Brand Effects Differ for Web Video Units

NEW YORK A study of three online video formats found they have different effects on branding objectives.

Viewpoint, a New York rich media company, found “pre-roll” Web commercials that play before a user watches video content were most successful at driving brand awareness and favorability, compared to transitional ads that plays between content pages and in-banner promos. Transitional Web commercials were deemed most successful at driving online awareness, brand favorability and purchase intent, according to Viewpoint.

“It makes the case for saying that no one solution solves the problem,” said Jay Amato, Viewpoint’s CEO, who believes advertisers should complement pre-roll ads with other formats.

Dynamic Logic conducted the study over eight weeks by surveying 4,000 users and comparing the results to its database of Internet advertising campaigns.

Combined, the three video units showed increased metrics across the board, according to Dynamic Logic, with the most success in increasing message association and online ad awareness.

The study found relatively low annoyance levels in response to online video ads. Pre-roll video annoyed 22 percent viewers, while in-banner video annoyed the most, 30 percent. Viewpoint executives said the annoyance levels are encouraging, considering TV ads were measured to annoy 57 percent of viewers, according to a Havas study released in the fall.

“Consumers are willing to be exposed to advertising online with much more open-mindedness than on television,” said Allie Savarino, vice president at Viewpoint.

Online video advertising has grown in popularity with advertisers as nearly half of U.S. households have broadband connections. According to Jupiter Research, Web video ad spending will grow 64 percent this year to $198 million.