Reviews
Part of Why short form video reviews need a method you can audit
Before you sign off a short form video selection checklist
A short form video selection checklist for English teams: platform fit, sourcing, weighted scoring and the data questions to settle before approval.
What to take away
- The commonest mistake is picking the creative first and the evidence second, then writing criteria to fit a decision already made.
- Four parts carry the weightplatform fit, sourcing route, weighted scoring and regulatory sign-off.
- Agree weightings in advance and score every option on the same sheet.
- Settle the data protection question in writing at the start, not after publication.
- Keep the completed checklist as an audit record for budget holders and legal reviewers.
Decide what the video has to do before you compare anything
A checklist only works when the objective is fixed first. Write one sentence naming the audience, the action and the time frame. A retailer, for instance, might target existing customers and aim for repeat purchases within 90 days.
Objective sentence checklist
- Name the audience
- Name the action
- Name the time frame
- Name the owner
- Put sentence at top
Put that sentence at the top of the checklist and name the person who owns it. Ambition drifts when nobody is accountable for the wording.
Without that sentence, every option looks defensible and the scoring becomes theatre. Criteria should follow from the objective, not from whatever a supplier happens to offer.
If you are still deciding how to judge performance, the reviews and comparison methods guide sets out how to build a method that survives a later challenge from finance.
Match the format to the platform, not to fashion
Vertical video behaves differently on each platform. Aspect ratio, safe areas, caption placement and sound-on assumptions all vary, so ask each supplier to show work built for the placement you intend to buy.
Platform placement checks
Ask supplier
- Aspect ratio
- Built for placement
- Safe areas
- Dimensions supplied
- Caption placement
- Rules stated
- Sound-on assumption
- First two seconds work muted
Red flag
- Aspect ratio
- Generic crop
- Safe areas
- Cannot answer
- Caption placement
- Guessing
- Sound-on assumption
- Sound required
Ask for the safe area dimensions and the caption rules for each placement. Suppliers who cannot answer that question are guessing.
IAB UK publishes principles for digital video creative best practice covering formats, legibility and brand presence. Use them as format rows on the scoring sheet.
One practical test: does the first two seconds work with the sound off?
Choose the sourcing route deliberately
Three routes dominate: in-house production, a freelance creator, or an agency. Each carries a different cost profile, review cycle and risk. Name the route before shortlisting, because comparing across routes on price alone misleads.
A team paying, for example, £400 a month for freelance editing and £1,200 a month for agency strategy is comparing two different jobs, not two quotes for one job. Label figures like these as illustrative.
Where the agency route is in play, agency reviews in England covers how to check claims, references and contract terms before you commit.
Score every option on the same weighted criteria
Set criteria and weightings before scoring starts.
| Criterion | What good looks like | Suggested weight |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fit | Work built for the exact placement | 25% |
| Evidence quality | Dated examples with named results | 20% |
| Cost transparency | Itemised quote, no hidden usage fees | 15% |
| Data handling | Lawful basis and retention stated | 20% |
| Capacity | Realistic delivery schedule in writing | 20% |
Define what a score of three looks like before anyone rates an option. Without that anchor, one reviewer's three is another's five.
Score each option out of five on every row, multiply by the weight, and keep the sheet. That is the difference between a decision and a preference.
Check the regulatory and data questions before you approve
Short-form video often involves paid promotion, which brings advertising rules into scope. The ASA's social and political advertising topic page is a sensible starting point for what counts as advertising and what disclosure is expected.
Where a video captures or processes personal data, say customer footage or comment replies, the lawful basis matters. The Data Protection Act 2018 sets out the UK GDPR processing provisions, and your checklist should record which basis you rely on.
Record where the footage is stored, how long it is kept and who can access it. Those three answers belong on the same sheet as the price.
Record the decision and the reasons
Note the scores, the weightings, the date and the person who signed off. Add a short paragraph on why the runner-up lost.
A one-page record is enough. Length is not the point; traceability is.
That record protects the team when budgets are reviewed or a supplier underperforms. It also makes next year's comparison quicker.
Common questions
How many options should a short form video selection checklist cover?
Three to five is enough to test the criteria without turning the exercise into full procurement.
Should the checklist include price?
Yes, as one weighted row rather than the deciding factor. A cheap option that fails the data handling rows costs more later.
Who should sign off the checklist?
The budget owner, plus whoever handles data protection or legal review. Both signatures should carry a date.
Does this apply outside England?
Advertising and data protection rules differ across the UK and beyond, so check the position for every market where the video will run.
