Consumer Brand Videos Not Capturing Mobile Viewers’ Attention

November 18, 2011

This article is included in these additional categories:

Analytics, Automated & MarTech | Brand Metrics | Data-driven | Media & Entertainment | Mobile Phone | Technology | Television

ooyala-consumer-brand-engagement.jpgOnline videos produced by consumer brands to promote their brand, products, or services appear to be least engaging to mobile viewers relative to other devices, according to [download page] an Ooyala report released in November 2011. Data from the “VideoMind Video Index Report,” which measured a cross-section of Ooyala’s customer and partner database, indicates that although the consumer brands vertical reflects some of the highest viewer engagement numbers of the industry segments studied, relative to other devices, viewer engagement is lowest on mobile devices, which is unique to the consumer brands vertical. Roughly 3 in 4 tablet viewers watched one-quarter of a consumer brand video, with tablets also leading mobiles, desktops, and connected TV devices and game consoles among viewers who watched half or three-quarters of a video. However, less than half of tablet viewers completed a consumer brand video, slightly less than the proportion of connected TV devices and game console viewers. Mobile trailed all devices in every completion rate studied.

According to the study, consumer brands accounted for 6.6% of the total time watched in Q3, slightly ahead of the print vertical (referring to print companies that use video as a complement to their content offerings), but far less than the TV (42.1%) and online media (46.1%) verticals.

Print Performs Best For Short-Form

ooyala-video-plays-by-mobile.jpgIn Q3, the print vertical boasted the largest proportion of videos less than 3 minutes long watched on mobile devices, with the TV and online media segments relatively far behind. By contrast, the TV vertical accounted for the largest share of total plays for videos longer than 10 minutes, followed closely by the online media vertical. There was then a significant drop-off to the print vertical, with consumer brands garnering the lowest share of total plays of videos longer than 10 minutes.

Tablet viewers shared similar viewing patterns: they watched more shorter-form content from print media companies, but videos from the TV industry dominated longer-form content viewed on tablets.

Tablet Viewers Highly Engaged by TV Content

ooyala-tv-content-devices.jpgWithin the TV vertical, viewers watching from tablets or connected TV devices and game consoles exhibited a strong preference for longer-form video content. Videos 10 minutes or longer accounted for 56% of the TV content played on tablets and 84% of the TV content played on connected TV devices and game consoles. By contrast, longer-form videos accounted for just 28% of the TV content played on desktops or laptops.

Meanwhile viewers watching TV content, regardless of length, were most engaged when viewing on tablets, followed by connected TV devices and game consoles. They were least engaged on desktops. Tablet viewers’ high engagement with TV content is consistent with results from a study conducted by the Online Publishers Association, released in June, which found that 56% of tablet users who watch video watch full-length TV.

Similar Habits Among Other Verticals

As in the TV vertical, video publishers in the online media and print verticals see the highest engagement levels from tablet viewers. Unlike TV, though, the print vertical reflects low engagement from viewers on connected TV devices and game consoles, with desktops and mobile devices exhibiting similar engagement rates. According to a November study from the Audit Bureau of Circulations, roughly 3 in 5 print publishers believe that video has an important role to play [pdf] in crafting and delivering advertising messages to a mobile (including tablet) audience.

About the Data: The data sample used in Ooyala’s report covers the third quarter of 2011, from July 1 through September 30. The data was taken from an anonymous cross-section of Ooyala’s customer and partner database in over 30 different countries. Collectively, the customers’ video streams are watched in 100 countries across more than 5,000 unique domains, and by more than 100 million unique viewers every month. The data sample is not intended to represent the entire Internet or all online video viewers.

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