Research Test Ads Provide Insights Regarding What Ad Lengths Work Best Across Device and Location
LONDON, UK – Shifts in the way people consume video content are changing how marketers strategise about video advertising. Increased consumption of snack-sized content, for example, has made shorter video ad formats more popular. Concurrently, longer video ad formats have become increasingly prevalent as marketers start to invest in custom content created for digital platforms. While marketers are clearly experimenting with new video ad lengths, they are faced with increasing complexity about what works most effectively. To help address these questions, today, YuMe, Inc. (NYSE:YUME), the global audience technology company powered by data-driven insights and multi-screen expertise, and IPG Media Lab, the creative technology arm of IPG Mediabrands, unveil their latest joint research, addressing the effectiveness of different video ad lengths, looking at micro and longer form ad formats, devices and consumer perspective.
Key Findings:
- Ads perform differently based on length – developing a creative length strategy is imperative for success
- Micro ads have a leg up on smaller screens, where video takes up 100% of screen real estate and short content is the norm
- Having grown up with short form content, millennials respond best to micro ads, and also tend to see them as higher quality and more enjoyable than older consumers do
- Shorter ads can serve as a quick reminder of established brands to drive top-of-mind awareness and longer ads can be employed to educate about a new brand
- While every device performs differently, the 15 second mark is the shortest amount of time for making an impact on persuasion metrics
“The research conducted with the IPG Media Lab showed us that we can deploy different video ad lengths strategically based on the individual needs of all brands within our portfolio,” said MillerCoors Senior Media Manager Dan Langert. “The research supports the importance of messaging precision and length, given the device the consumer is utilising.”
The study sampled nearly 10,000 consumers across PC, smartphone and tablet devices, and tested ads for five brands: Charles Schwab, Hotwire, Jeep, Miller Lite and TV Land. Consumers were driven to content that matched their real-life consumption behaviours. Prior to the content, consumers were randomly shown a single pre-roll ad of 5, 10, 15, 30, or 45+ seconds. YuMe and IPG Media Lab explored how to effectively engage audiences across all ad lengths, verticals and devices, determining whether traditional branding metrics were impacted. The study also found that short video ads can increase awareness, drive home key messages as well as convey brand imagery. However, for brands to be truly persuasive, they need a minimum of 15 seconds to change overall favourability and drive purchase intent.
“With the increasing popularity of new ad lengths, the time was ripe to garner new insights around effectiveness that can help shape both strategy and creative direction,” said Paul Neto, Research Director, YuMe. “While we found micro ads to be effective with driving recall, especially with millennials, 15 seconds or more were required to drive persuasion metrics.”
“The study not only shows that marketers need to be thoughtful about how they deploy various video ad lengths, but also that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all best practice,” said Kara Manatt, Head of Research, IPG Media Lab. “We need to take a more nuanced approach and customise based on our goals and target audience.”
To download the full report visit, here.
About YuMe
YuMe, Inc. (NYSE: YUME) is a leading provider of global audience technologies, curating relationships between brand advertisers and consumers of premium video content across a growing range of connected devices. Combining data-driven technologies with deep insight into audience behaviour, YuMe offers brand advertisers end-to-end marketing software that establishes greater brand resonance with engaged consumers. It is the evolution of brand advertising for an ever-expanding video ecosystem. YuMe is headquartered in Redwood City, CA with European headquarters in London and 17 additional offices worldwide. For more information, visit YuMe.com/pr, follow @YuMeVideo and like YuMe on Facebook.
About IPG Media Lab
The IPG Media Lab is the creative technology arm of IPG Mediabrands. Equal parts think tank, real-world proving ground, and change enabler, we provide agencies and media operators with the power to harness emerging communication opportunities by offering expertise, resources and consulting services tailored to drive quantifiable outcomes, learnings and strategies. The IPG Media Lab is part of IPG Mediabrands, the media innovation and investment arm of IPG. For more information, please visit www.ipglab.com or follow @ipglab.
About IPG Mediabrands
We were founded by Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) in 2007 to manage all of its global media-related assets, IPG Mediabrands invests $37 billion in global media on the behalf of its clients, employs over 8,500 diverse and daring marketing communication specialists worldwide and operates company businesses in more than 130 countries.
A proven entity in helping clients maximise business results through integrated, intelligence-driven marketing strategies, IPG Mediabrands is committed to driving automated buying, pay-for-performance and digital innovation solutions through its network of media agencies including UM, Initiative, BPN, Orion Holdings, and ID Media. Its roster of specialty service agencies including MAGNA GLOBAL, Ansible, Mediabrands Audience Platform, Mediabrands Publishing, IPG Media Lab, Ensemble, and Identity offer technologies and industry moving partnerships that are recognised for delivering unprecedented bottom line results for clients. For more information, please visit www.ipgmediabrands.com or follow us on Twitter at @IPGMediabrands.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including those in management quotations. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “objective,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue” and “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements about our research covered under the whitepaper including associated advertising length performance, product offerings, strategic partnerships and the benefits derived therefrom, growth strategies; operating results; market trends; and quotations from management. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from future results that are expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include YuMe’s history of net losses and limited operating history, which make it difficult to evaluate prospects, YuMe’s fluctuating quarterly results of operations, and dependence on a limited number of customers in a highly competitive industry. These and other risk factors are discussed under “Risk Factors” in YuMe’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2015 that has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and in our future filings and reports with the SEC. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to YuMe as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
