Study: 30-second preroll ads perform best
Cory Bergman June 7th, 2007
While many sites are limiting their pre-roll ads to 15 seconds in length, a new study from the Online Publishers Association concludes that 30-second ads performed the best. “We went into the study thinking that [15s] would do a better job. The people who had actually viewed the [30s], those ads had more of an effect in brand consideration and relevance,” said Pam Horan, president of the OPA. “What we have found is if you’re trying to drive one of the key metrics, which is brand consideration, the :30 ad turned out to be very effective, although it may be counterintuitive.” The study did not address whether 30-second ads ultimately reduce video viewing due to user annoyance (which is what many in the industry believe, including those of us at Lost Remote.)
Adds Yelvington in comments: “I suppose the ultimate answer, then, is 30-minute advertising. All we need is to strap our users to dentist chairs and prop their eyes open, like Robot Chicken, or Alex in ‘A Clockwork Orange.’”
Adds Tom: “…It seems to me that a good marketing company can get brand awareness in during a 15. I think many prerolls are still just TV commercials on the web, instead of designed for an interactive audience.”
11 Comments Add your own
1. fleetwood mack | June 7th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
But do they speak to user satisfaction or dissatisfaction as the pre-rolls get longer?
Makes snese that the longer ad better pins
the brand into the user’s brain but does it leave
him or her a less happy camper?
2. discreet_chaos | June 8th, 2007 at 2:18 am
If a video is compelling enough, then I’m sure people might grumble, but they’d watch a super-long pre-roll. Though, if what you’re selling isn’t worth the thirty seconds, then they’d probably pass. On a free site, watching the ad would be the cost of the product and whatever that may be, it’d have to be priced accordingly.
3. discreet_chaos | June 8th, 2007 at 2:33 am
IOW: You use video to attract viewers/users, but as we learned in the 90s - Eyeballs don’t pay the bills and you’ve got to balance the needs of both customers, the viewer and those writing the checks.
And, if your video isn’t enough to cause someone to sit through a thirty-second pre-roll, then you could try selling shorter ads or better yet, you could create a more compelling product.
4. Hyperbolist | June 8th, 2007 at 3:17 am
I’m sure an hour-long infomercial pre-roll would sear a brand into viewers’ brains even better.
5. yelvington | June 8th, 2007 at 3:48 am
I suppose the ultimate answer, then, is 30-minute advertising. All we need is to strap our users to dentist chairs and prop their eyes open, like Robot Chicken, or Alex in “A Clockwork Orange.”
6. discreet_chaos | June 8th, 2007 at 4:27 am
You could try an hour or half an hour, but unless you’re using a formula like 10% advertising to 90% product, or unless your ad was super-entertaining, in and of itself, or if it’s not leading to some really good porn, then I’m sure you’d find viewership would drop and revenues would follow.
Oh, and we already have half-hour ads on the television, which obviously somebody is watching. As for myself, I’ve watched those for Laugh-In, the Dean Martin Roasts, Johnny Carson and those from Joe Francis, but I’ve yet to watch the colon cleanser from beginning to end.
7. Anonymous | June 8th, 2007 at 5:55 am
This is a mindless, useless conclusion.
What if you put a gun to a viewers head and said “We know you want that 0:45 car chase news clip, but sit here and watch this 2 hour commercial for Avandia (or Depends) then we’ll ask you what the product, Avandia, was at the end of the two hours.”
30-second pre-rolls in front of short news clips are the province of the stupid or the sales department. (ok same thing)
8. baker | June 8th, 2007 at 6:21 am
“…:30 ad turned out to be very effective, although it may be counterintuitive,” said some marketeer who’s never produced, sold, or managed pre-roll inventory, or responded to user/colleague email and phone complaints.
9. Rob | June 8th, 2007 at 8:13 am
You left out the part where they recommend we hire Senator Ted Stevens to be our new Internet(s) consultant.
10. Tom Planchet | June 8th, 2007 at 8:24 am
More brand awareness, yes… but is it positive brand awareness? I have many users of our site swear they’ll never visit the businesses that buy pop ups, blue screen ads. I have never really had a complaint about pre-rolls…but it seems to me that a good marketing company can get brand awareness in during a 15…
I think many prerolls are still just TV commercials on the web, instead of designed for an interactive audience.
11. Keith Norman | June 8th, 2007 at 10:58 am
The salesman in me is all for the longer pre-roll…of course, advertisers/agencies prefer a bigger canvas to paint their product…especially if they’re buying pre-rolls on a CPM basis…they’d be missing 1/2 the potential if they didn’t buy the 30, given the choice That said, I will never sell a 30 against a 1:30 news package…our viewers would revolt…not to mention our managing editor. We reserve 30s for post-rolls only…that may change, but only when we begin to consistently produce long-form videos.
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