The CPG channel was the leader in online video ad spending in 2011, according to [pdf] statistics from online ad server YuMe released in February 2012, which found that the channel accounted for 24% of spending in 2011 overall and 25% of spending in Q4 2011. Health/Pharma was the number two category in terms of ad spend in 2011, at 16%, although it challenged CPG for top billing in Q4 (23%). Other leading categories were telecom (13% in 2011, including 12% in Q4), financial services (7% in Q4 and 2011 overall), entertainment (6% in 2011, but just 3% in Q4), and retail (5% in 2011, and 6% in Q4).
Persons 25-54 Most Requested Demo
Persons 25-54 was the most requested age demographic overall, representing 15% of total RFP (request for proposal) volume in 2011. In Q4, persons in the age range represented 20% of total RFP volume, up 67% from 12% in Q1 2011.
Females 25-54 closely trailed, representing 13% of total RFP volume in 2011, but dropped from a leading 14% in Q1 2011 to 11% in Q4.
Persons 18-49 came in third with 9% of total RFP volume, with their share increasing from 8% in Q1 to 12% in Q4. Females 18-49 slightly decreased their total RFP volume share from 9% to 7% during that period, representing 6% share for 2011 overall.
Requests for female demo-targeted campaigns represented 25.7% of all requests during 2011, roughly triple the 8.4% of requests aimed at a male demo. Females 25-54 was the most requested female demographic, with 39% of requested RFPs, down 7% from 42% in 2010. Males 25-54 were the most requested male target at 22%, holding steady from 2010.
15-Second Pre-Rolls Have Highest Completion Rate
Shorter pre-roll video ads had a higher completion rate in 2011. 15-second pre-rolls had the highest completion rate of 76%, and rose from 69% in Q1 to 77% in Q4. 30-second pre-rolls followed with a 62% completion rate overall, falling from 66% in Q1 to 58% in Q4. And 30-second-plus pre-rolls only had a 54% completion rate, fluctuating from 42% to 66% throughout the year. According to results from a Poll Position survey released in January 2012, 15 seconds is the most acceptable duration of an online ad a viewer must watch before viewing free content [pdf], cited by 54% of respondents.
Despite this, YuMe data shows the percentage of pre-roll video ads running 30 seconds grew during the year from 38.7% in Q1 to 59.5% in Q4, while the percentage running 15 seconds declined from 60.7% to 40.5%. For 2011 overall, 30-second pre-rolls took 54.4% share, compared to 45.5% for 15-second pre-rolls.
Completion Rates Highest Among 12-24-Year-Olds
Comparing video ad completion rates (regardless of length) in 2011 by age demographic, the study finds that rates were highest among persons aged 12 to 24 (73% in 2011 overall), rising from 64% in Q1 to 76% in Q4. The completion rate among persons of all other age groups dropped from Q1 to Q4, with an overall average of 65-68%.
Looking at gender, completion rates (regardless of length) were relatively on par for men (70%) and women (69%) in 2011 overall, with the only clear disparities occurring in Q1 (79% male vs. 65% female) and Q4 (70% female vs. 61% male).
Other Findings:
- Connected TV ads made up 1.4% of ads served in Q4. Mobile impressions also rose significantly, from 2.7% in Q3 to 4.9% in Q4. Pre-roll impressions fell 4% points from 90% in Q3 to 86% in Q4 due to the increase in YuMe Ads, Mobile, and Connected TV.
- The majority of ad impressions YuMe served in 2011 were in California, at 11% of total volume, followed by New York (7.9%) and Texas (6.8%).
About the Data: The statistics are solely representative of YuMe’s network and may not be a reflection of the overall online video marketplace. Efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of data presented, but data is not guaranteed to be accurate.
