In short-form video, don’t mistake efficiency for effectiveness
An overreliance on short-form video and quick-win marketing means efficiency is increasingly mistaken for effectiveness.
Leo Australia CEO, Clare Pickens, argues that what we need to focus on is creating emotionally resonant content to build memorable brands and deliver commercial success.
Not everything that’s efficient is effective. And yet, much of today’s marketing acts like the two are synonymous.
We’re caught in a headlong sprint toward fast, undistinguishable, lower-funnel content – particularly short-form video – as if the sheer volume of output will somehow compensate for its diminishing impact.
It won’t.
Let’s get one thing straight: short-form video isn’t the problem. Nor is efficiency. The problem is marketers confusing tactical execution with strategic thinking. Chasing clicks and likes because your CMO wants a quarterly win is not a media format issue – it’s a leadership failure.
Romanticising emotionally resonant, long-form creativity is a lovely bedtime story. But unless you’re also investing in media distribution, distinctiveness, and brand codes, your “resonance” is just another echo chamber sob story. Emotion alone doesn’t drive effectiveness – fame, fluency, and reach do.
I agree, the obsession with short-termism is killing brands. But again, this isn’t about video length. It’s about brands ignoring Byron Sharp and The Long and the Short of It. You can do TikTok and still build long-term brand memory – just ask Duolingo or Ryanair. You just have to know what you’re doing.
So, stop blaming short-form. Stop moaning about efficiency. And start admitting that the rot lies not in formats, but in the strategic laziness that’s pervading modern marketing. Efficiency without strategy is chaos. Emotion without scale is theatre. And creativity without commercial outcomes is art school, not advertising.
Thanks for vehemently agreeing. It’s very clear that this isn’t about a single format nor bemoaning necessary efficiency driving. However, as stated, it’s about balance and the endemic of poor strategic advice being given in the industry.