Brand recall of skippable vs non-skippable ads in YouTube: Readapting information and arousal to active audiences
ISSN: 1468-4527
Article publication date: 28 January 2020
Issue publication date: 10 June 2020
Abstract
Purpose
By integrating the evidence of various audience theories, a comparison is made of viewers’ information processing of new interactive video advertising formats (skippable video ads) with traditional, non-skippable formats. The purpose of this paper is to focus on how exposure to a brand name at different moments during online video advertisements influences viewers’ recall.
Design/methodology/approach
A neuroscientific pre-test supported the selection of an arousing video, and a subsequent pre-test confirmed the scenario validity. Using a broader sample, the main study applied a 3×2 experimental design of different ad designs and formats.
Findings
Distinctions should be made between formats and audiences that lead to different information processing methods. Users exposed to skippable ads (active audiences) exert a higher control over advertising and tend to process the information presented in the initial part of an ad. In turn, users viewing non-skippable ads (passive audiences) should be exposed to the high arousal stimulus before presentation of the key information that the advertiser wants them to remember.
Practical implications
Advertising managers and content creators can use these results to improve the design of their online videos, and to achieve greater effectiveness in terms of information recall.
Originality/value
Skippable online videos have become a commonly used advertising format, but research into their effects is scarce. This study offers the first comparison of viewers’ reactions towards skippable vs non-skippable formats, in terms of brand recall and economic performance. Further research might extend this underdeveloped field of study and enhance the knowledge of video format processing in social media.
Keywords
Citation
Belanche, D., Flavián, C. and Pérez-Rueda, A. (2020), "Brand recall of skippable vs non-skippable ads in YouTube: Readapting information and arousal to active audiences", Online Information Review, Vol. 44 No. 3, pp. 545-562. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-01-2019-0035
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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