bol.com

To make the right people, with the right intent see the right video we started off with data research. This audience research gave input on which products within the electronic domains were searched for the most, what type of content the audience loved to watch and how they behaved within the Google ecosystem. With this research, we knew exactly which video topics we had to create. In general, review formats are labelled as factual and informative - with less room for creativity.

But our in-house creatives wanted to challenge this and came up with a unique video series that is the perfect mix between entertainment and help content. The videos and thumbnails were pre-tested among an unaware test audience using AI technology. This way we could make creative tweaks and maximise performance, before the content went live. The audience research additionally laid the foundation for a spot-on targeting strategy. A media plan was made, fully focussed on gaining as much quality attention as possible. Custom audiences were created based on real-life intent-based data. With a budget of 48K we’ve distributed 12 Sterren Reviews with skippable in-stream ads. Only those people that showed an interest in buying specific electronics were targeted. This resulted in huge amounts of view rates, viewing durations and average percentages watched.

The first thing people do when looking on an e-commerce platform is scanning the reviews given by real people. This is exactly what the power of bol.com is. Being the biggest archive of real-life user experiences, the platform is the voice of the many. That’s why we purposely chose to not create a review format around bol.com as the know-all expert. Because, let’s be honest you’d rather believe 800 real opinions than one expert (with perhaps ulterior motives)? We combined this insight with an in-depth analysis of the existing review market on YouTube. Out of the five different types of review styles we had identified, data showed a huge potential for category-like reviews. We used these audience insights to create: Sterren Reviews - your not-so-typical review format.

Combining social-oriented communication styles with task-oriented ones, Sterren Reviews is the perfect mix between entertainment and help content. Taking the review game to a whole new level, the series uses the iconic bol.com user reviews and combines this with a good amount of humour and not-so-scientific product tests. We’ve added a relaxed atmosphere and relatable hosts who give the viewer a perfect overview of every product and category. The funny, meme-like video edits magnified this and the video series became a creative success. It allowed the brand to connect with their target audience in a humorous and natural way.

Clear data research, unique, entertaining content combined with spot-on targeting we made sure we gained quality attention from the right people. Within Q4 of 2022, a total of 12 episodes gathered over 1.9 mln views (some episodes even gained top rankings). This resulted into:

• An average view rate 73%
  • Benchmark: 60%
• An average percentage watched of 52%
  • Benchmark: 30-40%
• An average viewing duration of 05:32
  • The average video length was 11 minutes
• This led to over 15.000 hours of watch time per episode
• In total, that’s 10.8 million minutes of devoted attention, right in the target group.

But the impact of YouTube goes beyond just views, watch time or subscribers. To measure the platform’s impact on brand KPIs, we conducted a brand effect research that compared viewers with non-viewers. The data doesn’t lie: the quality attention sparked lifts in brand KPIs. Overall brand consideration increased by 6% and brand preference by 14%. These results were even higher among non-customers, with an increase of brand consideration by 16% and a whopping 31% on preference.