During the fourth quarter, brands saw average video viewing time double to just over two minutes, as the overall number of views also doubled. This suggests marketers are improving the quality of their content and connecting with receptive audiences, according to the latest quarterly study from Web video ad and analytics firm TubeMogul and video provider Brightcove. The jump in engagement could also reflect a seasonal bounce as people watched product demo videos more in connection with holiday buying. Among other key findings, broadcasters led in total minutes streamed last year, with 1.7 billion, as well as in average minutes per view. Newspaper sites finished the year second in total minutes streamed, followed by magazine sites and online media. But newspapers had the highest number of player loads (giving a user the opportunity to view a video), indicating that newspapers have video players across more pages and more total page views than other media categories. Newspapers also continued to upload new videos at a growing pace, posting 1.2 million titles in the fourth quarter -- triple the number in the prior quarter. The study found that usage rates overall increased quarter-to-quarter, with audiences watching online video longer and completion rates moving higher (up 5.7%). Broadcasters and online media had the highest completion rates in the fourth quarter, with both pushing past 50% -- the first time any categories have achieved that level. A Nielsen report last week found that time spent watching video last year climbed 45%. As a video referral source, Twitter and Facebook accounted for the highest engagement rates (as measured in minutes viewed) across all categories. Brands, however, saw the longest viewing times with referrals from Yahoo at 2:30, as compared to the two social sites, Google and Bing. Facebook was responsible for one in 10 referred video views, second only to Google as a referral source. Facebook's referral traffic increased 11% in the fourth quarter, while Google's was roughly flat, Yahoo's dropped 6%, Bing's went up 4% and Twitter's dipped 2%. The TubeMogul/Brightcove report attributed Facebook's uptick to growing support on the site for embedded video that plays in-stream, allowing for contextual viewing without requiring any redirect of traffic.
Getting more bang for your digital video ad has less to do with its length than the video content where it runs. A new study by digital video ad sales rights/ad server company FreeWheel pegs completion rates of video ads in content 20 minutes or longer -- typically in premium TV shows -- at 81%. Shorter, professionally produced videos -- 5 minutes to 20 minutes long -- only get a 62% completion rate. "Length of video content is a more significant factor of completion rates than length of the advertising," says the report. The study says 58% of digital video ads are 15 seconds in length; 26% of digital video ads are 30 seconds long. Mid-roll video ads -- those that run mostly in long TV episodes -- have a 91% completion rates. Pre-roll ads -- still the most dominant in terms of all digital video ads -- have a 67% completion rate. Post-roll ads pull in a 50% number. Pre-roll ads comprise 87% of all video ads served by FreeWheel, with 12% coming from mid-roll ads and 1% from post-roll ads. FreeWheel processed 23 billion video views and and 13 billion video ad views in 2010. Mid-roll is a rapidly growing category; a year ago it had an 8% market share. Much of this growth comes from the growth of long video content, such as premium TV shows. FreeWheel -- whose clients include Fox, Discovery Communications, Turner Broadcasting, Univision, and CBS -- says that although ad volume has doubled during the last six months of 2010, completion rates have remained stable. This is a good sign, it says, meaning that consumers recognize the value of ad-supported TV shows and video.
Deeming dynamic and video advertising too vital to be left to a third party, Local.com has agreed to buy rich media provider Rovion for $1.5 million. Heath Clarke, Local.com CEO, is clear about the deal's intent: "Rovion is expected to increase monetization across the current Local.com network." According to Clarke, rich media is no longer the sole domain of national campaigns. "National brands with local points of presence increasingly use display advertising, and rich media in particular, to more effectively target local consumers." Effective upon the closing of the transaction, Rovion's Michael Sawtell will assume the role of senior vice president/GM of Local.com's sales and advertiser services business unit. He reports to Bruce Crair, Local.com president/COO. A wholly owned subsidiary of DigitalPost Interactive, Rovion sells, creates, delivers and tracks rich media -- including animated and video-based ads -- for local and national advertisers, including CBS Radio, Cisco and LendingTree. Under the terms of the agreement, Local.com will acquire the assets of Rovion for $1.5 million in cash -- with an earn-out of up to $7 million in cash and stock if future performance criteria is met. For its part, Local.com is getting a rich media ad management and serving platform, a suite of ad products and services and contacts with Rovion's existing clients. To date, publishers have had success investing in rich media providers. The shining example is Gannett's acquisition of PointRoll in 2005. While not without its hiccups, PointRoll has recently been credited with driving digital revenue for the publisher. Local.com ratings and reviews allow users to write ratings and reviews for any business listing that appears on the site. Users can enter comments, rate a business using a five-star rating system and view all of the reviews they have previously submitted. Ratings and reviews entered on the site appear on business listing profile pages, subject to a user validation process.
Do casual video games reduce depression, stress and anxiety? The East Carolina University's Psychophysiology Lab and Biofeedback Clinic Wednesday released results from a year-long clinical study measuring the reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety as a co-morbid condition. An estimated 20.9 million American adults -- 9.5% of the U.S. population age 18 or older -- suffers from a mood disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States. More than two-thirds of those 14.8 million U.S. adults are cases of major depression. PopCap Games, which develops and publishes causal video games like "Bejeweled," underwrote the study. Carmen Russoniello, director of the psychophysiology lab and biofeedback clinic at ECU, oversaw the study. Nearly 60 participants -- half of whom served as "controls" meeting the criteria of clinical depression -- participated in the study. They were asked to play "Bejeweled 2," "Peggle," or "Bookworm Adventures." Russoniello tested the hypothesis using psycho-physiological, biochemical and psychological measurements and found depression symptoms fell to 57% in the experimental video game group. The study -- which measures the efficacy of video games in reducing depression and anxiety -- also found a significant reduction in anxiety, as well as improvements in mood, among those participating. PopCap Games approached the university about four years ago based on customer surveys that found about 89% said the games provide stress relief, according to company spokesperson Garth Chouteau. Prior studies examined how games affect stress and mood. Findings suggest that participants in the study experienced a 57% decline in depression symptoms, on average. Researchers call this "statistically significant" compared with the control group who participated. The video game group experienced "significant reductions in depression," with all seven subjects previously classified as suffering from moderate to severe depression moving to minor or minimal. The number of subjects classified as having minor depression dropped from nine to four. The study also reveals the differences in the effect of games on males compared with females, as well as differences between participants less than age 25, and older. The study also found a 65% improvement on average of overall mood and anxiety levels. Overall physical symptoms also improved among the experimental group, by 36% on average. In general, the study notes decreases in tension, 49.6%; anger, 55%; depression, 50%; fatigue, 58%; confusion, 50%; and an increase in vigor, 33%. The study was developed between July 2009 and August 2010, with the clinical piece conducted between August 2010 and November 2010. Fifty-nine people participated. The experimental group consisted of 30 participants, with 18 choosing to play "Bejeweled 2;" seven participants played "Peggle;" and five participants played "Bookworm Adventures" (BWA).
Having run hundreds of social video campaigns for major brands over the past five years, I'm frequently asked to predict how audiences will respond to a certain video. There is, of course, no way to know for sure. Every project is different, and we're regularly surprised by audience reactions. This doesn't mean that producing social video is a crap shoot. Like any other form of advertising, the medium is more art than science, but there are a number of steps advertisers can take to raise their chances of success -- without compromising the video's effectiveness as a selling tool. Following are some top-level best practices. 1. Take the time to develop a sound strategy. By now, most advertisers understand how to find their consumers online. Reaching them via social media, however, is a different endeavor. The bar is higher because the goal is viewer engagement, not just ad impressions. A successful social video strategy, therefore, must consider the creative, the placement, and the distribution simultaneously. Where and how the video is displayed says as much about the brand as the video itself. Consider the difference between a video that auto-plays when you visit a page, versus one you discover in a social game or on a mobile device. It's also important to consider what you'd like to get out of your social video campaign. Social video is new for many advertisers and it's important to set realistic expectations. Every campaign is not going to be the Evian Babies. Check this MediaPost piece by my partner for a look at what kind of performance you should expect from a social video campaign. 2. Speak to your audience - not to yourself. Social video is different from television commercials, pre-roll, or other interruptive media in that people's expectations are higher. The medium is closer to movie theatre ads, where the audience is looking forward to a laugh, or to seeing a big star, or special effects. With that in mind, the approach should be: entertain first, advertise second. This can absolutely be done in a brand-appropriate way. However, the viewer should feel rewarded for his or her selection. 3. Openly promote the brand, but respect the culture.Opinions differ on how much branding is appropriate in a social video, but we feel the brand should be prominently placed. People know that the brand is trying to connect with them, and there's no reason to be coy about it. The brand can be the hero without being an interruption. 4. Leverage stars, celebs, and big names if you've got them.Big-name musical artists, actors, athletes, and celebs don't bring guarantees, but having one or more involved in your social video project can be a big advantage. Just be sure the star is current, and that he or she is popular with the consumers you want to reach. Also, it's important to provide a script that your talent can pull off. Will the famous musician actually be funny? Can the star quarterback deliver a line on camera? Most importantly, make sure the contract gives you full rights to distribute anywhere on the Internet - no restrictions! You may also want to negotiate for rights to use all b-roll footage, outtakes, etc., and while you're at it, require your talent to send out a few tweets, speak to bloggers, and do a few interviews. 5. Use special effects.You don't need space ships and laser guns to be successful here. Anything that creates a "wow" factor will help generate interest. Some of the most popular videos over the past few years (Kobe jumping the Aston Martin, for instance) looked like they were shot on cell phones, which made the clever use of computer generated imagery that much more compelling. 6. Make it edgy, dramatic, shocking, or otherwise memorable.Social video fans love everything from horror and shock to sexy visuals or dramatic content. If it's brand-appropriate, edgy content usually has a strong appeal.