Marketing News: Smartclip study highlights consumer perceptions towards online video versus TV ads

News Release from: smartclip
24/09/2009
smartclip, online video advertising, video advertising network, research, MediaCom, Jean-Pierre Fuma

The results of this study, conducted in association with MediCom Science, demonstrate increased engagement through video ads.

Europe's largest online advertising network smartclip, today reveals findings from its extensive qualitative consumer research into consumer responses to online video, conducted in association with MediCom Science, the research department of MediaCom. The research highlights the extent to which people are engaged with online video ads and casts light on the growing importance of pre-, post- and mid-roll video over classic TV ads. It also offers insight on how best to incorporate these formats into effective ongoing campaigns.

The qualitative survey focussed primarily on understanding how people use the TV and internet and using a process known as morphological cognitive psychology, smartclip has been able to understand how people interact with the content they watch in terms of its impact on the consumer.

Two group discussions were held with 16 part

Europe’s largest online advertising network smartclip, today reveals findings from its extensive qualitative consumer research into consumer responses to online video, conducted in association with MediCom Science, the research department of MediaCom.  The research highlights the extent to which people are engaged with online video ads and casts light on the growing importance of pre-, post- and mid-roll video over classic TV ads.  It also offers insight on how best to incorporate these formats into effective ongoing campaigns.

The qualitative survey focussed primarily on understanding how people use the TV and internet and using a process known as morphological cognitive psychology, smartclip has been able to understand how people interact with the content they watch in terms of its impact on the consumer.  Two group discussions were held with 16 participants, in addition to two sets of in-depth interviews in their homes. The survey was conducted in August and September 2009 and participants were between 14 and 39 years old.

The smartclip research demonstrates that online video is able to induce a change in mood or encourage a particular state of mind.   The findings suggest that if online video is integrated in a non-intrusive yet entertaining way, all three formats will have greater impact than their traditional TV ad counterparts and are not seen as disturbing the overall internet experience.

Key findings

Analysis of the effectiveness of online videos:

The suitability and the effectiveness of video depend on the content. Video is favoured by users when it fits their mood or is displayed in such a way that people can change the way they engage depending on their emotions at the time.  Users see videos on news-portals as a tool to acquire more in-depth information, whereas videos on an entertainment portal are seen as ways to lighten the mood. Special-interest sites can have a particularly high emotional impact, for example an automotive site featuring a spot of a sports car in full action can create strong feelings of passion and excitement. 
 
Analysis of effectiveness of online video ads:

Online video ads are perceived quite differently to classic TV adverts because consumers have a sense that they are more interactive and so are naturally more engaged.  This inherent perception means that video ads can benefit from this emotional framework, which can boost, support or change an emotion depending on the viewer’s state of mind.

Analysis of the effectiveness specific ad formats:

Pre-roll
Preroll ads can be used to set the tone and guide emotions in a particular direction. However, they can only trigger actions when the user does not perceive them as contradictory to his or her current emotional state. Owing to their prominent placement at the beginning of the whole viewing experience, preroll content should aim to reflect the user's mood and expectations towards the main feature they are about to watch.

Mid-roll
Midroll ads are perceived to be the closest relative to the classic TV ad, as they disrupt the viewer's emotional flow. The viewer’s emotional mood can be sustained, if the midroll is placed in a matching environment. Media planners looking to best engage the consumer should therefore look to follow a precise  planning strategy for midrolls.

Post-roll
The lesser known postroll ads are nevertheless very attractive for advertisers. This is, where the user has the most options how to react to the ad - a clear advantage of the interactivity of the Internet over TV. Post- Rolls are especially effective when they either follow the same emotional setting as the previous video or when they initiate a mood-change. Extreme or irritating perceptions in the opening sequence intensify the attention of the user.

“This study highlights the qualitative effectiveness of online in-stream video-ads and offers practical advice to advertisers looking to capture the attention of their audiences. As the initiator of this study we have a deep desire to educate the market to help brands run more effective, engaging and measurable campaigns. We hope that media planners will be able to interpret the advertising impact of online compared to TV to help them weigh up the benefits of each of the different online advertising formats to best suit the campaigns they wish to run,” explains Thorsten Schütte, Sales Director smartclip AG.
 
Jean-Pierre Fumagalli, CEO smartclip AG, adds, “The study has increased our understanding of the evolving video advertising market. It is now up to the creative players in the market to understand and exploit the possibilities of online video ads, in order to further enhance the efficiency of the technology. “