Short Pre-Roll Mobile advertising holds future in UK

eMarketer estimates that almost three-fifths of the UK population will own and use a smartphone at least monthly in 2015, while a further 50.3% will actively use a tablet device each month.

Among these “installed bases,” large numbers will use their devices to view video—50.7% of smartphone users and 60.5% of tablet users. Unsurprisingly, video ad view shares are shifting from desktop to mobile.

However, in this mobile environment, consumer expectations are very different, as are attention spans. According to 2015 data from TubeMogul, while completion rates for pre-roll video ads on mobile lagged behind those delivered via desktop, there was a particularly sizable drop-off when they reached 15 seconds. For example, completion rates on desktops fell only slightly from 86% for ads between 7 and 10 seconds in length to 81% for those 15 seconds; the same figures for mobile pre-rolls were 77% and 56%.

Not only are mobile video ads struggling to retain consumer attention to the very end, but engagement measured by clickthrough rates is also failing to impress.

In order to retain any kind of attention and breed engagement with pre-roll video ads delivered via mobile, the mantra should be to keep it short and sweet.

Source:eMarketer.com