Consumers prefer shorter online video ads

A recent survey from Advertising.com found that 66 percent of consumers would find video ads more pleasurable, if they were shorter than television ads.

by Helen Leggatt

Data was acquired from a sample of 500 respondents over the age of 18, along with data from Advertising.com’s video network. Overall, 66 percent of those surveyed viewed streaming video content at least once a week, with over half (56 percent) being over the age of 35.

The preference for shorter video ads is reflected in end-play rates, which show that a 15-second spot is 20 percent more likely than a 30-second spot to be watched in full.

There's a definite split in video activity between age groups. While the older online video viewers, 35 and over, preferred to stream news and sport content, younger audiences are much more involved and create their own content, recommend and distribute content to friends and watch television episodes, music videos and movie trailers.

"It's fascinating how consumers are integrating streaming video into their old media consumption patterns -- like watching TV episodes online," said Rick Foster, vice president of video advertising products for Advertising.com. "But as the positive consumer response to shorter ads clearly demonstrates, not all the offline rules apply online. We must continue to watch and listen to consumers if we're to maximize video's value as an advertising tool."