MTVN Report Explores Online Video Ad Effectiveness

NEW YORK: New research from MTV Networks has found that a five-second pre-roll combined with a ten-second lower-third ad unit is the most effective and the most audience-friendly ad product for short-form online video.

The findings are revealed in Project Inform, which surveyed consumers through millions of short-form online video streams, measuring both the effectiveness and likeability of various ad formats across a range of audience, content and advertiser categories. Packages tested included the "Lower Third Product Suite," which consists of a 5-second pre-roll video coupled with an animated 10-second lower third ad overlay. The lower third is a semi-transparent flash unit that launches from the bottom third of the video screen approximately 10 seconds after the video content begins. The tests were run in more than 50 million short-form video streams across MTV.com, ComedyCentral.com, VH1.com, NickJr.com and CMT.com

“Short-form online video consumption is exploding, but there’s still a lot of confusion among marketers over which ad formats deliver for brands without compromising the user experience,” said Nada Stirratt, the executive VP of digital advertising at MTV Networks. “By exploring the viability of new ad products around short-form online video, Project Inform provides the type of insights crucial to creating the innovative, custom solutions that this marketplace needs.”

The report found that the 30-second pre-roll finished second after the Lower Third Product Suite.