A global report tracking the performance of branded content in the second quarter identified a number of key findings. For example, the overall average click-through rate remained constant at 0.31%,
while the overall average dwell time or time spent was two minutes and 36 seconds.
Additional findings included:
- Branded content views increased by 2.2x.
- Views
from APAC increased by 4.5x.
- The number of active campaigns grew by 75%.
- The number of active creatives grew by 111%.
Polar’s Q2 Benchmarks Report on Branded Content offers a snapshot into performance metrics across three device types, eight
different countries and geographic regions, and six major publisher verticals.
A few other notable highlights:
- The best-performing device type were tablets, with a 0.40%
click-through rate (CTR).
- U.S. audiences spent the most time engaging with branded content, at two minutes and 54 seconds.
- Arts & entertainment
publishers had the highest CTRs, at 0.47%.
With respect to geo-specific engagement performance, the Polar research found that time spent engaging with branded content indicated
different levels of market maturity. For example, more mature publishers in North America (the U.S. and Canada) that have been running branded content programs for several years, tend to have much
higher average-time-spent (ATS) metrics.
Typically, these audiences are more accustomed to viewing and engaging with branded content. The U.K. and Australia have respectable time-spent
metrics: around the two-minute mark. Publishers in continental European and Asia-Pacific countries are still familiarizing audiences with branded content and track lower ATS metrics of around one
minute.
On device type click-through performance, the research found that views on mobile and tablet devices now represent 40% of total views of branded content--a number that's growing
rapidly. Mobile and tablet devices also continue to see strong CTR performance at 0.37% and 0.40%, respectively.
When comparing CTR performance to engagement metrics on different device types,
mobile and tablet continue to see lower time spent than desktop—typically around two minutes.
The findings suggest that publishers should provide more "snack-sized" content for mobile
audiences that can be consumed quickly while consumers are on the go, Greg Bella, director, product marketing, Polar, told Native Insider.