NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Undertone, which creates digital advertising solutions for brands, today unveiled research into online video advertising that reveals the impact that an ad’s playback method and the quality of the site it appears on have with viewers’ overall reactions. The study was conducted in partnership with IPG Media Lab and utilized eye tracking, facial coding and panel surveys to measure reactions to video advertising.
The research found that site quality plays a significant role in driving both purchase intent and consumer satisfaction, demonstrating the “halo effect” that exists for brands that run video ads on high-quality sites. Website quality emerged as the element that had the highest single contribution to purchase intent above player size, player placement and the playback method of the ad (auto-play vs. click-to-play).
The study also reveals the impact that different playback methods have on an ad’s efficacy. Auto-play ad units can create higher awareness than click-to-play ads, but elicit a more negative emotional reaction from viewers. Meanwhile, click-to-play ads elicit more positive emotional reactions and drive higher engagement rates as well as greater intent to purchase.
“This study highlights that buyers can leverage different kinds of video advertising to achieve different goals as part of a holistic video strategy,” said Jared Skolnick, VP of Product Marketing at Undertone. “One of the key findings to emerge from the study is the central role high-quality websites play in driving successful video advertising campaigns.”
Other findings in Undertone’s research include:
- Site quality plays a significant role in driving consumer satisfaction, with nearly 50% of video satisfaction rates stemming from site quality.
- Eye tracking data revealed that viewers of click-to-play video ads were more engaged and more likely to browse new content than viewers of auto-play ads, and had higher overall satisfaction with the videos.
- Larger video players evoke higher levels of brand awareness among consumers and can mitigate the negative effects often associated with auto-play ads.
- The position of the video unit on the page – center of the page vs. side-rail – has little meaningful impact on an ad’s efficacy.
For a comprehensive look at the study and research methodology, download Undertone’s research whitepaper at: www.undertone.com/downloads/white-papers
The story was first covered in MediaPost.
About Undertone
Undertone is focused on making digital media work for brands. We do this through immersive ad units that we place on the world’s best websites. We own and operate an ad serving platform that optimizes our clients’ campaigns across screens and formats, making every media buy work harder and smarter. We fuse creative, content and technology to deliver Standout Brand Experiences™. Find out more at www.undertone.com.