Thursday, February 13, 2014

Video Ads Far Outpace Audience, But Most Unviewed

The audience for online video grew 4% in 2013, but the number of video ads was up 205%, according to comScore. Either a small group of people is watching a lot of video, or something is off with the numbers. A recent Adweek story cites research by ad-serving firm Vindico to show that the disparity reflects the fact that more than half of video ads are not actually viewable. "The number of ad impressions have exploded, but it’s totally manufactured viewing," Vindico President Matt Timothy told Adweek. In fact, Vindico, which claims to track 40% of all video ads served on the web, found that 57% of 2.7 billion ads tracked over a recent two-month period were not viewable. Which sites deliver the most video ad impressions per Vindico? No. 1 is Blinkx.com, a U.K.-based public company that has been accused of inflating its views in the past. Vindico recorded 217 million views on Blinkx, about 23% of which were viewable. In second place was CBS, with 195 million views and an 88% viewability rate. MSN was third, with just a 57% viewability rate. Several other top brands produced surprisingly low viewability rates, including AOL and HuffPost, each at 60%, according to Vindico data. The source of the bogus views is mainly a huge spike in autoplay video running below the fold where people can’t see it, claims Timothy, although bad guys using bots play some part in high video views. Basically, publishers haven't figured out how to use online space to tell a story and are mistakenly using a volume-driven, display advertising mentality when serving video ads, Timothy's opines. For more, see http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/number-online-video-ads-205-last-year-154520

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Smart Remarketing Recaptures Site Abandoners

Research shows that two times to three times more site abandoners will buy when remarketed, but what is the best way to recapture these wayward shoppers? Rushing out a "buy now" call to action is not necessarily the best approach as it turns out. A recent article for Retail Online Integration suggests a three-pronged approach using a combination of e-mail and advertising. The first, immediate step is to REMIND the departed customer of the brand, with a gentle nudge focusing on customer service and reinforcing the brand message. The article cites the example of high-end brand offers of a personal shopper, offers that can get a whopping 80% e-mail open rate. This "we are here to help" rather than "we are here to sell to you" approach can actually have a stronger impact on sales. Next, REASSURE the shopper of the value of the brand by sharing relevant product reviews, images and even alternative products, all with links back to the website for information. Showing shoppers that others have had a positive experience with a product, and/or that there are similar items that could be a better fit, helps validate that the brand provides something worth buying. Finally, PROMOTE to the site abandoners, but take care. Consider testing different promotional offers, such as free or two-day shipping, or even a product discount. Be aware that a promotional offer may decrease order value, but it may also convert the browser into a buyer. So, determine whether your remarketing goal is profitability or customer acquisition when you set up test promotional offers. For the whole article, see http://www.retailonlineintegration.com/article/the-remarketing-triple-play-remind-reassure-promote/1#