Online long-form video and ad insertions have begun to mirror TV viewing with higher rates of success, according to a study released
Tuesday.
The 2012 Adobe Digital Video Advertising Report suggests that completion rates on mobile devices at 94% indicate higher engagement from viewers more open to watching ads on the go in
exchange for content. In-stream video ads show higher completion rates when viewed in long-form, 76%; compared with short-form content, 63%, defined as five minutes.
The study also found that
mid-roll ad formats at 87% completion rate in long-form video content perform nearly 30% better than pre-rolls. When it comes to post rolls, completion rates came in at 50%.
This TV-like ad
experiences, only online, presents opportunities for brands looking for another way to reach consumers. Adobe continues to see an average of 5.5 video ads served as part of long-form, professional
content. With a completion rate of 70%, viewers will watch and engage with ads online in exchange for premium video content.
Completion rates of ads in professional content, 72%, are higher
compared with user generated content. This indicates an engaged and focused audience willing to watch ads as part of professional content.
In February, Adobe announced the Primetime suite of
products, changing the way videos and ads get delivered across iPads, Android tablets, Internet-connected TVs and other devices from one platform. The company created the platform from the
Auditude acquisition.
Jeremy Helfand, Adobe VP of monetization, and former Auditude CEO, said "professional content tends to carry higher ad load because you can create a TV-like
experience."
It takes milliseconds for viewers to become distracted and lose focus from the content as it transitions to an ad and back to the content. Often times when watching digital video
online viewers will see that buffering. While people accept that as part of the online video experience, Adobe's tool Primetime can fix that, he said.
Click-through rates of ads on
video-on-demand content remains higher at 2.17%, compared with live content at .43%. These results are similar to live streaming and TV simulcast ad experiences where the advertising goal is often
more focused on brand awareness and lift, as opposed to an immediate call-to-action.
Understanding the type of content most desirable to consumers helps tie engagement back to viewer response
and sales, Helfand said.