By: Melis Ertem, Managing Director, MENA & Turkey, MMA Global.

In the third quarter of 2023, online videos reached approximately 92 percent of internet users globally. This marks a significant milestone in digital engagement as video surges ahead in the popularity stakes. With 2.7 billion people worldwide using YouTube per month (Global Media Insight) consuming a vast array of content from educational materials to product evaluations, it is no wonder that video has become an essential element in marketing. Combine this with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the possibilities for creating compelling video content are limitless.

Aside from popularity, why should video marketing be a cornerstone of your next campaign?  And how can marketers leverage AI to supercharge their efforts?

The power of video marketing

Video has become the preferred medium for consuming content online, with billions of hours of video watched every day across various platforms. YouTube is the most widely used video marketing platform (Wyzowl, 2023) boasting more than 2.5 billion active users (DataReportal, 2023) and 122 million people accessing the platform on a daily basis (Global Media Insight). 

The majority of watch time takes place on mobile and according to The Leap, 73% of consumers actually prefer to watch a short-form video to learn about a product or service, and Wyzowl research reports that 53% of video marketers say video has reduced the number of support calls they’ve received.

Given the preference for video, content that holds the viewer’s attention ultimately leads to better brand recall and message retention. From a brand perspective, the ability to communicate messages in a more immersive and compelling way leads to greater engagement. 

Introducing Sora

AI technologies are revolutionising video marketing. One of the most significant developments is the birth of Sora, an AI model that can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions. The  text-to-video model can generate videos up to a minute long while maintaining visual quality and adherence to the user’s prompt.

Sora’s creative potential is being realised by a small group of visual artists and directors who were given early access to the technology. In February 2024, the first of Sora’s short films were revealed. Paul Trillo, Director and multi-disciplinary artist, writer, and director was one of the first to experience Sora, reporting that “Sora is at its most powerful when you’re not replicating the old but bringing to life new and impossible ideas we would have otherwise never had the opportunity to see.” 

The opportunities for marketers to leverage technology, like Sora, are enormous and although it will be a little longer before the tool is available on the mass market, it’s easy to see the power of video. 

The future of video marketing 

As AI technologies continue to advance, we can expect to see even more groundbreaking applications in video marketing. We have already witnessed the first fully AI-developed video and we’re not far off experiencing AI-generated long-form movies.

The art of video marketing with AI holds immense potential for transforming campaigns and reaching new heights of success. By harnessing the power of AI-driven tools like Sora, businesses can unlock new opportunities for creativity, efficiency and effectiveness in their video marketing. As we venture into the future, the possibilities are limitless, and those who embrace AI will undoubtedly lead the way in shaping the future of digital marketing.