Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin

Online Video Advertising:

Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI
November 2009
Highlights
• Video growth has outpaced
Rich Media growth by 60%
in the last three and a half
years.
• Video increases Dwell Rate
by 20% and doubles Dwell
Time.
• The ROI on video ads is
double that of non-video Rich
Media ads.
• Video outperforms in the
news, sports, music and
finance sections and lags in
social networks and games
environments.
• Rollover user-initiated video
performs best, followed by
auto-initiated video; click
user-initiated performs worst.
• Weekdays from 9am to 5pm
is users’ preferred time to
watch In-Banner and Floating
video ads.
• An increase of video length
by five seconds reduces
Video Fully Played rate by
2.8%, on average.
Video Best Practices

In-Stream
• Short online content videos should have short In-Stream ads, while full shows and
movies can have longer In-Stream ads.
• In-Stream ads have a very high Video Fully Played Rate, and therefore the main point
of the ad can be presented at the end.
General
• In-Stream is a sound-on environment. Ads can rely on sound as a part of the brand
experience.
• In-Stream ads especially increase upper funnel attributes such as unaided brand
awareness and online ad awareness.
In-Banner and Floating
• Typically,In-Banner and Floating video ads’ experience is comprised of two stages:
First, advertisers need to draw users’ attention to the video; then, users should be
drawn to play, turn sound on, or engage with the silent video.
• Combining interactive features and placing users in the middle of the experience may
increase Dwell Rate and Dwell Time.
• In-Banner and Floating ads are typically sound-off environments; users rarely un-mute
or may keep their speakers turned off. Ads should not rely on sound to make the
point, and can use text to subtitles to augment video.
General
• Longer videos tend to have lower Video Fully Played Rate, and therefore should make
their point clear from the start.
• In some environments, starting videos with sound turned on with very low volume
increases Dwell Rate without reducing Video Fully Played Rate.
• In-Banner and Floating ads positively impact especially lower funnel image and
persuasion metrics such as brand favorability and intent to purchase.
• Weekdays from 9am to 5pm, during office hours, is users’ preferred time to watch
In-Banner and Floating video ads.
• Add a “teaser” video on the pre-expanded ad or a clear call to action. The “teaser”
video can be lightweight and invite the user to engage.
Expandable • Use Expandable Banners for video campaigns that require ample space for the brand,
Banners as they expand after a user interaction, such as a click or a rollover.
• Expandable Banners are a good fit for campaigns with longer marketing messages, as
they maintain attention for longer.
• Can be used with user-initiated and auto-initiated video.
• In the auto-initiated case, the video in Polite Banner is exposed to the user at first
Polite Banners glance, but without sound.
• If sound is turned off by default, use a clear “sound on” call to action and make sure
that the point is clear without sound.
• Can be used with repurposed TV ads in implementations such as Eyeblaster TV.
Floating Ads • Exceptional in gaining users’ attention.
• Typically maintain attention for a short duration of time.
Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

Table of contents

Executive Summary ....................................................................................5

The evolution of online video .....................................................................7
Impression growth ....................................................................................7
Online video capabilities ...........................................................................8
Video and branding ..................................................................................9
Online video measurement .......................................................................9
Video and Rich Media ...................................................................................10
Comparing results ...................................................................................11
Video best practices ....................................................................................12
Video and formats ..................................................................................12
Video and section/environement ............................................................13
Video by hour of day ...............................................................................14
Initiation methods ..................................................................................15
Video and sound ...................................................................................16
Call to action ...........................................................................................18
Video length ............................................................................................18
Regional differences ................................................................................19
Summary ....................................................................................................20
Glossary....................................................................................................21
Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

Executive Summary

Adding video to your online

campaign can significantly improve
your marketing results. Marketers
are responding in kind with a larger
slice of their advertising budgets.
What makes online video
advertising so successful?
What can make your video
campaign even better?
In this in-depth bulletin, based
on the knowledge accumulated
at Eyeblaster from serving a
large portion of the online video
campaigns worldwide, we share our
insights.
Online video advertising can be
delivered in many forms. Browsers,
desktop applications, mobile
phones, portable players, IPTV
devices and even outdoor billboards
deliver online video advertising.
In this research we will focus on
three formats – In-Banner, Floating
and In-Stream video advertising.

5 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin

Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI
Executive Summary
Online video advertising spending is projected to
quadruple in the next four years. In the last four years,
Eyeblaster has seen a tenfold growth in video impressions.
In addition, at the same period, video impressions have
climbed 60% faster than Rich Media Impressions. This
overwhelming growth is facilitated by the strong branding
powers of online video, the increase in time spent online
and the displacement of TV viewing with video viewing
across other devices.
Video boosts the performance of ads, compared to
creatives with no video. Particularly, in In-Banner and
Floating ads, video doubles Dwell Time, and depending on
ad format, significantly increases Dwell Rate. Campaigns
based on video require fewer exposures to reach the same
Dwell Time and Dwell Rate as campaigns without video.
For In-Stream video ads, panel based market research
suggests that online video advertising is superior to TV
advertising in advancing consumers down the purchase
funnel. Online video is also a smart financial choice.
Slightly higher cost and a dramatic increase in Dwell yields
200% incremental return on investment on video, as
compared to non-video Rich Media.
Viewing habits of online video ads are notably different
from those of TV spots. A significant portion of In-Banner
and Floating video ads is watched while at the office
during weekdays; however, during weekends, users watch
video ads evenly throughout the day.
For In-Stream video ads, the length of the ad is dependent
on the length of the video content. For In-Banner and
Floating ads, different video formats coincide with
different marketing objectives. Expandable video banners
increase the space for the brand and work well with longer
and more complex messages, as they maintain longer
attention span. In Polite video banners, auto-initiated video
can allure users’ attention from the publisher’s content.
Floating ads are successful in drawing users to engage,
but typically for a shorter duration.
Users are more likely to engage with an ad and to play
a larger portion of the video in the news, sports, music
and finance sections. Social networking and games
environments tend to have lower Dwell Rate and lower
Video Fully Played Rate.
6 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin
Within Expandable Banners, Polite Banners and Floating
Ads, creative decisions may have a significant impact
on results. Auto-initiated video has the highest start rate
followed by user-initiated rollover and click. However,
in auto-initiated video, it is hard to infer on the level of
attention while the video ad is played, as the user does
not have to take any action if watching the ad while muted.
Dwell Rate is highest for rollover user-initiated videos, while
auto-initiated comes only second. Click user-initiated video
is both low on Video Started Rate and on Dwell Rate.
Online video advertising spending
in the US is projected to grow
from $1.1 billion in 2009 to $4.1
billion in 2013 – quadrupling in
four years
The vast majority of the auto-initiated and rollover user-
initiated videos start with sound turned off by default due
to strict publishers’ rules. Videos with sound turned off by
default play for longer, compared to ads with sound on, as
users feel less compelled to click on the stop button.
Relatively few users un-mute video ads. When looking at un-
mute rate out of total video impressions with sound off, auto-
initiated video has the highest rate, following its high video
start rate. Click user-initiated video maintains users’ attention
for longer with sound turned on by default, as these users
were interested in watching to begin with. All user-initiated
videos perform significantly better with a clear call to action.
For In-Banner and Floating video ads, the video length
does tend to be short – yet, the 30-second video is still
the most widely used, closely followed by the 15-second.
An analysis of the influence of length on Video Fully Played
Rate indicates that longer videos have higher attrition
rates, as fewer users play the ad in full.
Overall, online video advertising is now at its tipping point
and is bound to take a center stage. With such an array
of creative possibilities, online video has a steep learning
curve. Marketers and advertisers should master it now,
as sufficient experience may be the difference between a
blockbuster and a flop.
Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI
Beyond TV’s
Second Fiddle
Superfast growth
In 1895 the Lumière brothers played one of the first videos
in history. The film, lasting only 50 seconds, showed a train
arriving to the train station at La Ciotat, a serene town in
southern France. When the film was first publically shown, the
audience was so overwhelmed by the moving image of a life-
size train advancing directly towards them that they rushed to
the back of the room, trying to avoid being run over.
Nearly 115 years later, audiences respond more mildly to
moving pictures; nevertheless, video has remained one of
the most engaging forms of media. Studies in the field of
Psychology have shown that the combination of senses
creates greater retention and brand recall. It has been
estimated that people retain only 10% of what they read,
20% of what they hear, and 30% of what they see. When
these senses are combined, however, retention takes a
dramatic leap forward. Those same estimates say that when
someone hears and sees, retention jumps to 50%. Delivering
video online provides another benefit – interactivity and touch.
Stimulating retention by combining interactivity has shown to
increase retention to 70% and in some cases up to 90%1.
Video has come a long way since these first experiments in
France. In the early days, it was mostly played in cinemas;
before the end of the last century, it was viewed on TV.
Nowadays, video can be delivered via an array of devices
from computers and media centers through mobile phones
to billboards. Far from the low quality image of the past,
faster broadband connection, WiMax, and 4G, combined
with better compression algorithms have transformed online
video quality to match the quality of TV, and in some cases
of HDTV.
Online video advertising is also changing in the way in
which it is consumed. Media center computers and online
videos are moving from the home office to the living room.
eMarketer projects that while in 2008, 98.4% of the video
content was delivered via TVs, this share is expected to drop
to 38.5% in 2013, where the remainder of videos will be
delivered via computers2.
1
US Naval Education & Training Command. Navy Instructor Manual. August 1992, p. 25. Available at: http://www.mysdcc.sdccd.edu/NAVEDTRA%20134.pdf
2
Hallerman, David. Digital Video Advertising: Where’s the Money? eMarketer. August 2009.
3
Ibid.
4
Sandler, Kathy. Web Ad Sales In Britain Overtake TV. The Wall Street Journal. September 30 2009.
7 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin
While online video advertising sums to only a fraction of
total advertising spending, it is projected to grow rapidly.
eMarketer projects that online video advertising spending in
the US, the world’s biggest advertising market, will grow from
$1.1 billion in 2009 to $4.1 billion in 2013 – quadrupaling in
four years3. In the UK, online advertising spending, including
video, rich media, display and search, has already surpassed
TV spending in the first six months of 20094.
Chart 1: Growth in Video and Non Video Rich
Media Impressions 2006-2009
Video
1000%
Impression Growth
2009
2008
500%
2006
2007
Non-Video
0%
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2
Note: 2006 impressions indexed at 100%. Source: Eyeblaster Research.
Data: 2006-2009
The growth of online video advertising is staggering.
Eyeblaster has seen a remarkable increase in usage of
video in online advertising. From the beginning of 2006 to
Q2 2009, video impressions have increased over tenfold
worldwide and over seven times in the US market.
Furthermore, online video advertising outpaces even the
growth of Rich Media. From 2006 to Q2 2009, Rich Media
impressions containing video grew 60% faster than Rich
Media impressions that do not contain video. Nowadays,
35% of Rich Media impressions contain video.
Rich Media and video advertising demonstrate seasonality.
Each year, strong growth in Q2, Q3 and particularly in Q4
is followed by a decline in Q1 of the following year. This
cyclicality is more pronounced in video than in Rich Media.
Q1 2009 has witnessed an unusually sharp decline in Rich
Media and video impressions due to the economic turmoil.
However, in Q2 2009, when the economic forecasts became
less gloomy, it experienced a strong rebound. With the world
economy driving out of recession, Eyeblaster Research
expects this rebound to continue.
Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI
Enhanced capabilities
The level of advertiser control over users’ attention is highly
dependent on the environment. Cinema is an example of an
environment with relatively high control over users’ attention.
Users are in a dark room, with loud sound, and are unable
to leave or speak to each other.
TV and In-Stream are examples of intermediate control. In
live TV and In-Stream, users cannot skip the commercial,
but they can leave the room, read the newspaper, or engage
in a conversation. With Newspapers, In-Banner and Floating
ads, advertisers have a relatively low control over users’
attention. Users focus on the publisher’s content, and it is
the advertiser’s job to allure their attention from the content
to the ad.
The environment makes In-Banner and Floating video
different from TV spots and from In-Stream. In-Banner and
Floating video ads’ experience is comprised of two stages.
First, advertisers need to draw users’ attention to the video.
Then, users should be compelled to choose to have a
deeper experience with the brand, by playing the video, or
in auto-initiated video by turning the sound on. In In-Stream,
the audience is more captive and has to watch the ad before
the content starts. Therefore, In-Stream may work with linear
footage, while with In-Banner and Floating ads, advertisers
need to work harder and combine interactive features.
At present, online advertising still tends to use ads with
linear stories such as repurposed TV ads; these do not take
advantage of the full interactive capabilities of online video.
It took TV advertising decades to evolve to the levels of
sophistication that it currently has. The evolution of online
video advertising is happening much faster with new and
more effective features being developed every year.
8 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin
Video Focus:
HD Video Ads
It cannot get more engaging – full screen, high definition
video with a pair of eyes only one foot from the monitor.
HD Video banners deliver an unparalleled experience
with the brand. Highly utilized in the entertainment
industry, and particularly in new movie launches, HD
Video banners can transform an In-Banner and Floating
video to a theatrical event.
The brilliance of HD video lays in its ability to engage
users step by step. Typically, the ad starts as a regular
video; users can then expand the panel to view a full
screen HD version. In some cases, an Expandable
Banner expands to play a regular video, and then users
expand to the HD version. Thus, this format ensures
that users who are interested in a closer interaction with
the brand will receive the best video experience there
is, while others will be shown a regular video. The main
challenge for advertisers is to attract users to activate
the full screen HD video.
In terms of performance, HD video exceeds regular
video ads in both start rate and videos fully played rate.
In fact, HD videos start rate is over 40% compared to
30% for other video ads; its fully played rate reaches
nearly 60%. Dwell Rate jumps from 8% to 10% – 25%
increase for HD video.
HD Video Performance
40% 10%
30% 40%
20% 5%
20%
10%
0% 0% 0%
Video Started Rate Video Fully Played Rate Dwell Rate
HD Video Other
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q4 ‘08 to Q3 ‘09
Creative examples for HD Video ads can be found on the
Creative Zone: creativezone.eyeblaster.com
Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI
Video and Branding
Using video, marketers can quickly convey sophisticated
ideas, tell a coherent story and persuade customers to
identify with their brand message. Video ads on TV were
the enablers of the creation of big powerful brands that
customers are willing to pay a premium for. Now, as video is
moving online, online video advertising will help them to stay.
Online also changes branding, as consumers no longer take
advertisers messages at face value. The power of online
video stems from its ability to provide more information to
users in an interactive manner.
Online video is an unparalleled branding tool. As a lean
forward experience rather than a lean back on the sofa
experience, it provides enhanced levels of engagement. In
terms of size, when the video is watched full screen, even
a 14’’ laptop screen on your lap, one foot away, can look
bigger than a 32’’ flat screen TV on the other side of the
living room, 10 feet away. Touch and interactivity add more
depth to the experience with online video and can place the
user in the middle of the ad rather than as a bystander.
A Millward Brown and Dynamic
Logic survey has found that only
21% of the people watching DVR
playback and 30% of people
watching TV airtime pay attention
to commercials, compared to
46% of people watching In-
Stream video ads online
Three parallel processes facilitate the growth of video
advertising online. People spend more time online at the
expense of TV viewing time; TV viewing is being displaced
by video viewing across different devices, from computers
to cell phones; and TV viewers and users of DVR systems
like TiVo fast forward TV ads. A MillwardBrown and Dynamic
Logic survey has found that only 21% of the people
watching DVR playback and 30% of people watching TV
airtime pay attention to commercials, compared to 46% of
people watching In-Stream video ads online5.
In-Stream, In-Banner and Floating video serve different
environments. In-Banner and Floating video ads reach
consumers while they shop online, IM, communicate by
email and social networks or browse for information or
entertainment. In-Stream video ads reach viewers of online
5
Millward Brown and Dynamic Logic. Integrating online video advertising into the marketing mix.
Available at: http://www.dynamiclogic.com/na/ research/whitepapers/docs/MB_KnowledgePoint_OnlineVideo.pdf
9 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin
video content; either on short clips or on full shows and
movies. With more video content watched online, In-Stream
Video is an adaptation of the 30 second TV spot to online
video broadcasting sites like YouTube and Hulu. One of the
advantages of In-Stream is that it delivers fewer ads per
pod, compared to traditional TV – gaining more attention for
each ad.
No more guesswork
The measurability of online video advertising offers a great
advantage to advertisers. While offline television advertising is
measured by eyeballs extrapolated from a panel, online video
offers a robust set of metrics that are based on the actual
behavior collected from cookies on browsers. These metrics
calculate not only the number of unique browsers but also the
level of interaction and what portion of the video was played.
The accurate measurement of online video advertising offers
advertisers knowledge on their audience that is unimagined
offline. Offline measurements, for example, do not measure
how many people took a bathroom break or just read a
book, while sophisticated online ad serving systems track
exactly how many videos were touched, interacted with,
played only half way through, and how many videos were
played in full. All of these metrics are reported in real time.
The added benefit from real-time accurate measurement
is that advertisers can gauge on ad and publisher’s
effectiveness and optimize their campaign. Online allows
advertisers to easily compare ads and publishers head to
head and see which provides a better value.
Panel based advertising research has a long 90-year history,
since Arthur Nielsen first opened shop in 1920. Therefore,
marketers feel confident that terms like lift in brand
awareness and intent to purchase are going to convert to
more dollars at the cash register at the end of the day. While
online metrics do a good job of measuring online behavior,
the inability to directly link between users’ online activity and
their offline and sometimes online purchasing behavior limits
the adoption of online metrics by marketers.
With knowledge on users activity online, panel data
becomes more powerful as a point of reference, linking
online activity and offline behavior. Advertising research
companies like comScore, Dynamic Logic and Nielsen are
providing valuable research that correlate between users’
online behavior, and their behavior at the supermarket
aisle. When measuring campaigns’ performance, online
measurements such as Dwell Rate, Dwell Time and
Interaction Rate complement offline measurement such as
unaided awareness and intent to purchase.
Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI
Adding a Flare to
your Campaign
Higher results
One of the engines behind the growth of online video
advertising is its success in retaining users’ attention for
a longer period of time and in leaving a lasting impact.
Advertisers should avoid looking at online advertising as
a purely direct marketing tool, judging success with direct
marketing measurement such as clicks. This approach
misses much of what online video advertising is all about –
conveying branding messages.
In this research, we use several metrics to measure the
success of online video. For In-Banner and Floating ads,
Eyeblaster’s proprietary Dwell metrics are used to measure
the level of engagement with ads containing video as
compared to the level of engagement with ads that do not
contain video. Dwell Rate measures how many impressions
were intentionally engaged with by users out of total
impressions. Average Dwell Time measures the average
duration that ads were dwelled upon.
In addition to the Dwell Metrics, to compare video ads head
to head, this research uses specific video metrics: Video
Started Rate measures how many videos have started out
of total impressions; Video Fully Played Rate measures how
many of the videos that have started played fully. Video Fully
Played Rate is consequential for branding as it measures
the portion of videos that were able to convey their full
marketing message. Other metrics that were used are Video
Length, which measures the length of the video of the ad,
and Average Video Duration, which measures the average
duration of the video that was actually played.
Chart 2: Performance of Rich Media with
and without Video
60
8%
6% 40
4%
20
2%
0% 0
Dwell Rate Average Dwell Time (Sec)
Video No Video
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q4 ‘08 to Q3 ‘09
10 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin
A close look at the results of billions of impressions served
by Eyeblaster in the past year shows why video makes such
a superb advertising tool. Adding video to a Rich Media ad
doubles the amount of time that the average user spends
with it, as measured by Dwell Time. In addition, users are
more likely to engage with an ad in the first place, as evident
from the higher Dwell Time. Interactivity is a key component
of online advertising measurement; evidence here shows that
consumers are more willing to both engage and maintain
interest in the brand’s message, when ads contain video.
Chart 3: Performance of Polite and Expandable
Banners with and without Video
Expandable Banner Polite Banner
10% 60 10% 60
40 40
5% 5%
20 20
0% 0 0% 0
Dwell Rate Average Dwell
Time (Sec)
Dwell Rate Average Dwell
Time (Sec)
Video No Video
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q4 ‘08 to Q3 ‘09
Furthermore, examining the results of the two most popular
Rich Media banner formats reveals the true potential of video
in providing engagement. Adding video to Polite Banners
increases Dwell Rate by 50%, on average. In Polite Banners,
in cases of auto-initiated video, the video is exposed to the
users at first glance. Typically, even in user-initiated video,
the user can visibly notice that the ad contains video.
In Expandable Banners, on the other hand, the video is
usually hidden behind the expanding panel and users are
not aware of it until they roll over or click on the ad. From the
user’s point of view, Expandable Banners with hidden video
look like ads without video, and therefore get the same level
of attention between ads with and without video.
To increase Dwell Rate, it is a good practice to put a “teaser”
video on the pre-expanded ad. The “teaser” video can be
lightweight and invite the users to engage. Also, using a
clear call to action makes video easily accessible to users
after expansion increases the rate of videos played (more
details about call to action are coming).
Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

Overall, online video advertising does a very good job of
attracting and maintaining attention across all formats, and it
is excellent at retaining attention. More people engage with
video ads, and when the video plays, they stay for longer.
Online video is also a smart financial choice. Video costs
on average 20% more than non-video rich media6. The
benefit is 25% incremental increase in Dwell Time and 100%
incremental increase in Dwell Rate. That yields 200% return
on investment on video, as compared to non-video Rich
Media7.
Chart 4: Dwell by Frequency of Exposure
30%
Cumulative
Dwell Rate
These results are even more pronounced when it comes
to Dwell Time. On average, users need almost three
more exposures of ads from campaigns without video to
accumulate the same Dwell Time gained from campaigns
based solely on video. At any frequency of exposure,
campaigns that are based on video have higher Dwell Rate
and Dwell Time than campaigns without video.
This is yet another indication that In-Banner and Floating
video delivers a significantly higher ROI for advertisers. With
slightly higher cost, advertisers obtain the same Dwell Rate
level and save one impression on average. In addition, they
accumulate more of users’ time as if they increase frequency
by three impressions.
For video ads, the increased engagement in terms of Dwell
Rate and longer Dwell Time translates into higher marketing

20% effectiveness. A Dynamic Logic research indicates that video

10% ads are the most noticeable online ad format, generating
0% an increase in all funnel effectiveness metrics. According
to the study, ads with video generated an increase of 18
300
percentage points in online ad awareness – 10.1 points
Cumulative
Dwell Time

200 above an index of online ads. In addition, video ads scored

100
higher on aided brand awareness, message association,
0
brand favorability and purchase intent8.
Frequency of 1 Frequency of 2 Frequency of 3 Frequency of 4 Frequency of 5
Exposure Exposures Exposures Exposures Exposures In-Banner and Floating video ads are clearly superior to
Campaigns with Video Campaigns without Video In-Banner and Floating ads without video. What about
In-Stream Video? A two year-research by MillwardBrown
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q3 ‘08 to Q2 ‘09, North America and Dynamic Logic indicates that spending time with an ad
while watching a program online has a greater effect on total
An examination of users’ behavior by frequency of exposure brand communication awareness as compared with regular
shows that campaigns that are based on video advertising TV advertising. The research indicates that the incremental
achieve better results with fewer exposures, as compared awareness between people who viewed an ad once on
to campaigns that are based on Rich Media without video. TV and the control group is 10% compared with 38%
For example, users who were exposed three times to an ad for online video ads. Ad recall was also four times higher
in a campaign without video have the same Dwell Rate as among viewers of online ads. The researchers attribute
users that were exposed only twice to a campaign based this overwhelming increase in awareness to users’ higher
exclusively on video advertising. engagement with online media, and the tendency for fewer
ads per pod online as compared to TV9.
Users need almost three
more exposures of ads from
campaigns without video to
accumulate the same Dwell Time
gained from campaigns based
solely on video.
6
Based on serving cost and media cost, derived from a sample of publishers surveyed by Eyeblaster Research. Publishers’ incremental fee for video over Rich
Media may vary.
7
The benefit of video is 2.5 times that of regular rich media, while the cost is 1.2 times. Overall ROI (benefit/cost) is 200%.
8
Dynamic Logic. Beyond the Click. Enhancing the TV-like Power of Video Ads on the Web. November 2006.
Available at: http://www.dynamiclogic.com/na/research/btc/beyond_the_click_nov2006.html
9
Millward Brown and Dynamic Logic. Integrating online video advertising into the marketing mix.

11 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin

Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

Tell me how!
attributes such as unaided brand awareness and online ad
awareness. In-Banner and Floating ads are more successful
in positively impacting lower funnel image and persuasion
Online video advertising delivers a wealth of creative metrics such as brand favorability and intent to purchase10.
possibilities to craft an ad, the most important of which
is interactivity – placing the user in the center of the ad. Chart 6: Performance of Banners and Floating
Advertisers can choose not only multiple ad formats, but also Ads with Video
the ad’s length, initiation method, turning the sound on or off,
and whether to place a call to action. Many of the creative 30% 60
choices are also affected by users’ viewing habits such as the
environment and the time of day in which the ad is watched. 20% 40

Aligning the format with the 10% 20

message 0% 0
Dwell Rate Average Dwell Time (Sec)

Chart 5: Video by Ad Format Expandable Banner Polite Banner Floating Ads

Share of Video Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q4 ‘08 to Q3 ‘09

100%
Impressions
Video Fully Played Rate

0%
80%
In-Stream Video Under In-Banner ads, Expandable Banners increase the
20%
40%
space for the brand, as they only expand after a user
60% Polite Banner 60% interaction, such as a click or a rollover. They are a good fit
Average 80% for campaigns with longer marketing messages as they hold
40% Expandable Banner 100% people’s attention with higher than average Dwell Time. In
Floating Ads
addition, Expandable Ads’ higher Dwell Rate and Dwell Time
20% indicate that more people interact and touch them, leading
to higher retention.
0% Average
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Eyeblaster Research has
Video Started Rate
found that a small portion of
Note: Share of video impressions out of Rich Media impressions
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q4 ‘08 to Q3 ‘09
Expandable Banners require even
more than five user interactions
Each of the four ad formats has advantages and
disadvantages, depending on the marketing objective.
before playing the video.
In-Stream Video is typically auto-initiated and therefore has However, in many cases, advertisers hide the video behind
a very high start rate. In many cases, it is served as a pre-roll several panels, which makes it difficult for users to find the
or mid-roll, and users have to patiently wait for it to finish, video and results in lower Video Started Rate. Eyeblaster
so they can watch whatever video content they came for – Research has found that a small portion of Expandable
obtaining a very high Video Fully Played Rate. Banners require even more than five user interactions
However, there is a caveat. Short online content videos before playing the video. These advertisers rely on a very
should have short In-Stream ads. The industry rule-of-thumb determined audience. A good practice would be to have
is 15 seconds In-Stream ads for videos lasting less than 3
minutes of content, and 30 seconds for content lasting over
3 minutes.
Research by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) suggests
that In-Stream Videos have higher effect on upper funnel

10
IAB Research. Case Study on Digital Video Advertising Effectiveness.
December 2008.

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Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

the user-initiated video play after one interaction, preferably
behind a clear call to action or a “teaser” video.
Polite Banners seem as one of the more obvious choices for
video. Advertisers can choose between user-initiated and
auto-initiated video, but the high video started rate shows
that advertisers choose the latter more often. In the auto-
initiated case, the video in Polite Banner is exposed to the
user at first glance, typically with sound turned off by default.
A good practice would be a clear “sound on” call to action.
Some floating ads have very successful implementations
such as the Eyeblaster TV (see separate box). Floating ads
are exceptional in gaining users attention, as evident by their
higher Dwell Rate. However, they typically maintain attention
for a short amount of time, as evident by their lower Dwell
Time. Floating over the publishers’ content, floating ads
remain in the range of user’s vision. Many use auto initiated
video to augment visibility.
The Homepage is where people visit on their way to their
destinations. However, this analysis shows that users do
spend time on homepages to engage with video ads.
Homepages are slightly higher than average on Dwell Rate
and on Video Fully Played Rate. It has a higher portion of
user-initiated video with Video Start Rate of 16%.
In social networking and games sites, users tend to engage
with video ads less frequently, and also have a lower video
fully played rate. Videos on games sites are nearly always
auto initiated with 7% video started rate.
As a desktop rather than a browser environment, instant
messaging is different. It nearly always contains user-initiated
video, since the video is typically hidden behind the panel
of an Expandable Banner. With predominantly user initiated
video, it has only a 3% Video Start Rate. While it has slightly
lower than average Dwell Rate, a higher proportion of videos
are played to their full duration.

Chart 8: Video Started Rate by

Video and the section/ Section/ Environment
environment 80%
71%
60%
Video Started Rate

60%
Chart 7: Video Performance by 41% 43% 44%
37% 38% 40%
Section/Environment 40% 33%
24%
20% 14% 16%
60% Mail 3%
0%
Finance
Instant Messaging

Health

Home Page

Mail

Social Network

Entertainment

Sports

News

Music

Lifestyle

Finance

Auto

Games
News
Music
Video Fully Played Rate

Entertainment
Sports
50% Instant Messaging
Home Page
Average

Auto

40% Social Network Lifestyle

Note: Includes In-Banner and Floating Ads.
Health
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q4 ‘08 to Q3 ‘09, North America.

30% Games Average

2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% 11% 12%
Dwell Rate

Note: Includes In-Banner and Floating Ads.

Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q4 ‘08 to Q3 ‘09, North America.

Users are more likely to engage with an ad and to watch

video for longer in some online environments/sections rather
than others. News, sports, music, finance and mail tend
to have both superior Dwell Rate performance and higher
Video Fully Played Rate. People spend a longer amount of
time in these environments, browsing content and writing
and reading emails. Thus, users have more time to engage
with advertisers’ ads. These environments have mixed
auto-initiated and user-initiated videos, as indicated by their
similar Video Started Rate of around 40%.
13 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin
Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

Video Focus: Primetime at the office

For In-Banner and Floating video ads, users’ viewing habits
Eyeblaster TV are very different from those of TV advertising. A large
portion of TV ads are watched in the evening, during TV
primetime while cuddling on the living room couch. Online
Eyeblaster TV Performance video ads are mostly watched at the office during working
hours and in the evening, at home.
80% 20%
40%
60% Chart 9: Video Started and Fully Played by
40%
20% 10%
Time of Day, Weekdays
20%

0% 0% 0%
6%

Videos Started
Video Started Rate Video Fully Played Rate Dwell Rate

Share of Total

Played Rate
Video Fully
70%
EyeblasterTV Other 4%

65%
2%
Office Hours
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q4 ‘08 to Q3 ‘09
0% 60%

Midnight

10 am

12 pm

10 pm
11 am

11 pm
1 am
2 am
3 am
4 am
5 am
6 am
7 am
8 am
9 am

It is possible to transform a successful TV campaign
directly to the Web. Eyeblaster TV is a floating ad that
plays video spots besides the publishers’ content.
Typically, the video is auto-initiated and is played with
the sound turned slightly on, to attract users’ attention.
Once the video has finished playing, the floating ad
collapses, leaving a reminder.
Eyeblaster TV helps advertisers to stretch their
investment in the production of TV ads to the web easily
and with great results. Eyeblaster TV ads tend to be long
for Web advertising – 30 seconds; still their fully played
rate is similar to the average. Therefore, this format
provides a great platform for longer and more complex
marketing messages. In addition, although Eyeblaster TV
ads are auto-initiated with sound-on by default, users do
not find them intrusive compared to other video ads as
evident by their similar Video Fully Played Rate.
1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
Video Fully Played Rate Share of Videos Started
Note: Share of Video Started measure the proportion of videos started within hour
from total videos started throughout the day.
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09, US East Coast, EST.
Tracking the life of the average John Doe teaches valuable
insights on when to deliver successful video advertising
throughout the day. During weekdays, waking up at 6:00am,
Mr. Doe does not usually surf the web a lot, maybe checking
an occasional email or so; not much time to hit the start
button on many video ads. At 9:00am he gets to the office
filled with caffeine after gulping the venti coffee during his
morning commute.
In the morning at the office he still feels energized, and
ready to do some work! Quickly, just to keep his sanity, he
opens his browser. That’s when video ads played reach their
peak. The office online activity is mostly comprised of news,
researching information and communications, such as email
or instant messaging. A clear drop in video ads starts is felt
at 5:00pm, when Mr. Doe is preparing to go home.
Even when surfing at home, Mr. Doe would not play as
many ads as he does from the office. Mr. Doe usually logs
off before midnight, when he goes to bed. During his waking
hours, Video Fully Played Rate remains high. This rate drops
significantly at night.

Creative examples for Eyeblaster TV ads can be found on

the Creative Zone: creativezone.eyeblaster.com

14 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin

Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

Chart 10: Videos Started and Fully Played by

Time of Day, Weekends
Making it roll, or click
While In-Stream videos nearly always start automatically,
6% In-Banner and Floating video ads have three major initiation
Videos Started

methods: Mouse rollover, mouse click and auto-initiated

Share of Total

70%

Played Rate
Video Fully
4%
video. Auto-initiated is the most popular, followed by mouse
2%
65% rollover.

0% 60%
Chart 11: Video Initiation Method
Midnight

10 am

12 pm

10 pm
11 am

11 pm
1 am
2 am
3 am
4 am
5 am
6 am
7 am
8 am
9 am

1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm

Video Fully Played Rate Share of Videos Started

User- Auto-
Note: Share of Video Started measure the proportion of videos started within hour
Initiated / Initiated
from total videos started throughout the day. Rollover
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09, US East Coast, EST.

Over the weekend, Mr. Doe’s engagement with online video
ads is vastly different than his engagement during the week.
Starting ads more evenly throughout his waking hours, Mr.
Doe has much more patience for watching ads between
8am and 10pm.
The fact that a large portion of video ads are watched at the
office also puts some constraints on the manner in which
they are delivered. Depending on the country, culture and
online environment, advertisers may want to refrain from
delivering auto-initiated and rollover user-initiated ads with
sound turned on by default, to avoid rubbing office etiquette
the wrong way. When crafting their messages, advertisers
and agencies should remember that their audience might be
hard pressed at the office as opposed to relaxed at home.
User-
Initiated /
Click
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09
Each of these methods has its own advantage. Auto-
initiated video allows advertisers to attract users’ attention
to the video passively; however, prospects may miss the
beginning or see it without sound. Rollover is typically used
in expandable banners to expand the panel and expose the
video. Rollover requires fewer actions from the user than
a click – only rolling the mouse on the ad, compared to
rolling the mouse and clicking. Also, many users refrain from
clicking, to avoid leaving the publishers’ website or to avoid
launching a popup.

Chart 12: Video Started Rate and Dwell Rate

by Method of Initiation

40% 10%

20% 5%

0% 0%
Video Started Rate Dwell Rate

Auto-Initiated User-Initiated / Rollover User-Initiated / Click

Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09

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Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

Clearly, auto-initiated video has the highest start rate – 53%.

Impressions that appeared but their video did not start may
have been designed to start the video after an intro, but did
not have enough time to load before the user navigated to a
different page. Rollover is superior to click, achieving three
times the start rate – 10% compared to 3%.
However, these figures should not be taken at face value. An
analysis of Dwell Rate by initiation method shows that while
many auto-initiated videos start, many also go unnoticed. In
auto-initiated video, it is hard to infer on the level of attention
while watching the video, as the user does not have to take
any action other than turning the sound on. Dwell Rate
is highest for rollover initiated videos, while auto-initiated
comes only second. Click user-initiated video is both low on
Video Started Rate and on Dwell Rate.
Chart 13: Video Fully Played Rate
by Method of Initiation
50%
40%
Back to the silent film?
There is an advantage in using user initiated video and
click-to-initiate in particular – sound. The majority of click-to-
initiate videos have their sound turned on by default when
the video launches, and so do nearly a fifth of rollover-to-
initiate videos. Auto-initiated video nearly always launches
with sound off. In many cases, the ability to use sound
turned on by default is limited by publishers’ rules.
The advantage in having sound turned on by default is that
the user gets the full video experience from the get-go,
rather than having to take an additional action and probably
miss the beginning of the jingle accompanying the ad.
Sound turned off by default may significantly diminish the
effectiveness of repurposed TV ads and other creatives
where sound is intrinsic to the story.
Chart 14: Share of Impressions with
Sound Turned On/Off
Auto-Initiated User-Initiated / Rollover User-Initiated / Click

30%
Sound On Sound On
20%
Sound Off
10%
Sound Off Sound Off Sound On
0%

Video Fully Played Rate

Auto-Initiated User-Initiated / Rollover User-Initiated / Click

Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09

Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09

Furthermore, as shown earlier in this bulletin, many users

Auto-initiated video has the highest video played duration and
Video Fully Played Rate, as users do not stop them often.
User-initiated Video Fully Played Rate is slightly lower than in
the auto-initiated case.
browse sites and are exposed to ads while at the office.
Thus, starting a video ad automatically with sound on may
bother co-workers in the next cubical and alert bosses
to employees who are checking football scores rather
than their emails. Depending on the country and online
environment, abrupt loud sounds when loading web pages
should be used cautiously.

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Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

Chart 15: Video Un-Mute Rate for Videos As users only find out if the video has sound after it was
with Sound Turned Off initiated, sound turned on/off does not affect Dwell Rate for
user-initiated video, only for auto-initiated video. In auto-
0.3% initiated and rollover user initiated video, sound on tends
0.2% to have lower Dwell Time, as users tend to turn the video
0.2%
off more quickly. This conclusion can also be derived by
0.1%
examining Video Fully Played Rate.
0.1%
0.0%
Chart 17: The Fully Played Effect of
Un-Mute Rate out of Video Impressions
Sound on Video
Auto-Initiated User-Initiated / Rollover User-Initiated / Click
Video Fully Played Rate
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09
50%

40%
Relatively few users un-mute video ads. When looking at the 30%
un-mute rate out of total video impressions with sound off,
20%
auto-initiated video has the highest rate, following its high
video start rate. Nevertheless, only 3% of click and 10% of 10%
0%
rollover user-initiated videos are started, and therefore have Auto-Initiated User-Initiated / Rollover User-Initiated / Click
the chance of being un-muted. When looking only at videos
that have started with sound off by default, the proportion of Off On

users who turn the sound on is higher in user-initiated video

as compared with auto-initiated video. Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09

To increase un-mute rate, it is a good practice to have a

clear call to action on the video, rather than a small button at Advertisers need to find the balance between putting the
the bottom. Also, accompanying the ad with text or subtitles users in control, and compelling them to experience the
to augment the video while the sound is off can help users full video with sound on. The Eyeblaster TV format (see
comprehend the marketing message. separate box) starts with the sound turned on with very low
volume. Using this method, users do not find the ad intrusive
and do not stop it more frequently than the average; the
Chart 16: The Dwell Effect of Video Fully Played Rate of Eyeblaster TV is similar to the
Sound on Video average of other ads with video.
Auto-Initiated Off In click initiated video, sound turned on by default is
On
User-Initiated / Off
advantageous. Users who clicked want to watch the ad, so
Rollover
On why not provide them with the full experience without forcing
User-Initiated / Off them to take any additional action. The reward for sound
Click On
turned on by default, in this case, is an additional 5% of
0% 5% 10% 0 20 40 60
Dwell Rate Average Dwell Time (Sec) users who watch the video all the way though.

Note: For auto-initiated video, sound on increases Dwell Rate and lowers Dwell
Time as users tend to turn the video off more quickly.
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09
Either way, the difference in performance between ads with
sound turned on and sound turned off disproves an industry
myth saying that many users browse the web with muted
speakers. Thus, accompanying video with sound turned on
to illuminate the marketing message or a memorable jingle
or song, and delivering it in a courteous manner, may be a
good way to enhance marketing effectiveness.

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Online Video Advertising:
Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

You didn’t call, they didn’t play Is 15 the new 30?

For In-Stream, particularly in pre-roll and mid-roll, users are
Chart 18: Share of Video Impressions with
required to see the full ad if they wish to view the content.
Call to Action
This is not the case for In-Banner and Floating ads. Wary
of lower attention span of users who are browsing or
communicating, many in the industry call for shorter video
ads with more concise messages.
No Call to
Action
Chart 20: Videos by Length

Call to Action

Share of Total Impressions

20%

Note: For user-initiated video only. 10%

Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09

If there is one golden rule of success in user-initiated video, 0%

and in online advertising at large, it is to use a crystal clear 5 Sec
10 Sec
15 Sec
20 Sec
25 Sec
30 Sec
35 Sec
40 Sec
45 Sec
50 Sec
55 Sec
60 Sec
65 Sec
70 Sec
75 Sec
80 Sec
85 Sec
90 Sec
call to action. In user-initiated video, a call to action should
entice users to play the video, or expand the ad. While it
may sound obvious to many, some advertisers choose to
Note: In-Banner and Floating video ads.
keep the space for their marketing message, rather than to Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09, North America
use a call to action. This line of thinking may not be prudent.

A review of In-Banner and Floating ads served in Q2 ‘09

Chart 19: The Impact of Call to Action indicates that ads lasting for 30 seconds are still the most
popular kind, accounting for over 20% of total video ad
Call to Action impressions; they are closely followed by the 15 second
ads that were featured in 17% of video ad impressions. Ads
No Call to
Action lasting longer than 30 seconds are rare and may contain
0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% several sequenced videos.
Video Started Rate One of the advantages of shorter In-Banner and Floating
videos is the higher likelihood that users will watch them
Note: For user-initiated video only.
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09
all the way through. High attrition rates for longer videos
diminish the primary advantage of video – its ability to deliver
marketing messages as a story, with a start, middle and end
Overall, ads with a call to action have nearly 2% higher – and promote users to identify with the brand message.
Video Started Rate compared with ads with no call to
action. A clear call to action should also be used to entice
users to turn the sound on for video with sound turned off
by default. Eyeblaster Research analysts have noticed that
ads with large and clear triangles signaling “play”, clear large
icons indicating “sound on” and large scripts saying “click
to expand” or “rollover to play video” entice users for that
particular behavior. Overall, a clear call to action increases
the likelihood that users play user-initiated video or turn
the sound on in auto-initiated video. The brand experience
gained by a video played outweighs the space gained by
omitting the call to action.

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Chart 21: Video Length and Performance Regional differences

Most of this analysis was conducted with worldwide
data; however there are regional differences. There are no
Video Fully Played Rate

60%
significant variances between North America, Europe, and
Latin America in the share of video impressions out of Rich
40% Media impressions. However, East Asia tends to have a
lower share of video impressions, out of other Rich Media
impressions.
20%

0%
Chart 22: Video by Market
10 Sec

15 Sec

20 Sec

25 Sec

30 Sec
35 Sec
40 Sec

45 Sec

50 Sec
55 Sec
60 Sec

65 Sec
70 Sec
75 Sec
80 Sec

85 Sec
90 Sec
5 Sec

Share of Video
Impressions
AU and NZ

Video Fully Played Rate

55% 10%
20%
Note: In-Banner and Floating video ads. 50% 30%
Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q2 ‘09, North America Average North America
40%
Europe
45%

A statistical analysis conducted by Eyeblaster Research East Asia

shows that for In-Banner and Floating ads, an increase 40% Latin America

of five seconds in video length reduces the likelihood that 35% Average
users will watch the full ad by 2.8%, on average. This should 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Video Started Rate
not be alarming; one reason for the decrease is that in the
case of auto-initiated video – the shorter the video is (and
Note: Share of video impressions out of Rich Media impressions
with sound off) the lower the likelihood that users will click Source: Eyeblaster Research. Data: Q4 ‘08 to Q3 ‘09
‘stop’ before the end of the clip, even if in reality they stop
watching. Also, shorter videos have a higher chance of
rolling fully before the user has navigated to another page. All regions are relatively similar in users’ tendency to watch
video ads in full. However, some markets have lower Video
Research by the IAB indicates that different lengths are Start Rates. This may have several reasons: Lower auto-
appropriate to different marketing objectives. Shorter videos initiated video rate, quality of creative execution, videos
of 5 seconds may work for simple communication, but have starting with sound on by default and differences in behavior
the weakest levels of breakthrough and are the most difficult between markets may be among the more prevalent
to understand. explanations.
The IAB suggests that longer videos are more effective.
15-second videos have the highest brand association, are
easiest to understand, obtain the highest engagement and
are the most cost effective. They are most appropriate for
simple messaging and for a pre-roll in In-Stream. Thirty
second ads are the most persuasive; they allow for complex
communication and work well as user-initiated video11.
In general, it is hard to identify a clear rule of thumb on what
length should be used. Ad format, the complexity of the
marketing message and objectives, the environment, and
many other considerations affect the choice of length.

11
IAB Research. Case Study on Digital Video Advertising Effectiveness. December 2008.

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Online Video Advertising:
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What’s next?
Video is expected to be one of the major drivers of online advertising in
the next few years. At current levels of spending, online video advertising
has plenty of room to grow. Even with projected growth of 40% annually,
online video ads will amount to only 10% of total online advertising
spending by 201212.
Advertisers have gained experience in the art of TV advertising for
decades, until they were able to bring it to its current effectiveness
frontier. If current growth rates persist beyond 2012, Eyeblaster Research
and many other industry analysts estimate that online video advertising is
going to become a staple of every branding campaign – similar to what
TV is now. This may have a disruptive effect on marketers and advertisers
who are caught unprepared.
Online video advertising has a steep learning curve. The unique attributes
of online video advertising, such as the different time and surroundings in
which it is watched, the choice of ad length, the variety of ad formats and
creative features suggests that the mere repurposing of a successful TV
spot may not guarantee success online.
Marketers and advertisers who will not have a strong online branding
capability using online video advertising may risk jeopardizing their brand’s
health. In a few years, when online video ascends to be advertising’s
branding engine, sufficient experience in running online video campaigns
may be the difference between a blockbuster and a flop.

12
Hallerman, David. Digital Video Advertising: Where’s the Money? eMarketer. August 2009.

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Glossary
In-Banner Video Ads – Polite Banner or Expandable banner ads
with video.
Floating Video Ads – Video Ads that appear above the publisher’s
content.
In-Stream Video – Video ads that appear before, in the middle, or
after video content.
Pre-Roll – Ad that runs prior to the publisher’s video content.
Mid-Roll – Ad that runs in the middle of the publisher’s video
content.
Post-Roll – Ad that runs after the publisher’s video content.
Marketing Funnel – A model that describes the customers’ theoretical
journey towards purchase. Funnel metrics may include: Brand awareness,
message favorability and intent to purchase.
Dwell Rate – The number of impressions that were dwelled upon out
of total impressions. Dwell is defined as an active engagement with
an ad. It includes positioning the mouse over an ad, user-initiation
of video, user-initiation of an expansion, and any other user-initiated
Custom Interaction. Unintentional Dwell, lasting less than one second,
is excluded.
Average Dwell Time (Seconds) – The average duration of a Dwell.
For impressions that were dwelled upon, this metric sums the duration
of the following user initiated actions: The amount of time in which
a mouse was positioned over an ad, user-initiated video duration,
user-initiated expansion duration and the duration of any other user-
initiated Custom Interaction. Unintentional Dwell, lasting less than one
second, is excluded.
Average Video Duration (Seconds) – The average duration, in
seconds, of the video assets that played in the ad. This metric includes
user-initiated and auto-initiated videos.
Video Length (Seconds) – The length, in seconds, of the video
asset in the ad.
Video Started Rate – The number of times the video assets started
out of served impressions with video. This metric includes user-initiated
and auto-initiated videos.
Video Fully Played Rate – Of the video assets that have started
playing, the portion of videos that have played to their full duration.

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Doubles Engagement, Boosts ROI

www.eyeblaster.com

© 2009 Eyeblaster Inc. All rights reserved l www.eyeblaster.com l Email: info@eyeblaster.com l 646.202.1320 (U.S.) or +44 (0) 20 7831 9410 (UK)

22 Eyeblaster Research Analytics Bulletin