Where Can Digital Video Ads Have Consumers’ Attention? Smartphones

Digital video advertisers that want to grab viewers’ attention, take note: The device on which a consumer views video ads matters far more than mood or location—or even the content genre. According to July 2014 research by YuMe and IPG Media Lab, smartphones have the biggest influence on attention, followed by tablets and then PCs.

Purchase intent benefitted from high video attention on mobile devices. Among US internet users who viewed pre-roll video ads on a smartphone—a group that’s often on the go—64% of those who were highly attentive planned to purchase the product advertised. In comparison, just 23% of smartphone viewers who paid little attention intended to buy. Interestingly, while there was a correlation between attention and purchase intent on tablets as well, 37% of those who viewed pre-roll ads on tablets with low attention still planned to buy the product advertised—more than the low-attention audiences for PCs and smartphones.

Smartphones are increasing their share of digital video ad views. Q2 2014 research from FreeWheel found that, while desktop and laptop computers still grabbed the large majority of digital video ad views served in the US on the source’s platform (76%), this had dropped 3 percentage points since Q1 2014 as a result of smartphone views. Between Q1 2014 and Q2 2014, the smaller screen grew its proportion of total video ad views from 11% to 13%.

For now, PCs still rule the field when it comes to digital video ad views, but as smartphone viewers prove to be more attentive—and purchase intent continues to rise as a result of ads on such devices—users should be prepared to see more video ads popping up on their phones.

Courtesy of eMarketer