• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, August 21, 2009

According to a study conducted by Interpret, online video viewing patterns are more spread out during the day than traditional TV patterns, viewed during work and school time.

Jason Kramer, chief strategy officer of Interpret LLC, says that "... unlike television consumption, which mostly happens during hours of 8 pm to 11 pm, people across all demographics are watching online videos consistently throughout the day and night, with the exception of dinnertime... this fundamental shift in consumer behavior opens up opportunities... [to] leverage online video to reach target audiences more often than just once a week."

The study, sponsored by Yahoo! Inc., Havas Digital, Warner Bros. Media

Research and PHD, says that there are key Online viewing patterns:

• There are similar spikes in online video consumption for people at work, as well as at home, with approximately 70% watching during the day and at night.
• There are spikes in online video consumption among men, women, students and full-time employees during the hours of 12pm- 3pm, and then again between 9pm-1am
• The lowest amount of online video consumption is around dinnertime from 6pm-9pm
• Regardless of time of day, one-third of people who watch a video share it with friends, family members and colleagues

According to the study:

• 27% of respondents who remembered seeing an ad searched for more information about the product featured after watching high engagement videos, versus only 13% for low engagement videos.
• 28% visited an advertised brand or product's website after viewing a high engagement video vs. only 10% for low engagement videos.
• High engagement videos account for 47% of ad recall.

As a result of the study findings, the  sponsors developed a new model for measuring online video engagement, which includes:

• Completion of the video... a strong indicator of engagement because online videos are generally a self-selected experience where the viewer has to first decide to start watching a video and then decide to leave that page
• Attention to content... the amount of attention someone gives to a video experience, compared to the amount of attention they give to the other people or tasks in their environment at that moment. Attention paid is a strong indicator of (viewing) passion
• Actions taken... by viewers might have taken action like posting a comment, rating the video, or sharing the video before, during, or after watching the streaming video

Liz Huszarik, senior vice president, Warner Bros. Media Research, concludes that "... This propensity for sharing and ad recall translates into improved viral ‘buzz' for advertisers and their ads... "

For additional information and access to the PDF file, please visit Interpret LLC. here.