Editor's note: This article appeared in the April 23, 2008, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.
The good news is that more than half (53.6 percent) of online video viewers recall seeing in-stream (pre-, mid-, post-roll) advertisements in content they've watched, according to a study conducted by Burlington, Mass., advertising company Burst Media. The bad news is that advertising placement in online video is not met with overwhelming consumer approval. In fact, three-quarters (78.4 percent) of respondents say in-stream advertisements in online video are intrusive - and one-half (50.4 percent) say the presence of in-stream advertisements in video content disrupts their Web surfing experience.
Key findings:
- Women (53.1 percent) are more likely than men (48.1 percent) to say advertisements in video content disrupt their Web surfing experience;
- One-half (50.7 percent) of respondents stop watching an online video once they encounter an in-stream advertisement;
- 15.3 percent of respondents immediately leave the Web site once they encounter an in-stream advertisement;
- Half (49.7 percent) of respondents say the presence of in-stream advertising in online video content makes them less likely to view other video content they may encounter online;
- Two out of five (43.2 percent) respondents stay to watch the ad and remaining video content;
- Respondents 18-24 years old are the most tolerant of advertisements included in online video - 57.6 percent will watch an advertisement in an online video and continue to watch the content;
- Interestingly, the segments with the lowest level of recall are the youngest (18-24 years) and the oldest (65 years and older) respondents.