Video delivers 90% higher completion rates
Vertical short-form video now delivers 90% higher completion rates than other formats, and brands using it report the strongest ROI across digital channels. That’s not a trend. That’s a behavioral shift that has permanently changed how content must be made.
Why Vertical Video Works
The format’s power isn’t just aesthetic. Vertical videos on mobile see completion rates of around 76%, compared to 54% for horizontal videos. And 48% of mobile viewers are more likely to recall a brand after watching a full-screen vertical ad, compared to just 29% after viewing a standard in-feed video ad.
The measurement story is just as compelling. Brands can target specific audiences, A/B test creative quickly, and tie content directly to a call to action. Performance data comes in fast; you can see what’s resonating and reallocate spend in real time. Short video ads under 30 seconds now make up 66% of video ad spend, with estimated revenue surpassing $99 billion globally.
About Production
One of the most underappreciated advantages of short-form vertical video is the cost structure. Unlike traditional video production, it doesn’t require large crews, long lead times, or significant budgets. That lowers the barrier to experimentation — instead of betting everything on a single execution, brands can test multiple creative directions simultaneously and let performance data guide the next move.
The brands winning in this space aren’t optimizing for perfection. They’re optimizing for relevance.
Authenticity Over Production Value
Eight in 10 people say watching a video influenced a purchase decision, and the videos most likely to drive that kind of impact tend to share a common trait: they feel real, according to Marketing LTB.
Consider the Ocean Spray moment on TikTok a few years back. An unpolished clip of a man skateboarding while drinking cranberry juice didn’t just earn millions of views. It reignited a legacy brand, driving measurable business impact. The video felt spontaneous, human, and relatable. That wasn’t an accident; it was authenticity doing what no scripted campaign can manufacture.
Street Video: Authenticity with Strategic Intent
This is exactly where street video, capturing consumer voices in their natural environment, outperforms traditional production. When The Miller Group created a street video on the Pink Tax recently, it generated 33,000 impressions in a single day. Not because it was polished. Because it was honest, and because people saying things in their own words lands differently than any spokesperson ever could.
Street video works because consumers trust other consumers. It removes the brand filter, which creates credibility.
StreetPulse Takes Street Video Farther
StreetPulse combines the authenticity of man-on-the-street video with a strategic framework most productions skip entirely: defining the business problem first, identifying what success looks like, and building a moderator’s guide that draws out honest, unguarded responses, not just usable soundbites.
The result is a 2–3 minute video built for internal alignment, board presentations, and consumer intelligence, plus a social-optimized version ready for distribution. For brands making decisions about messaging, pricing, new product launches, or customer experience, it’s a fast, affordable way to hear the one voice that often gets left out: the consumerr.
The Format Isn’t Going Anywhere
Global short-form video consumption has grown more than 75% since the early 2020s. Short-form videos get 2.5x more engagement than long-form content on social platforms, and the format has expanded well beyond entertainment — it’s now how people search, shop, and learn.
For brands willing to test, iterate, and lean into this format, the window is wide open. The question isn’t whether vertical short-form video belongs in your media strategy. It’s whether you’re using it in a way that actually tells you something.
