Many advertisers still view skippable advertising as something of a death knell – and why not, when in theory it gives consumers the option to engage with as little of their hard work and creativity as possible? says Leon Siotis*. However, savvy brands are realising the advantages of skippable ad options, such as the likes of TrueView and SmartView.
For starters, skippable ads can actually let advertisers target viewers at-scale and run smarter campaigns that reach the right audience with the right message. As a format, it presents a unique opportunity for advertisers to pay only for views. It also works particularly well for those with compelling creative, such as TV show promotions or movie trailers, as well as long-form content seen in political ads.
On another creative note, giving consumers the option to skip ads encourages brands and agencies to get to the point, which, when consumers are bombarded with messages from multiple devices 24/7, is no bad thing. I remember being told that some brands never display the actual brand name until the final few frames of a TV ad, perhaps because leaving that bit until last is most effective for brand recall. With the skippable ad, this is rarely going to be the best tactic, as the first five seconds of an ad are essentially a free opportunity for advertisers to relay their message (before it becomes skippable). It’s going to be interesting to see how ad creative changes and develops to accommodate this over the next few years. Even Apple is rumoured to be talking to major networks about incorporating an ad-skipping option into Apple TV, which will only increase pressure on advertisers to adapt.
Thanks to ad-skip technology, advertisers can at least tell when consumers are definitely not watching, which is invaluable data when it comes to assessing whether ads are creative and engaging enough, and aimed at the right audience.
The skippable ad format simply means that viewers who choose to watch an advert are, on average, more engaged and more interested in the advertiser’s message. As a result, advertisers get to reach a more receptive audience, reduce their media waste, provide a better viewing experience, and encourage more positive brand interaction.
*Leon Siotis is director of media and publisher services at BrightRoll
Originally Posted August 22 Brand-e.biz