The internet has changed the way we entertain and educate ourselves. There is so much to learn and explore through the screens that we can spend our lifetime and still end up missing out on some of the best things. And all this has become possible due to platforms like YouTube which are dominating most of our daily life decisions. <h2>How YouTube Started</h2> YouTube started in the year 2005 after co-workers Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim came up with the concept of a video dating platform. At that time, these three were working together in PayPal and wanted to create a platform where people upload videos of themselves talking about the type of partner they want, but eventually, it failed and YouTube transformed into the most popular video streaming platform and the second most visited website on the internet. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71718" src="https://www.marketingmind.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/YT-logo.png" alt="" width="619" height="121" /> YouTube has been a huge success right from its start and Google saw its potential and bought YouTube in November 2006 for a whopping <strong>$1.65 billion</strong>. This was Google’s most expensive purchase at that time. <h2>Growth of YouTube in terms of reach & audience</h2> Since that acquisition from Google, YouTube has never looked back. In 2007, the platform consumed as much bandwidth as the entire Internet in 2000. In May 2011, YouTube reported receiving over 3 billion views per day. In March 2013, the no. of unique users visiting YouTube every month reached 1 billion. These are numbers are huge because back then the availability of internet was not that common and since the Jio revolution in India, the numbers have grown exponentially. Today, YouTube has become the go-to video platform for online users. Whether someone wants to learn cooking or if anyone wants to gain information about a place before traveling, YouTube has answers to not only general queries but also specific ones. If you are a wannabe artist or you own a big movie production house, YouTube is the place where your content will get maximum exposure. All this became possible because YouTube has always supported creators, brands and encouraged people to post stuff online. The huge number of brands collaborating with YouTubers and ads on the platform are a clear proof of how important YouTube has become for advertising and marketing. <h2>Brands and Advertisers Leveraging YouTube</h2> Slowly yet gradually, brands have realised that YouTube is a place where people watch all sorts of content and the attention with which people consume content on YouTube is more than any other social media platform. Today, YouTube videos as a part of content marketing and YouTube ads for content distribution have become essential for a successful online marketing strategy. Another factor that makes YouTube suitable for brands is the range of ways that advertisers can use to promote. And just like creators, YouTube knows how to encourage brands to come up with creative yet meaningful campaigns that build a strong connection with their target audience. <h2>YouTube Works Awards</h2> Among so many awarding initiatives by different platforms, <strong>#YouTubeWorks</strong> Awards has been the game changer in the current times. These awards recognize advertising campaigns on YouTube that have resulted in impactful results for brands in terms of meaningful and measurable engagement with viewers. <img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-71722" src="https://www.marketingmind.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/YouTube-Works_210622_KV_1280-720.width-800-700x394.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="394" /> Started in 2021, YouTube announced the winners of its second India edition of the YouTube Works Awards recently. Held in partnership with Kantar India, this year, brands competed for the YouTube Works Awards across 8 categories and a <strong>Grand Prix award</strong> which was given to <strong>Mondelez India’s Cadbury Celebrations - SRK-My-Ad</strong> campaign for being the best in multiple ways. <strong>Below are the eight winners of the #YouTubeWorks Awards 2022:</strong> <h2>1. Cadbury Celebrations – SRK-My-Ad</h2> <iframe title="Cadbury Celebrations - Award Winner | YouTube Works India 2022" frameborder="0" height="478" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gJHG1tr9x-A" width="676"></iframe> <strong>Winner:</strong> Mondelez India, Ogilvy India, Wavemaker <strong>Category:</strong> GRAND PRIX, TECH MEETS CREATIVE <strong>Results: </strong> -Generated 130K videos. -60% higher engagement on YouTube -42% growth in traditional trade. -Sales of 33 million gift boxes. <h2>2. Listerine DCO</h2> <iframe title="Listerine - Award Winner | YouTube Works India 2022" frameborder="0" height="378" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TSuAiTxjbHE" width="676"></iframe> <strong>Winner:</strong> J&J, Blink Digital, Interactive Avenues, Adlib Digital <strong>Category:</strong> MEDIA INNOVATION <strong>Results: </strong> -Impressions= 283.3 million -Reach= 69.68 million -Views= 31.5 million <h2>3. Knorr – Cook with MaKaPa</h2> <iframe title="Knorr - Award Winner | YouTube Works India 2022" frameborder="0" height="378" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wITirhz7aUA" width="676"></iframe> <strong>Winner: </strong>HUL, Mindshare, Divo TV <strong>Category:</strong> LOCAL CONNECTION <strong>Results: </strong> -Views= 9.1 million -Helped Knorr launch in Tamil Nadu with a 10% increase in repeat purchases. <h2>4. Cadbury Dairy Milk #GoodLuckGirls</h2> <iframe title="Cadbury Dairy Milk - Award Winner | YouTube Works India 2022" frameborder="0" height="378" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I1xGd-Qof8g" width="676"></iframe> <strong>Winner: </strong>Mondelez India, Ogilvy India, Wavemaker <strong>Category:</strong> BIG SCREEN, BIG RESULTS <strong>Results: </strong> -Impressions= 330 million -Earned media worth $670K worth -18% increase in sales <h2>5. HP India – Diye Se Diya Jalao</h2> <iframe title="HP India - Award Winner | YouTube Works India 2022" frameborder="0" height="378" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-LMkSJwyvMw" width="676"></iframe> <strong>Winner: </strong>HP India, Media Monks, Simple Creatives <strong>Category:</strong> FORCE FOR GOOD <strong>Results: </strong> -Views= 15 million -Reach= 40 million -Increase in brand trust by 14% <h2>6. Cottonking -Bhaidooj Film</h2> <iframe title="Cottonking - Award Winner | YouTube Works India 2022" frameborder="0" height="378" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5VqEsBzhkpU" width="676"></iframe> <strong>Winner: </strong>CottonKing, Fifth Estate <strong>Category:</strong> LONG FORM STORYTELLING <strong>Results: </strong> -Views= 8 million. -Created 1 over 1 lakh hours of viewing. -Increased store visits from women by 25%. <h2>7. Cadbury Perk Disclaimers</h2> <iframe title="Perk - Award Winner | YouTube Works India 2022" frameborder="0" height="378" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jwty55RXrq8" width="676"></iframe> <strong>Winner: </strong>Mondelez India, Ogilvy India, Wavemaker <strong>Category: </strong>6-SECONDS STORYTELLING <strong>Results: </strong> -Targeted 2.5 million videos with customised messages -Generated earned media worth $500K -Views= 84 million -Impressions= 635 million -20% increase in sales. <h2>8. Amazon Alexa – Hey Alexa with Social Media Star</h2> <iframe title="Amazon Alexa - Award Winner | YouTube Works India 2022" frameborder="0" height="378" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JgLbqOc700E" width="676"></iframe> <strong>Winner: </strong>Amazon, Interactive Avenues <strong>Category:</strong> BRAND X CREATORS <strong>Results: </strong> -Views= 25 million -Impressions= 400 million With these awards, YouTube is simply celebrating the brands which are making the most out of the platform through the right content. Also, these campaigns can be useful case studies for other brands and agencies to study what works on YouTube in terms of numbers and the impact beyond the numbers.
