How mobile is pushing video

Kristina: Vindico data shows that more than half (60 percent) of video ads are 'unseen' - what is the problem with video ad viewability?

Brad Mandell, CEO, Bluefin Media: The problem with ad viewability is simple: brands are paying top dollar for any number of impressions that might not be seen by the number of people it suggests. These ads could be at the bottom of the page, or viewers could simply be on a different tab while they allow the advertisement to roll unwatched.

The overarching theme here is that there needs to be an industry standard viewability metric that affects how much brands are paying to advertise. The Open Video Viewability community is one organization making strides to accommodate the much needed industry standard.

Kristina: Where should ads be placed for optimum viewability?

Brad: Display ads should be placed at the top of the screen above the fold - that is where advertisers and marketers will get the most bang for their buck. However for video, there are few alternatives for placing ads. Not only is placement ATF important, but limiting the number of ads on a page also goes a long way to help. The more ad units on a page, the longer that page will take to load, and there are still a decent amount of people without high speed Internet, and your page layout/design definitely needs to account for this group. I have seen some estimates that as much as 30 percent of people still have a slow connection.

Kristina: You've noted that views should be 'weighted' so that viewers who have multiple tabs open don't cost advertisers as much. Could you expand on that a bit?

Brad: One measure of viewability could be limiting the cost advertisers are paying while users have multiple tabs open. This way, advertisers aren't paying for their ads to go unseen.

Kristina: How are mobile screens impacting the video space?

Brad: Mobile devices continue to shift the paradigm for the advertising industry. Users have different habits on cellphones, and are less likely to consume long-form content. Instead, advertisers and content creators are opting for short videos. Think about Vine and Snapchat - that's how consumers want to experience and share video content today.

More from Brad and Bluefin Media, including his top tips to increase viewability, tomorrow.

Image via Shutterstock

Tags: Bluefin Media, video ad trends, video ads, video content