Skip to main content

Online Video Viewers Continue to Ignore Ads


eMarketer reports that online video viewers became even "less likely" to click on pre-roll ads, or watch them to completion over the course of 2009, according to the analysis of video ad network YuMe.

Between 2009 Q1 and Q4, click-through rates trended steadily downward -- from 1.88 to 0.74 percent. Completion rates dropped as well, to 66.3 percent in Q4.

Broken down by length of pre-roll, there was a trade-off. While completion rates were higher for 15-second videos than for 30-second spots, the longer ads received more click-throughs.

Additionally, view-to-completion rates fell throughout 2009 for both types of video advertising, but rates for the shorter ads dropped more dramatically over the period. Average click-through rates for the year were almost doubled on longer videos, at 1.5 percent for 30-second ads -- versus 0.8 percent for 15-second pre-rolls.

YuMe found that video ads targeted to children and teens ages 6 to 14 had the highest video ad click-through rate, at 3.5 percent -- but the lowest rate of viewing to completion. It was the ads targeted at the oldest users (over 35) that were most likely to be watched to the end, at a rate of 77.4 percent.

Online video analytics and distribution company TubeMogul reported somewhat higher completion rates for 10- to 30-second pre-roll ads appearing before short-form video clips. Nearly 16 percent of viewers clicked away rather than watch the ad to completion.

Rates were worse at magazine and newspaper sites, with nearly one-quarter of viewers abandoning the video, while just 10.9 percent clicked away from pre-rolls in front of video from large broadcasters.

Earlier research has shown that in addition to location and industry, video ad size and creative have a significant effect on success metrics -- relatively speaking, that is.

Meaning, the most "significant effect" of online video advertising is the apparent confirmation that shifting a poorly performing approach to marketing from one medium (Television) to a new medium (Online) doesn't change the response rate -- the vast majority of people tend to ignore the interruptions.

Popular posts from this blog

Global Rise of Domestic Payment Ecosystems

Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) – comprising digital wallets, instant payments, and QR payment systems – are experiencing explosive growth that's reshaping the global financial services marketplace. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research , the combined global transaction value for APMs is projected to reach $142 trillion by 2030. What's particularly fascinating is the underlying driver behind this trend: a growing desire for financial sovereignty, with nations developing domestic payment ecosystems rather than remaining dependent on international financial networks. Payment Ecosystem Market Development In 2024, approximately 45 percent of the global population used digital wallets – a remarkable adoption rate for a technology that barely existed a decade ago. China leads this transition, with 95 percent of its population using WeChat's payment functionality. WeChat exemplifies the "super app" phenomenon, where payment capabilities are in...