Verizon Media has launched a full-screen native ad format “Brand Story” that allows advertisers to re-use their existing social media ‘stories’ creative assets and deliver their content across the Verizon Media Ad Platform.
The immersive format allows a selection of visual elements including video, bite-size text, polls, quizzes and shoppable modules among others that can be used to give consumers a great user experience and drive up engagement.
The “Brand Story” ad format can be deployed embedded within the content in the publishers’ stories or as a post-click full screen experience.
It is the latest in a suite of interactive ad formats available through the Verizon Media Ad Platform that includes the opportunity to reach audiences globally across video, mobile, native, Digital Out of Home (DOOH), Connected TV (CTV), digital audio channels and more.
A 2019 Forester research revealed that consumption of tappable ‘stories’ has skyrocketed. Nearly three in four smartphone users (74%) read or view social stories weekly while, not surprisingly, younger consumers are the heaviest users of social stories, with 74% of 18- to 24-year-olds and 68% of 25- to 34-year-olds reporting daily viewership.
Kristiana Carlet, VP EMEA at Verizon Media said: “Sponsored stories have become one of the most popular and fastest growing formats for branding campaigns, but most of these stories are currently being delivered in social media. We know from our research that consumers actively seek out and are more likely to trust content from verified news sources, and that ads delivered in a premium editorial environment drive a +35% increase in positive brand associations and a +16% increase in purchase intent. So, as many advertisers look to ramp up their spend again, we are bringing the ability for them to use our advanced ad technology and access to premium journalism to bridge this gap and bring immersive story formats across the open web via our DSP. It couldn’t be simpler for brands to do and extends their reach to quality audiences outside of the limits of social media brands.”
The “Brand Story” format was developed for Verizon Media Ad Platform alongside Newsroom AI, a London based technology company that supports leading brands and publishers. The new format is available now in EMEA markets, with further international roll-out planned for later in the year.
