The Problem With Online Video Ads
The advertising industry recognises that technology is enabling
viewers to skip advertising, and TV spot’s are becoming less
effective. Companies are allocating more significant dollars into
online advertising, a large part of that to video ads. But are the
same mistakes being made with video online as text online?
When text was first published online, there were many advertisers
and publishers alike who presented the media formatted as they would
present it in print media. It soon became evident that this was
a mistake.
The interactive potential of the Internet presents an ideal foundation
to drive media creativity. Purchasing video footage has never been
easier for agencies. Yet, too often we are seeing 15 and 30 second
television spots blatantly repurposed as online video ads, and uploaded
to social networking video sites. But media savvy consumers are
not accepting the overly used repurposing of video created for TV,
for online presentation. At the first sniff of a repurposed ad,
consumers turn off and stop watching. Trouble is; advertisers have
yet to take on board this behaviour. They continue to purchase millions
of dollars’ worth of online video inventory every month.
So what does this all mean to the Digital Publisher?
Firstly, digital publishers can take advantage of this demand by
supplying pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll, inventory. But more importantly,
publishers can provide the guidelines for video format and use.
It comes down to education of the advertising industry. Publishers
now have more power to dictate what inventory can be sold on their
sites, so it makes sense for publishers to drive the publishing
best practices. They know their audiences better than advertisers
and provide the interface technology to reach them.
Effectiveness measurement could be the key. By measuring the reach
and response of traditional TV spots in a mixed media campaign.
Such a campaign may include: an animated Flash ad, a purpose built
custom online video message and a non-video-based format, such as
a text overlay. The results can easily be compared in terms of:
click-through rate, viewing-time length, conversions [where applicable],
and costs per interaction.
As digital publishers, our challenge is to be more effective than
previous media generations. Agencies must encourage their clients
to make strategic changes toward improved effectiveness. And advertisers
must reassess their online strategy of using the same media format
in multiple presentation mediums. In simple terms that means: don’t
run TV spots online.
The power of Internet media, whatever the format, is a responsibility
shared by advertisers, agencies and publishers. It’s the Publishers
who have the power to make the industry react.
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