Video has always been a coveted flavor of SMB marketing. They like it because it’s tangible – you can show a video ad to your kids, which can’t be said for things like paid search. For some verticals like lawyers & real estate agents, it also strikes a classic SMB vanity factor. For others, it evokes passion & personality.
But despite that demand, there are longstanding challenges on the supply side. Video takes ample time and skill – two big adoption barriers in the SMB world. Those barriers have come down to a degree, but are starting to really get knocked down by democratization in both video creation and distribution.
Creatify and Comcast-owned Universal Ads launched a new partnership this week that hits both targets. Creatify covers the creation end of things – with an AI twist – while Universal Ads covers the distribution. Together, it’s a one-two punch that automates and streamlines the elusive art of SMB video advertising.
“Creatify’s mission is to level the playing field for every business,” Creatify head of business development Ben Pashman told Localogy Insider. “By powering Universal Ads, we’re giving SMB marketers the ability to create broadcast-quality commercials in minutes, without the traditional costs or production hurdles. This means local businesses can finally compete on the same stage as national brands.”
5-Minute Abs Ads
Going deeper into the particulars and deal points, this alliance focuses on Comcast’s Universal Ads, as noted – its program for SMB video advertising. It will bring Creatify’s AI-powered ad creation engine into Universal Ads’ platform – a typical white-labeling play – so ads can be generated in minutes.
One of the benefits this brings is the D-word noted above a few times: democratization. Creatify’s engine is known for its low-friction workflows, involving generative AI functionality to create compelling marketing videos with little to no existing media assets or production skills (more on those dynamics in a bit).
Meanwhile, Universal Ads brings its own inherent benefits in democratization. The program is built to tap into the growing reaches of targeted TV ad inventory brought by the CTV movement. And given Comcast’s size and scale, it has access to a large volume of inventory that can be targeted by audience and location.
Specifically, Universal Ads can place spots across A+E, AMC Networks, DIRECTV, Estrella MediaCo, Fox Corporation, Fuse Media, LG Ad Solutions, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Roku, Scripps, Spectrum Reach, TelevisaUnivision, Vizio, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Xumo. We’re told this list will grow over time.
“We often hear companies say they want to be on TV but don’t have commercials ready to air or the budget to make one,” said James Borow, VP of Product & Engineering at Universal Ads. “Having a native creative feature in the platform immediately resolves that concern for brands, and makes the Universal Ads platform a one-stop-shop for advertisers from campaign creation to delivery and measurement.”
Altogether, primary features of the collective effort include:
- Instant Creative Production: Generate high-quality TV-ready ads that can be added to campaigns for end-to-end launch in minutes.
- Multi-Audience Targeting: Build tailored, impactful creative by selecting multiple audience segments within a single campaign.
- Customizable AI-Generated Scripts: Start with a library of customizable generative AI scripts, with tone options like motivational, casual, or engaging to match your brand voice.
- Automated Asset Capture: Instantly pull in brand assets, product images, and messaging directly from your website to build authentic, on-brand ads.
Impact & Scale
Stepping back to address Creatify’s capabilities, we’ve had lots of time to examine it, and talk to its execs. In a nutshell, Creatify is bringing the ammunition of the generative AI era to SMB advertising. This includes popular SMB-facing formats such as talking-head videos, which offer a surprising degree of realism.
In a recent product demo, we were walked through the process, which hits all the marks for an SMB-friendly UX (easier said than done). There are levels of sophistication one can choose, but at its simplest configuration, users can simply enter a URL that its AI engine uses to ingest and generate content.
From there, users can do things like write scripts and upload media. Or they can edit the variations that the AI engine generates. For example, a popular format on the platform is spokesperson videos, which offer thousands of options for AI personas or can create a composite of an SMB proprietor using images.
That last option will be popular for vanity-driven SMB verticals like, again, lawyers and real estate agents. Regardless of persona, it brings video to a simple workflow and low price point. Creatify offers the platform directly to SMBs, but its real impact and scale could come from SMB-facing partners like Universal Ads.
“Small business marketers don’t have time for complex tools or expensive agencies,” said Pashman. “With Creatify powering Universal Ads, a website or a few images is all it takes to instantly generate a professional TV-ready ad. It’s never been easier for SMBs to get their message in front of customers.”
