What Makes a Piece of Content Premium?

Premium video content has typically been depicted as professionally produced content which is insightful and information rich. But is that the whole picture? It’s clear from completion rates that premium video consumers are an extremely engaged audience and their importance shouldn’t be ignored. With that in mind, let us answer the following questions about what makes a video premium in today’s changing industry.

Is the reputation of the brand creator the most important factor?

In the past well-established and trusted brand names were the main source of video content. They usually had a background in broadcast or longer form content and were well-known and reputable news organisations or magazines. They still continue to play a major role in the premium video content industry, generating high performance and are frequently requested by our client base. We can look at examples of this type of content created by partner such as Euronews, Bloomberg and Deutsche Welle. But this is only one of several elements that constitute premium video content in today’s market.

Is it simply the quality of the content itself?

Quality control is of the utmost importance. Though in saying that, the quality level required is often dependant on the audience it is intended for. However, there are certain standards that are non-negotiable, such as videos being aesthetically pleasing, easy to understand and informative. Additional good qualities for premium video would be those that depict footage of an event in question, rather than simply providing stills or commentary around the topic. Also desirable is content that gives additional information or a viewpoint rather than the bare minimum around a subject. Duration is another key component - too short and the viewer doesn’t learn anything significant, too long and they lose interest. Lastly, it goes pretty much without saying that’s not simply the visual qualities that matter - the audio should be of a high standard too and add something to the piece of content.

“Bride Meghan Markle walks down the aisle”, France24
This video shows the event and the footage itself is of a high quality.

What about brand safety?

A major concern is brand safety. When we speak about premium content, the majority of the time we are talking about content that is of a high enough standard that it justifies the audience watching the pre-roll advertisement before it - they have to want to watch the video which will appear after it. However, before this can even be considered, often we find that the advertisers must be initially comfortable to place their ads on a piece of contextual and safe content. This can involve an element of human curation as what is suitable and applicable for some sites may not be for others.

Who actually defines what is a premium video - the creator, the seller or the audience?

In the current climate, we of course take into account the above points, but ultimately the definition of premium content is driven by the engagement of the audience - or rather the volume of engagement. While reputation, quality and brand safety are all hallmarks of good video content, our understanding of what premium truly means has altered irrevocably over time.

For example, we can't ignore the effect and reach of engaging UGC (User Generated Content) content. While not typically thought of as premium in the past, its influence and impact cannot be denied. UGC creators now edit and package their content accordingly due to the high demand and watchability of these type of videos. These are often the videos with the highest impressions and reach, despite the minimal production required in their creation. Similarly, we are consistently asked for and being provided “shareable” content by our clients and creators alike. Videos in this category are typically produced using a degree of user generated content and finished with accompanying text or commentary. They are frequently our most popular pieces month on month.

“Pets Doing Chores”, Storyful

Advertisers are more aware than ever of the many benefits of associating their brands with engaging and superior content. With increasingly successful results in the field, more emphasis and confidence can be placed in premium video campaigns. Similarly, with this influx of interest and production in the area, the range of high quality content available can only become more rich and varied.

When we examined the questions above, it’s clear a combination approach is required when determining what makes a piece of content premium. In fact, the definition of premium video content effectively comes down to the metrics which interest you most for your organisation or brand. Is it simply to generate revenue? Reach? Engagement? All of these are achievable with the right piece of premium content and strategy for you.

Are you excited to learn more? Make sure to subscribe below as we continue our VideoElephant Insights series next week.