What Happened
Google has announced that it will stop supporting 30-second-long unskippable pre-roll ads on YouTube in 2018, as it aims to provide a better ad experience for viewers. Instead, it will focus on “formats that work well for both users and advertisers,” including the 6-second unskippable “bumper” ads. 15-second and 20-second unskippable pre-roll units are also here to stay for the time being.
What Brands Need To Do
Google’s announcement is a tacit acknowledgment of the annoyingness of unskippable ads, which often plays out against at viewers’ vexation. Fortunately for brand marketers, our recent media trial with Magna shows that even skipped ads have considerable impact on persuasion metrics and brand attributes. Plus, our study also found that attention to pre-roll ads is typically high regardless of ad length.
For more information on how brands can get ready for a skippable future, check out our media trial report Turbocharge Your Skippable Pre-Roll Campaign.
Source: The Verge