Despite thinning advertising budgets, marketers desire innovation, constantly seeking new ways to resonate with consumers. One trend on the rise is social commerce, where users can purchase products seamlessly via social platforms. In fact, a study by Accenture forecasts the social commerce industry will grow to US$1.2 trillion (about AU$1.8 trillion) by 2025, which is three times faster than traditional ecommerce channels. While the content commerce revolution will centre on data, targeting and ad placement, creative is also critical – specifically interactive creatives that are fully shoppable rather than just ‘checkout-able’.

An example of this is the shoppable in-video advertising campaign that News Corp Australia launched with Moët & Chandon, where users could shop and complete the transaction directly from video, without interrupting the video experience. A study by Kantar found that when compared to non-shoppable ads, there was a 26% increase in likeability from 54 per cent to 80 per cent for the News Corp shoppable video compared to Kantar’s video creatives norm.

More recently, Paramount announced plans to debut shoppable TV technology for the latest season of Australian Survivor. This would allow viewers to buy products they see on the screen while watching movies or shows. If successful, the technology would then be released globally, allowing streaming service Paramount+ to become another piece of real estate for retail players.

The direct-to-consumer sales proposition is driving huge interest from retail players, with a shift to high-impact creatives playing a critical role in pulling a crowd, driving conversions and deep insights, and delivering bespoke customer journeys.

Retail media, including social commerce and shoppable video, is redefining the importance of creatives in ad land.

Here are the top 3 things set to impact the role of your creative:

The rise of brand-sponsored content

Audiences are increasingly growing more accepting of sponsored content. Historically, Pepsi was synonymous with the Super Bowl halftime show. With the emergence of streaming and influencer marketing, contemporary sponsored content has taken off. The rise of future-facing tools like AI and VR is further accelerating interactive experiences and will transform how brands engage with customers in the future. Livestream shopping, which took China by storm, is still very nascent in Australia but there is an opportunity for brands to unlock their social channels to explore this trend and grow their audiences organically.

Personalisation and user-centricity

Imagine an ad as an extension of the content you’re enjoying instead of something completely unrelated – that’s the magic of content commerce, where content blends into purchases ever so flawlessly, allowing shoppable moments to unfold organically. This user-centric format ensures that consumers remain engrossed in the content, leading them to complete their journey to the cart uninterrupted, never having to leave the page they’re on. This is the dawn of a new era, where content becomes context, and where shoppable narratives bridge the gap between brands and consumers in a way that is both delightful, personal and deeply effective.

Growing ubiquity of ‘snackable’ content

With countless demands vying for our dwindling bandwidth, advertisers will need to rethink the click-heavy model and redirects. Every detour is another distraction in the labyrinthine journey towards purchase.

Research by Yahoo!, in partnership with IPG/Magna Global, showed that the role of creative drives 56% of purchase intent and 79% of top-of-mind ad recall. In a world where attention is currency, every click counts. Creating content that can be quickly consumed will be critical to drive conversion. Furthermore, creating content that can effortlessly take the user through the entire sales funnels from discovery to purchase in a single consumption moment will be game changing.

Shifting the tech conversation to the creative

There’s a misconception that only big-budget creatives can draw in an audience. Research shows that improvements to the visual – including more human presence or enhanced product imagery can drive recall. Furthermore, vivid logos and ads with informative messaging can drive higher interest and call to action. Incorporating shoppable ads in this context ensures that users remain engrossed in the content and complete their journey uninterrupted. Intriguing and eye-catching creatives will allow users to interact, make a purchase, and continue doing what they were uninterrupted.

In the wake of unprecedented competition, it is critical for brands to dig deeper into creative messaging. Publishers, especially those in high-value environments such as news and media, have largely prioritised ad quality and sponsored content. But now, retailers too are set to capitalise on the immense potential of shoppable formats to bridge the gap between inspiration and acquisition, blurring the lines between content and commerce.

Those who get in the game and leverage content commerce, ensuring creatives are embedded in the shoppable ad creation journey will streamline the customer’s journey and achieve greater moments of heart-to-cart conversions.

By Manuela Cadd, the Head of Strategic Business Partnerships at Vudoo

This article was first published by Kochie’s Business Builders