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92% say online video ads need improvement

September 14, 2016

92 per cent of European consumers agree that changes need to be made to current online video advertising in order to improve the viewer experience, according to a survey of 4,000 consumers in the UK, France and Germany, which was commissioned by online video solutions provider, Brightcove.

When asked to pinpoint their specific objections to video advertising, consumers cited irrelevancy, volume and poor delivery – with 67 per cent choosing to stop watching their selected content as a result of one of these issues. Additional questions around the online video advertising experience revealed that:

  • 73 per cent have experienced poor video ad delivery (i.e. buffering, failing to load)
  • 74 per cent have had a negative experience with the content of an online video ad
  • Over a third (36 per cent) rarely or never see an ad relevant to their personal interests

The findings highlighted that, while many respondents agree that the range (54 per cent) and quality (47 per cent) of online video content has improved in the last year, video advertising has struggled to keep pace:

  • 73 per cent say the quality of video ad content has remained unchanged or declined
  • 72 per cent say the range of video ad content has remained unchanged or declined
  • Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) say the volume and frequency  of video ad content has worsened

the findings suggest that publishers need to change their approach to monetising online video content or risk losing out on viewers and associated revenue. However, with 50 per cent of consumers admitting that they are not willing to pay for any type of online video content, simply switching to a subscription model does not appear to be the answer.

Mark Blair, Vice President of EMEA at Brightcove, explained, “At Brightcove we believe that consumers absolutely have the right to avoid annoying […] ad experiences but, at the same time, companies have the right to monetise and promote the content they put a lot of money into producing. The key to marrying the two is finding a balance – improving the user experience so they are more willing to accept ad content. It should encourage the industry that two thirds (66 per cent) of the consumers who participated in the study say they understand and agree that it is fair for publishers to use online ads to fund free content. But with only one in ten (11 per cent) saying they always have positive experiences with the online ads they are served, the room for improvement is clear.”

When asked for their opinion on the top improvements that could be made, participating consumers called for the following:

  • 57 per cent would like video ads to be shorter
  • 41 per cent would like the ability to fast forward through the ads
  • 21 per cent would like video ads to be more targeted at them
  • 58 per cent would be more likely to tolerate an online video ad if it is interactive

Categories: Ads, Advertising, Articles, Consumer Behaviour, OTT, Research, Targetted