What Little I Know…

In March we posted a blog about online video, user engagement and the effectiveness of advertising using this medium and at that time, the receptiveness to advertising while watching online video was extremely favorable. Well, it’s only eight months later and the numbers have moved significantly in the way of advertisers.

In a Forrester study entitled “Watching the Web: How Online Video Engages Audiences”, we found that “engaged” online video viewers, 40% of those surveyed, agreed that:

• Banner ads and ads that come in between videos are most effective
• They are likely to recall in-video ads and post-rolls
• Advertising is fair and helps pay for their free experience

What this study also made clear is that your engaged viewer gets enthused the more entertaining the video and based on an entertainment value, they are key to content sharing with their friends and colleagues.

This information should encourage advertisers and media to expand the way they use video to engage, or bring awareness to their business or service. Many traditional media groups, who have started to use video advertising on their Web properties, have stuck to the TV commercial format and running that online to fill their video inventory. However, we all recognize that there are notable differences between television and the Web and not playing to those differences does a disservice to the advertiser and the consumer looking to engage in online video viewing. Traditional publishers should look at doing more entertaining, informative and comedic video advertorials for customers. Look at creating a message that doesn’t sell a product, but instead builds brand recognition. We agree with Steve Mitgang, CEO of Veoh Networks, when he says “…online video viewing… will create many new opportunities for content providers and advertisers… advertisers (should) re-think their approaches to marketing… to captivate these valuable viewers as they drive online video into a mainstream entertainment medium.”