Dialsmith

(photo courtesy of Facebook.com)

Interesting AdWeek article discussing the new online video advertising viewability metrics announced by the Media Ratings Council over the past few weeks. While online advertisers acknowledge the need for a standard, the new metrics have ruffled some feathers because advertisers will now be paying for ad views after only the first two seconds that an ad is viewed regardless of whether the remainder of the ad is viewed or not. Two seconds? Thousands of dollars invested on two seconds?

I guess online advertisers will need to make those first two seconds count more than ever, engaging viewers enough to keep them around through the rest of the ad. As result, advertisers looking to maximize their investment in online video ads will need to rigorously test their ads for early engagement through methods like online dial testing. Tools like Perception Analyzer Online and Slidermetrix allow advertisers to test their online video ads in order to pinpoint the specific moments or messages that engage viewers the most or A/B test different ads and formats to see which is most engaging and impactful right from the start. While deeper testing like this was sometimes viewed as a premium by advertisers a few years ago, that’s no longer the case as advertisers are getting the message very clear now that they don’t have a second (or two) to waste.  

If you want to learn more about dial testing tools and/or get online dial testing best practices from research pros, you can download our free e-Book “Essentials of Moment-to-Moment Research.”