Online video ads boost purchase intent by a quarter

February 14th, 2012

Online video advertising boosts consumers’ intent to purchase by a quarter while also increasing interest and positive associations with brands, according to new research by Specific Media.

The study, which looked at consumer perspectives into online video advertising, found that relevant original programming pushes up purchase intent by 25 per cent, brand favourability by 13 per cent and brand association by 12 per cent.

In addition, there was a 23 per cent increase in consumers purchasing a brand when exposed to relevant online video ads compared to those who did not watch them.

Other findings from the study revealed that consumers now feel they have more control over their viewing, the huge range of devices available including mobile phones and tablets is speeding up the adoption of non-linear viewing habits, and the length of online video content is critical to holding consumers’ attention.

Chris Worrell, Specific Media’s director of insight for Europe, says now that online video viewing has become a mainstream activity, consumers are accepting online video advertising as “the norm” and brands have grasped its value.

"2012 will be the year that online video advertising comes of age,” he says. “We are now reaching a critical mass, both in terms of brands treating it seriously and consumers accepting and embracing it as the norm.

"However, the value and quality of video content needs to keep pace with the speed that the platform is evolving. Marketers need to move beyond the click as a measurement of success, towards the softer, brand-led metrics that more established advertising platforms use. We need to measure the impact video advertising has on the brand, against relevant target audiences."

The findings are the latest installment of data gathered from Specific Media's VITAMIN research study (Video Testing and Measurement Insights), conducted in association with Decipher.