The launch of Google TV, YouTube's steady rise in unique viewers and the broad reach of Hulu's ads all signify that online video is a platform that marketers can't ignore. The New York Times offers good news to brands interested in catching clicks from the growing number of internet viewers: Consumers are more receptive to ads in streaming video content than those featured on traditional television.
In an interview with the newspaper, Turner Broadcasting's chief research officer, Jack Wakshlag, says his research indicates that online video streams can feature more ads than traditional television programs. There was very little difference in the amount of time viewers spent watching an hour-long show online when there was one minute worth of ads versus twenty minutes worth of ads.
Not only are online viewers open to watching more ads, it seems they also watch ads more carefully on the web. Wakshlag says commercial retention rate for online video is higher than for regular television.
With this in mind, marketers should consider creating ads for internet viewers – and they have many options. YouTube is poised to launch a new TrueView ad unit that lets users decide which ad content is most relevant to them, as Brafton reported this week. Plus, Hulu's CEO says his site will soon offer more ad options.
When choosing which video platforms to seed with ads and video content, marketers should consider exposure potential. Brafton has reported that Hulu currently delivers the most ads, but Google sites – including YouTube – draw the most unique viewers. The price of Google's pot may also increase, as the New York Post reports that the company is in talks with Miramax to bring more films to YouTube.
