Traditional pre-roll video has served advertisers for countless years. We have placed our ads ahead of content that YouTube deems relevant in reaching our key audience(s).
We believed and accepted that simple video metrics such as cost-per-view (CPV) and click-through-rate (CTR) were the top metrics at our disposal. We ran video after video without measurable insights and learnings about what products, or aspects of the video, the user was individually interested in.
On average, users are completing pre-roll content at a rate of 76 percent [1]. Whether these audiences are opting into an ad experience, or being forced to watch before skipping, they are still overwhelmingly watching the content that is put in front of them.
Today’s technology advances present an opportunity for brands and advertisers to connect with viewers in a more engaging way – via active viewing vs. traditional pre-roll’s passive viewing. If users are going to watch content, why not give them the option to interact directly with the brand and its products/services?
Traditional pre-roll providers can deliver you $0.10 CPV’s and CTR’s by audience, but this doesn’t cut it anymore when it comes to video metrics. Interactive video metrics provide you advanced insights into your audiences, the objects users are showcasing interest in and create niche audiences for future re-targeting.
KERV Interactive allows advertisers to uniquely identify an unlimited amount of objects within a video, trace those objects automatically at the pixel level and encourages users to engage with the products/ideas that pique their interest.
Pre-produced interactive video is broken down into scenes where each object is traced precisely around its pixel edge. Recognizing a gap in the industry, KERV crated a patented solution with pixel edge identification, “glow” technology, that yields the most accurate data insights attainable through video.
Interactive platforms that use traditional “hot spots” or boxes to identify objects can lead to muddy and inaccurate data insights.
Videos made interactive using KERV’s technology can pull specific data on what specific item (shirt, belt, pants, etc.) the user was choosing to engage with.
This organic approach streamlines the user experience by providing shoppers instant gratification. Technology is helping our digital world become more convenient and efficient, and interactive video tech is no different. Brands opting into interactive content are essentially providing targeted users with an added layer of convenience when watching their videos – leading them to the exact product/service/item they showed interest in without wasting any time searching.
Long gone are the days of video leading to a homepage or generic category page. KERV’s interactive overlay removes unnecessary clicks from the online shopping and/or search experience, and thus builds brand trust, loyalty and perception thanks to a streamlined experience.
Based on a November 2019 eMarketer estimate, users spent an average of 99 minutes per day watching digital video [3]. Nearly 40 minutes of that total are spent on mobile, and nearly 23 minutes are spent on desktop/laptop.
Whether streaming video at home or during a commute, watching branded content, watching video on social or browsing YouTube, users are engaging with content and brands they are passionate about.
Yankelovich (a marketing research firm) once estimated a person living in a city sees up to 5,000 ads per day. In order to be both seen and heard in this day and age, a brand must find ways to message and engage users on an individual level.
Digital video is experiencing rapid growth, and brands are moving toward interactive video to be able to get direct feedback from consumers by seeing what they choose to engage with in their videos.
On the front end, multiple stories are told simultaneously to consumers with many touch points and link-out opportunities. On the back end, advertisers and brands receive unmatched data that tells the story of their consumer’s journey. Interactive video is making its way into the future, and is creating a more seamless ad experience for online users.
Discover how KERV’s platform can boost your video strategy: click here.
References
- eMarketer. US Digital Video Ad Performance Metrics: Pre-Roll vs. Mid-Roll Completion Rates, by Content Length, Q2 2019. September 23, 2019.
- eMarketer. Effectiveness of Select Digital Platforms’ Audience Targeting Capabilities According to US* Agency/Brand Media Buyers, March 2019. June 4, 2019.
- eMarketer. Average Time Spent per Day With Digital Video US, 2017-2021.
