• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, November 29, 2004

More than six times as many Web users who viewed an online video ad this spring seeking donations for Sen. John Kerry gave money to the campaign than did those who saw standard GIF or Flash ads, according to research by the Democratic National Committee, ad agency Malchow Schlackman Hoppey & Cooper, and online video advertising company Klipmart Corporation.

A full 13 percent of users who clicked on a 60-second streaming video ad featuring a biography of the candidate gave the campaign money, compared to 2 percent of those who saw standard online ads. That particular ad, funded by John Kerry for President, ran for three weeks in May, mostly on Yahoo! sites relating to news and the election. Most donations ranged between $75 and $85, regardless of whether donors saw video streams or banner ads.

Morra Aarons, Internet marketing director at the Democratic National Committee, attributes the high conversion rate to the video's emotional appeal. "It's a great spot. People got to know John Kerry, and I think they were moved," she said. Malchow's Michael Bassik, vice president Internet advertising, added that rich media's eye-catching features brought "the benefits of television to the Internet."

Two other video campaigns promoting Kerry's candidacy also ran on the Web--one in January, funded by John Kerry for President, and one in November, funded by the Democratic National Committee. In all, users watched about 50 million online video streams, mostly through Yahoo! and America Online. The majority of viewers--60 percent--saw at least three-quarters of the spots on average, according to Klipmart.