a regular basis to engage viewers and keep them coming back."

Bulbul also noted the most popular day to post content is Thursday and thatYouTube was most chosen out of the top three favourite video destinations for 18-34 year old millennials to watch online videos.“Statistics like this show why YouTube is growing faster than it has in years,” said Bulbul.

Ron Amram, senior media director of marketing for Heineken USA, which ranks #95 on Interbrand’s rankings, enlisted LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy for the beer's latest campaign. Heineken produced an online series about Murphy’s Subway Symphony project, where he wants to change the unpleasant beeps that the turnstile emits into melodic notes that could be harmonised.

The first episode was published on YouTube on July 19 and is almost three-minutes long.

"We’ve found the length of the video has become less important in terms of how long someone watches something,” Amram told PR Week. “It’s really about the content, and capturing your audience’s attention in the first three seconds.”