Pinterest wants to increase the visual impact of video content consumption on its platform after confirming an upcoming rollout of a new max-width format following a successful beta test.
The new, fully formed promoted videos are 400% bigger than the current standard clip format and will take up an entire two-column grid. Pinterest started testing max-width videos behind closed doors with a select number of advertisers earlier this summer and has now decided to move on to an official launch due to its success.
“In this case, bigger does mean better: we’ve seen increased engagement rates for this format as Pinners take notice of this high-impact video,” Pinterest said. “During our early tests for the max. width format, advertisers saw efficient costs-per-view and lifts in brand awareness metrics.”
A few big-name brands took part in the recent testing and the majority were very happy with the results. Retailer John Lewis saw a 20% and 33% uptick in awareness and purchase intent, respectively, for one of its ad campaigns, while CPG improved brand associations by 23%.
Pinterest’s Nancy Jeng said that the majority experienced “blockbuster results” in a range of metrics and urged brands to experiment with content formats to get the best from their creative efforts.
Pinterest also released a few handy tips to help brands. It said that logo and strong brands should be visible during the opening moments of a clip, engagement can be increased by incorporating products, and short and simple clips with a focused message and a runtime of between six and 20 seconds are the most effective.