Study: Brand awareness increases with online video

A new study indicates viewers of online video clips are less distracted and more aware of brand messages that when they see the same ads on television or DVR programming.

by Kristina Knight

According to researchers from Millward Brown, online video viewers linked commercials to the right brand more often than television or DVR viewers. About 93% of online viewers placed brand with commercial while only 70% of television or DVR viewers did so. Television and DVR viewers also had 54% brand awareness while online viewers jumped to 82% brand awareness. Online viewers also have better recall of what ad messages were (77%) than television (18%) and DVR (19%) viewers.

Some of the differential may be because viewers online are more focused on what they are watching. Studies have shown that while watching traditional television broadcasts, viewers are doing other things - surfing the Internet, cooking dinner or talking on the telephone. Meanwhile, online viewers are usually focused on the programming. Only about 6% of online viewers left the room while watching compared with 4% of DVR viewers and 18% of tradition viewers.

One large drawback to online viewing is that viewers grow tired of seeing ads much more quickly. 28% of online viewers told researchers they grew tired of seeing ads, while only 19% of DVR viewers and 15% of television viewers said the same thing.

This may be an indication that online video providers should have single-sponsor downloads or very limited sponsoring options, which could hinder online revenue from these broadcasts.