Based on its continuing research into how, when and why people consume video content, the IAB is “building a whole commercial innovation program” that will encompass video, audio and other platforms, says Anna Bager, EVP, Industry Initiatives.
The IAB’s latest research, released this week, shows just how complicated the video marketplace is. Its Video Landscape Report report covers programmatic video, addressable TV, connected TV/OTT, augmented reality, vertical video, live streaming video, eSports, original digital video, six-second ads plus interactive and branded video.
“We talked to the marketplace about what sort of ads they want to see that can improve user experience and better connectivity and also better reflect the platforms that we are now viewing content in,” Bager says in this interview with Beet.TV at the IAB Video Symposium.
The Video Landscape Report identifies the key challenges facing marketers and agencies as “audience fragmentation, content discovery, advertising experience, ad fraud and cross-platform measurement.” It’s the fourth iteration of a report that was first issued in October 2016.
“We have to start thinking differently about ads,” says Bager. “Consumers’ attention spans are much shorter and they’re on a number of different platforms at the same time.”
Each ad format carries its own complexities. “Six-second ads for example. There are a number of different contexts that they can run in. Interactive formats depends very differently on whether you’re on OTT or if you’re in a mobile environment. Shoppable formats, same thing.”
One of the IAB’s goals is to find “proof points” from its research and then help to create standardization around the various units.
The IAB views the research through the lens of how “21st century brands”—also called Direct Brands—can best engage with consumers.
“While traditional TV still dominates ad revenue, digital video, especially mobile video, is the fastest-growing video type by consumption,” states the Video Landscape Report. “All of these developments and touchpoints have provided more opportunities for 21st century brands and marketers to directly connect and engage with consumers.”
When taking into account audience receptivity to brand messaging, “everything probably shouldn’t be ad-based,” says Bager. “I also think that the definition of advertising will change and I think it’s going to become more and more about branded content and content marketing in combination with advertising.”
This video is part of Beet.TV’s coverage of the IAB Video Symposium 2018 presented by Tremor Video DSP. For more videos from the series, please visit this page.
