BackTwitter brings ArtHouse to India to compete with Facebook, Google
According to a GroupM advertising forecast put out in February, the digital advertising market in India is expected to touch ₹27, 000 crore in 2020 led by video, voice, and vernacular advertising
PremiumNEW DELHI: Micro blogging platform Twitter is bringing its in-house, global creative services programme ArtHouse to India to help brands create and optimise Twitter-first video content.
The social media platform will set up a team that will help brands create mobile-first ad creatives, work with influencers, artistes and digital video producers to help design content for Twitter feed. The ArtHouse team in India has already begun conversations with various local advertising and marketing agencies to kickstart brand partnerships.
Launched in July last year globally, these services include creator influence partnerships, video editing and optimisation, and live brand studio. Currently, ArtHouse has teams across the US, the UK, Brazil, Japan, and Singapore. Twitter, with over 18 million users in India, has been focusing on video ad formats to boost revenue. India is the sixth largest market for consumption of video ads, according to a report by Mobile Marketing Association and GroupM.
"Twitter ArtHouse is launched in markets where we have a strong user base and ad business. Another reason that makes it a great time to launch in India is the festive/holiday season that’s coming up. We knew that Indian brands produce some of their best work around festive campaigns, and consumers too, of course, are more actively shopping and interacting with the market as they gear up for the festivals," said Stacy Minero, global head at Twitter ArtHouse.
ArtHouse has helped create campaigns for firms such as Nissan during its sponsorship promotion of the ICC Cricket World Cup. It also helped Samsung produce a content series to tap into the #WFH conversation and raise awareness of how their products make working remotely easier while Adidas return to Twitter and sports was done with a edited version of a television ad that generated 13.6 million views on the social media platform.
Twitter, which is often perceived as a platform for amplifying conversations and campaigns through hashtags, is gradually positioning itself as a video-friendly place for brand promotions. Apart from launching six-second long short video ad format last year, Twitter currently offers promoted video, in-stream video sponsorships, and 15 –second or less video ad formats directly competing with video heavy platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.
Both Facebook and Google have invested in teams that work extensively with creator community and brands to co create campaigns and promotional activities in India. As per Comscore data for May this year, YouTube in India now reaches over 325 million over 18 years old unique viewers on a monthly basis. With over 2,500 creator channels reaching over one million subscribers, YouTube witnessed over 45% growth in overall watch time in July compared to last year for the same period. Meanwhile, Facebook, with close to 300 million users, has been tapping into video content especially on Instagram which has recently introduced short video format Reels after the ban on Chinese video app TikTok.
"Bringing ArtHouse to India is a great move by Twitter because all creators and influencers do have a presence on the micro blogging site. Video consumption is lesser on Twitter than platforms such as Instagram or Facebook that is why ArtHouse can lead to a boost in better video content thereby increasing its consumption," Prashant Puri, co-founder and chief executive of digital marketing agency AdLift.
According to a GroupM advertising forecast put out in February, the digital advertising market in India is expected to touch ₹27, 000 crore in 2020 led by video, voice, and vernacular advertising.
"Google and Facebook collectively take away 80% of this market and clearly Twitter is planning to take a chunk in this revenue pie," Puri added.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
