Online men’s retailer Frank & Oak is rolling out new digital ads that allow users to purchase through the video content on mobile devices.

Frank & Oak is joining the slew of other marketers out there in the direct response form of video ad campaigns. These call to action advertising tactics engage the consumer immediately eliminating time in between when consumers can be lost.

“We’ve always been big believers in being a content, lifestyle driven brand,” said Ethan Song co-founder and CEO of Frank & Oak, Montreal, Canada. “Using video as a medium to communicate Frank & Oak’s brand story effectively is very valuable to us.”

The ads will feature video content targeted for each individual consumer and will be displayed across all mobile and digital devices. The videos will be first seen as 15 to 30 second pre-roll ads on YouTube videos, just in time to showcase its upcoming spring line.

Reaching viewers
Interactive digital advertising is seen increasingly and will soon become a staple in mobile advertising. However, advertisers must create intriguing content for this to be a successful tool otherwise consumers will pass it over and it could be a waste of an investment.

That’s what Frank & Oak is attempting to avoid with this campaign. The retailer is partnering with SourceKnowledge to learn the most about its consumer and provide content that is most likely to cause engagement.

If the content is attractive enough for consumers to seek more information, allowing direct access to purchase eliminates extra time in between viewing the ad and purchasing, which is where these potential customers could be lost. This creates a much higher sales rate.

Facebook and other social media accounts are required to login to purchase with Frank & Oak. The progressive use of this cross-platform purchasing allows these brands to access more information about its consumer and better suit its advertising needs.

With all this data the retailer is able to gather enough information to market the correct advertisements to viewers creating a smaller gap between potential consumers and customers.

When it comes to the effectiveness of interactive video advertising the proof is in the numbers. Innovid released a study the showcased that an average user would watch 84 percent of an ad with interactive qualities compared to traditional video ads only watched 79 percent.

This retailer’s demographic is millennials which means this type of advertising is very important. The millennial consumer is a mobile and interactive user so brands must acclimate to that.

Digital presence
Born online, Frank & Oak has a very heavy digital and mobile presence. The retailer brands itself as a way to take the headache out of shopping for men and sends a newsletter with curated lists of items on sale via email every month to subscribers.

It is only fitting that the retailer would continue to interactive video ads. It coincides with the Frank & Oak simple experience: men can look at the ad, decide to purchase and then immediately buy.

Toyota is the first automaker to leverage similar technology enabling television viewers to interact with an ad using a mobile device or their remote control as the brand looks to strengthen relationships with consumers increasingly interested in multi-screen experiences (see more).

Last September Showtime partnered with Immersion Corporation to use its haptic technology in mobile ads, with the goal of increasing viewer engagement and retention (see more).

“Our goal is to leverage SourceKnowledge’s experience in programmatic video and create a dynamic experience,” said Mr. Song. “We are also interested in measuring the campaign based on business value rather than using typical digital video metrics such as CTR.” “Anytime you offer a more personalized, relevant experience it creates value for the end user and the brand.”

Final Take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer and Mobile Commerce Daily, New York