The breaking effect of high-quality long videos

In the era of short videos, it is not uncommon to see cases where the popularity of short videos has led to brand exposure. Low cost, quick results, and easy to break the circle have become the advantages of short videos. In fact, long videos have the same effect, and even better from the perspective of brand marketing.

"Tushan, I'm protecting you, understand?"

“My desire to go to Altay has reached its peak.”

"Tell Lao Mo that I want to eat fish."

When these lines or Internet buzzwords appear, even if you are not a fan of "Fox Spirit Matchmaker Yuehong Chapter", "My Altay" or "Kuangbiao", or even if you have never watched these dramas, you will smile knowingly and chat enthusiastically for a long time.

They are not just a simple line or an instant emotion, but also a national hot meme, a microcosm of a cultural phenomenon, highlighting the unique advantages of long videos: they can create topics that are hotly discussed by the whole nation, and their influence continues to penetrate the circle.

In terms of communication characteristics, long videos and short videos are fundamentally different. Short videos have quickly captured the market with their short, flat and fast characteristics, but this has also led to information fragmentation and decentralized and transient discussions.

In contrast, high-quality long videos can reach a wider user group with their in-depth narrative, rich characterization and fascinating plots, and have the ability to create national issues.

Long videos can also penetrate circles. They are not restricted by age, gender, or occupation. They can bring together audiences from different backgrounds to form a common cultural experience and emotional resonance.

These build a powerful centralized influence for long videos.

In recent years, this centralized influence has become increasingly evident, from Netflix's "Dark Glory" and "The Three-Body Problem" to the domestic hits "The Wind Chaser" and "My Altay", these high-quality long video content has not only triggered a craze for dramas, but also set off heated discussions on social media, with imitations and re-creations of elements in the dramas emerging in an endless stream. At the same time, these works have also driven the development of related industries and demonstrated huge commercial potential.

It can be said that long videos are redefining content and business ecology.

01 High-quality long videos to create a centralized gravitational field

In this era of information explosion and content proliferation, why can high-quality long videos form a strong centralized influence? There are two core reasons.

First, long videos can achieve wide and precise coverage of users.

In the past few years, the continuous investment in content by long video platforms and the participation of top practitioners have significantly improved the quality of long video content.

Netflix plans to invest $17 billion in content production in 2024. Among iQiyi's new key dramas in 2023, original works account for more than 65%, reaching a historical high.

The continuous investment has not only improved the production quality of content, but also attracted well-known directors such as David Fincher, Guillermo del Toro and Chen Kaige to participate in the creation of TV series and variety shows.

Nowadays, the quality of long video content such as dramas and variety shows is no longer inferior to movies. After watching the latest popular dramas, many people say that their quality is comparable to that of movies.

Almost all platforms realize that only by producing high-quality content can they attract the largest and highest-quality crowds.

Netflix's "The Three-Body Problem" and "Fallout" this year, and iQiyi's "My Altay" are typical examples of high-quality content attracting a large number of users to watch and discuss.

At the same time, the trend of theatricalization is also strengthening.

In recent years, iQiyi, Youku, Tencent Video and Mango TV have all launched theater models and created corresponding theater brands. For example, iQiyi, based on the mature operations of other genre brands such as Misty Theater, Lianlian Theater, and Xiaodou Theater, launched two new brands, Da Jia Theater and Wei Chen Theater.

These theaters often focus on a specific theme or field, and can quickly attract a matching vertical user group and create a deep resonance within this group.

For example, Misty Theater, which has produced dramas such as "The Hidden Corner", "Moses on the Plains" and "The Third Squadron", has attracted vertical user groups interested in mystery, crime and other themes by launching a series of high-quality suspense dramas. It provides a stable and reliable viewing option for suspense drama fans, consolidating iQiyi's influence in the field of suspense dramas.

By increasing investment in the production of high-quality content and deepening the operational strategy of vertical content, the long video content platform has successfully achieved extensive and precise coverage of users, which is the solid foundation for building its core influence of high-quality long videos.

Second, high-quality long videos can create a shared experience.

In his book Labels, Cass Sunstein proposed the concept of "shared experience", which refers to events or information that people experience together, which can form common memories and topics and establish social connections and a sense of identity.

The algorithm mechanism of short video platforms makes everyone immersed in their own "information cocoon", while high-quality long videos break this limitation with their depth and coherence.

First of all, through careful character creation, high-quality long videos allow the audience to establish an emotional connection with the characters in the play, feel the characters' joys, sorrows, anger and happiness, and form emotional resonance.

Secondly, high-quality long videos often dare to face reality and address issues of social concern. They are a mirror that reflects the spirit of the times. By exploring social issues such as education, marriage, and gender, they stimulate the audience's thinking and discussion.

Thirdly, high-quality long videos have a unique advantage in expressing universal human values. Whether it is a warm depiction of family, a sincere celebration of friendship, or a beautiful yearning for love, they convey universal emotions and values ​​that transcend culture and national boundaries, allowing audiences from different backgrounds to find resonance.

Long videos thus create a shared experience that is not only formed during the viewing process, but also continues to ferment through channels such as social media and offline gatherings after the series ends, establishing a lasting cultural influence.

By creating high-quality content, long video platforms have successfully attracted a large and high-quality user group and jointly created a rich shared experience. Based on a broad and precise audience and driven by significant social influence, these platforms have not only built a vibrant and valuable content ecosystem, but also become a key prerequisite for leading the commercialization trend of long videos.

02 The “two-way rush” of high-quality content and brand marketing

High-quality content is undoubtedly the cornerstone of the centralized influence of long video platforms. However, content costs are high. In order to find new growth and profit space, long video platforms have been actively exploring and practicing diversified commercialization models.

As one of the important roles in the long video business ecosystem, brand marketing has increasingly higher requirements for content and channels in recent years. As the consumer environment and demand continue to change, brands hope to seek more accurate and influential exposure venues, and the centralized influence of long video platforms just provides such a venue.

Long video platforms need commercial and diversified income to support their continued creation and provision of high-quality content. In turn, the centralized influence generated by these high-quality content provides an ideal marketing environment for brands. This mutual assistance relationship constitutes a "two-way rush" between the platform and the brand.

1. High-quality content promotes spillover of influence

High-quality content is the key to promoting the spillover of influence. Only when the content itself is attractive and infectious enough can it resonate with the audience and achieve the spread of influence.

This influence is not only reflected in online viewing data and heated discussions on social media, but also triggered a series of chain reactions outside the series.

Netflix’s series “The Queen’s Gambit” not only sparked interest in chess among viewers, but also significantly boosted sales of chess sets and the rise of chess clubs. Similarly, “Stranger Things” not only influenced contemporary pop culture through its re-creation of 80s culture, but also boosted sales of retro merchandise and related offline activities.

Similarly, as one of the highest-rated domestic dramas on Douban in recent years, "My Altay" has a particularly significant impact on the tourism industry.

The popularity of the series not only aroused the audience's strong interest in Altay's natural scenery and cultural customs, but also directly promoted the development of local tourism. Altay's honey, dairy products, and handicrafts quickly became popular, achieving the effect of "one series makes a city popular". At the same time, the original work of "My Altay" and the author's other works such as "Corners of Altay" and "Winter Pasture" also saw a surge in sales.

The broadcast of Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Yuehong also boosted the attention and tourism boom to Tushan in Bengbu. The depiction and presentation of Tushan in the drama sparked the audience's curiosity and yearning for this tourist destination, which in turn promoted the sales of related tourism products and the popularity of tourist routes. Ctrip even produced an official video for Bengbu as the drama became more popular.

The online and offline influence of high-quality long videos provides a natural marketing platform for brands. Brands can use the traffic and public opinion of the series to carry out effective marketing promotion.

2. IP centralization releases diversified business value

In the field of long videos, high-quality and popular products are always scarce resources. From an economic perspective, the scarcer the product, the greater its value. Therefore, high-quality long video content often attracts many brands to cooperate.

At the same time, the long video platform uses high-quality content to build a bridge of communication between brands and users. Relying on the platform's massive user data, it builds a clear and accurate user portrait, providing key support for brand marketing to break through the circle accurately. It also relies on diversified forms of brand cooperation to fully release the commercial value of high-quality long video IP centralization.

Taking "Fox Spirit Matchmaker Yuehong" as an example, the drama will enhance the fit between the brand and the content by "customizing" advertisements for the brand, and make it easier for users to understand the values ​​and concepts that the brand wants to convey.

Zhenguoli invited fans to watch the drama for free through a cloud private event, deepening the brand impression that people should drink Zhenguoli if they watch "Fox Spirit Matchmaker Yuehong Chapter"; Amul, RIO Weixun, and Laojinmofang were directly and softly implanted into the plot and opened stores in the Fox Spirit Market; brands such as Crest, Holly Toothpaste, Haoshi Bread, and Alien Electrolyte Water also customized creative inserts around the plot.

In addition, with the development of technology, in addition to traditional splash screen ads and patch ads, long video marketing is also constantly innovating its gameplay.

For example, AR and VR technologies can be used to provide immersive advertising experiences and enhance user interactivity; AIGC technology can be used to generate creative content and reduce advertising production costs; and interactive video technology can be used to attract users to participate in plot selection, thereby increasing brand exposure and user engagement.

This time, "Fox Spirit Matchmaker Yuehong Chapter" cooperated with 999 Cold Relief to actively explore the possibilities of AIGC in the field of long videos, and created a new brand marketing experience for the audience through the "AIGC Virtual Theater".

The theater unfolds in the form of an AI easter egg at the end of the film. A virtual AI image is generated based on the characters in the play. Combined with the relationship between the male and female protagonists in the play, a life story is designed in which the Fairy Sister catches a cold, and the stupid Taoist priest goes to the market to buy 999 cold medicine and makes heartwarming medicine for the Fairy Sister to cure the disease. It cleverly connects the plot content of the main film, allowing the brand advertising and users to achieve high-quality and efficient connection.

This clever combination of innovative technology, brand advertising and drama content simulates life scenarios to promote the brand through storytelling, giving the brand a more eye-catching communication memory point, effectively capturing the audience's attention, and making the 999 Cold Relief brand label of "warm and thoughtful" deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

In terms of IP cooperation, "Fox Spirit Matchmaker Yuehong" has demonstrated strong IP-centric and diversified commercial value attributes with its high-quality content production.

As the first long-form commercial drama in China to use virtual production technology, the drama incorporates oriental aesthetics in its production, and also applies intangible cultural heritage production techniques such as velvet flowers, Wu Luo weaving, filigree inlay, Xianju lanterns, oil-paper umbrellas, and Hangzhou fans to clothing modeling and prop production. Combined with rich and full character creation and multi-line CP stories, it has laid a solid foundation for IP investment. Customers cover daily life products and entertainment scenes including infant formula, student drinks and food, urban white-collar fitness products, and women's theme photography.

For example, taking advantage of the popularity of IP, Pop Mart cooperated with a domestic drama IP for the first time to launch blind boxes; Hippocampus's theme photography of "Fox Spirit Matchmaker Yuehong" covered more than 350 offline stores across the country, demonstrating the huge commercial potential of IP in various fields.

On Xiaohongshu and Weibo, many netizens are showing off the co-branded peripherals they have purchased, expressing their love for the drama and their joy at buying the co-branded products, fully demonstrating the strong market appeal of high-quality IP.

In terms of model innovation, last year's hit drama "Ning An Ru Meng" also pioneered the drama and variety show co-investment model by leveraging its content advantages, providing the Chunzhen brand with an opportunity to deeply interact with the audience of the drama. During the peak season for beverage consumption, Chunzhen consolidated consumers' strong perception of the brand as a "drama-chasing partner" through close integration with the drama, and even helped the brand achieve sales conversion.

High-quality content drives brand vitality. High-quality long video content not only has "instant" value when cooperating with brands during broadcast, but also has long-term value as an IP. Through the derivative development of IP, the platform provides more empowerment methods for brands.

Netflix provides viewers with series-related merchandise through its IP-derived layout, such as the online store Netflix.shop, enhancing audience immersion and brand loyalty.

Last year, Netflix also announced that it would open an offline experience store "Netflix house" in 2025, allowing fans to immerse themselves in the world of their favorite TV shows, buy themed costumes, taste themed foods, and even experience scenes from self-made dramas.

These are Netflix's grand strategies for the commercial value of IP, and also provide other brands with extensive opportunities for cooperation.

iQiyi has also made arrangements for the development of a high-quality IP ecosystem, announcing that it will launch seasonal works such as "Police Honor 2", "Fearless 2", and "Strange Stories of the Tang Dynasty 2". It will also extend the value of IP through the linkage of dramas and variety shows, dramas and comics, and the layout of offline Qibabu Parks and VR full-sensory theaters, using the strategy of "killing two birds with one stone".

These measures not only open up multiple marketing fields such as content, social networking, and consumption, but also provide rich marketing opportunities for brands at different stages of development.

3. Conclusion

With its high-quality content production, complete storyline, deep emotional resonance and wide audience coverage, high-quality long videos have formed a centralized influence. It not only attracts a large number of viewers, but also provides a rich marketing scenario for brands.

Long video platforms are committed to becoming a gathering place for high-quality content to meet the audience's desire for high-quality stories. By continuously launching high-quality and diversified content, the platform not only consolidates audience loyalty, but also provides a strong marketing fulcrum for brands, forming a virtuous positive cycle relationship between content investment and commercial value, thereby fully releasing the influence of long video IP centralization and bringing new market space and development opportunities to the long video industry.

Author: Xunkong

Source: WeChat official account: "Xunkong's Marketing Revelation (ID: xunkong2005)"