Interactive pre-rolls represented 36% of video ad impressions in 2012, according to AdoTube’s “2012 Global Format Index,” up from 30% in 2011 and just 19% in 2010. Along with their rising popularity, these ads also drove the highest click-through rates across all of the global markets tracked, and saw their overall engagement rate jump from 2.6% in 2011 to 3.8% in 2012. That compares with an engagement rate of 0.9% for interactive overlays.
While standard pre-rolls still accounted for a plurality 46% of video ads served by AdoTube in 2012, they trailed interactive pre-rolls in CTR across each of the markets examined. On a global basis, they have trailed interactive pre-rolls for 10 consecutive quarters from Q3 2010 through Q4 2012, finishing 2012 with an average CTR of 2.8%, compared to 3.2% for interactive pre-rolls.
Still, standard pre-rolls continue to outperform interactive pre-rolls in engagement rates, averaging a 64% completion rate during 2012 compared to 55% for the interactive variety. AdoTube attributes this difference to competitors using in-banner, in-game, in-page pop-up and auto-play video syndication to boost video completion rate benchmarks.
Other Findings:
- The average video ad CTR in the US in 2012 was 1.98%. That’s above Canada’s benchmark of 1.98%, but far below others, such as the UK’s (3.67%) and India’s (4.02%) benchmark rates.
- Average CTR on a global basis rose on a year-over-year basis during every quarter in 2012.
- Despite trailing standard pre-rolls, the average completion rate for interactive pre-rolls (on a global basis) either remained steady or rose during each quarter from Q2 2010 through Q4 2012.
About the Data: The AdoTube data is derived from more than 9,500 campaigns and nearly 13.5 billion impressions.
