Commentary
Four Reasons Why We Choose to Watch Ads
- by June 3, 2011
There's no shortage of phenomenal video content online today. Movies, sitcoms, music videos, sports highlights, cat videos... they're all just a click away. And yet in Q1 2011 alone, we chose to watch ads nearly 800 million times. Why?
Let's be clear, we're not talking about pre-roll or auto-play ads -- these ads interrupt us while we're trying to watch our movies and sports highlights. When we choose to watch ads, we click the "play" button. It's an active, lean-forward experience with the brand. In fact, choice-based ads don't have to interrupt sitcoms, music videos, and other content because these ads are the content. As a result, choice-based ads generate user-initiated views, not impressions like pre-roll ads.
Some of the most common examples of choice-based ads are Old Spice's Old Spice Guy, VW's The Force, and T-Mobile's recent Royal Wedding Dance. We click "play" to watch these ads because they look interesting, we like the brand, a friend recommended them to us, [add your reason here]. But beyond these generalities, the most popular choice-based ads have specific characteristics that influence our decision to watch them.
#1. They look and feel like content. It might sound strange, but it doesn't feel like you're watching an ad when you choose to watch an ad. This is because when you choose to watch an ad you're focused on what interests you, not what interests the brand. This means that the ads we choose to watch aren't standard brand pitches. They're lightly branded, with few facts, features, and figures. Instead of talking about the product and how great the brand is, these ads focus on storytelling.
#2. They're engaging. The ads we choose to watch are funny, sexy, informative, and, most of all, entertaining. Frequently, these ads are surprising, unpredictable, and unbelievable, leading us not only to watch them again and again, but to pass them along to our family and friends. Choice-based ads enable -- even encourage -- us to get involved and engage directly with the brand: to respond with comments, upload a reaction video, play with the ad in unexpected ways, blast the ad across Facebook and Twitter, and more.
#3. They're (relatively) brief. Choice-based video enables advertisers to tell their story anyway they want. There are no restrictions on time or content like in TV or pre-roll advertising. And while this gives advertisers some room to run, the ads that ultimately flourish in online video are relatively brief, usually no longer than 2:00 minutes. This means that for us, the viewers, the ads are long enough to develop an interesting story, but not long enough to lose our attention. Case in point, we published research last year that says 19% of people abandon a video clip in its first 10 seconds. Nearly 45% abandon by 60 seconds.
#4. They're viewable. In the time it took you to read this article, around four days' worth of video has been uploaded to YouTube, including ads we'll choose to watch. But because of the sheer wealth of video content that's available, there are plenty of great ads that don't get the recognition they deserve - they simply get lost in the noise. So, in addition to choosing to watch ads because of great content, the ads we choose to watch also have great media strategies behind them. These media strategies focus on generating choice-based views - not impressions - and are frequently charged on a performance basis, like cost-per-view (CPV) instead of the traditional CPM.
Many of the most-watched choice-based campaigns of all time have adopted these exact strategies. They create great content and promote it with choice-based paid media. As for the results, think about them the next time you choose to watch an ad.
Some of the most humorous ads that I seek have sponsors whose names I forget. But I remember the humor.
What it really comes down to: content is still king. People watch what they enjoy, whether that be the feature or the advertising. It's about entertainment. And sometimes the ad is the entertainment. (Look at the superbowl)
With the huge amount of "noise" out there advertisers really have to make something unique and memorable to stand out from the crowd - and if they do, people will watch it.
A good ad gets watched or could go viral like in point #2. A low quality ad just makes the product it's promoting look bad, hurts branding, and as in point #3, could just get skipped altogether.
-CW
www.frogspots.com
It's really quite shocking that this list misses the most absolutely fundamental reason consumers watch ads...
...They have something meaningful for the consumer's life contained in them.
What's sad is that with everyone pushing hard to make art-ads, what I hear back in honest discussions with heartland and urban consumers is that they are very frustrated that it's nearly impossible to learn anything helpful at retail. Ads don't offer anything particularly valuable. And while the internet offers tons of information, little of it is really that valuable.
They still would like us to tell them about products and why they are meaningful.
Consumers are starting to wake up to the fact that with all the entertainment choices on cable and satellite there is still little to watch on TV. Have you ever played the remote control bingo? The truth is Advertisers deserve a better deal. A Deal that Transmedia Brandcasting offers using a Social Media Profile to narrow cast to. If you are selling Calais I think you would like to hit your target demo rather than Spraying and Praying you reaches the target audience.
Televisions are basically Dumb, Said Eric Schmidt, Google's former CEO. The companies that are able to deliver a customer, better, faster and cheaper should be given every consideration.
People are leaving their subscriptions behind for what feels like should be a right to content on the Internet for FREE.
Well we all know it takes money to produce Quality content that is KING. I agree with the articles commercials that get my attention tell a story in 30 seconds should I happen to see them. But most times, like most men I flip from game to game, or even program to program when the commercial comes on. Remember our attention spans seem to get shorter. And don't let me get started on Pre-rolls and pop-ups as they are a hot mess and a pain in the ass when finally getting to the link of information you want and have to wait 15 seconds for your show to start. Or if you have ever watched HULU or Crackle their breaks are ill-timed and since there is no remote control to flip on the web you feel trapped to get the info you want.
So what's the answer? I am glad you asked. Transmedia Storytelling yes even in ads is worth considering. Even a Branded Channel of Content which uses Product Placement like the BMW Mini Movies done several years ago may hold a key.
Engage me, Challenge me and yes put me in the driver’s seat Chasing Madonna or some other modern day Femm Fatal and you may not only have me for 30 seconds. You could get me to click and buy. Or click and arrange a Test Drive at my local dealer.
Martin Spurlock may have been poking a bit of fun with POM Presents the Greatest Movie ever sold, however there are those of us again who are tired of supporting Commercials and Reruns while paying 60.00 bucks a month or more like 90.00 bucks or more for the Triple Play options given us.
Much more to come and it’s exciting to see what TV will look like in the next 5 years. I am betting that Advertisers will want more and I know consumers still just want their MTV.....across multiple devices anytime and with mobile anywhere. Ask us about UPCODE and how it can shape your Transmedia Campaign. Visit our Blog at www.wcntransmedia.wordpress.com