Have a look at the first seconds of this video:
What you may notice is the fact that they place the brand name at the very beginning of the video. In my opinion, people are very interested in seeing the video, but at the very end, they don’t pay as much attention.
Think of movies at the cinema:
- In the old days, at the beginning of the movie, there used to be a lot of waiting for the credits. You had to wait and to wait for a long time, to see everything. You had to see the name of every important actor, then some other information about who made the movie.
- In the modern times, the movie starts directly, no credits. and you can see some information at the end of the movie. At the beginning there usually is just the name of the movie. That’s it.
Why the difference between the two situations? Why the change in how people made movies 30 years ago and today?
In my opinion, people give their maximum attention at the beginning of something – movie, clip, sequence. You may want to give the exact information they look for, or you may try to persuade them into liking your brand. It’s not a final answer.
Just remember you have a choice – beginning/end? You choose.
Note: In the latest James Bond movie, Skyfall, the credits are at the beginning. But this is a differentiator for the movie. It’s on purpose.