Dive Brief:
- If you're targeting millennials with mobile video ads, keep them short. That's the conclusion of new research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), Millward Brown Digital and Tremor Video on the format.
- Their research found millennials preferred 10-second videos, while 35-54 year olds preferred 30-second video ads, according to Adweek.
- Based on the findings, the IAB recommended marketers tailor video ads to be shorter for smaller screens and longer for larger screens. The IAB also recommended marketers develop video ads with smaller screens in mind overall.
Dive Insight:
Smaller screens mean shorter ads, according to the latest research put out by the IAB. With smartphones and social media, the millenial consumer's attention span for ads is shorter than it is for older demographics, which may be more used to the traditional 30-second video ad format.
"The conventional wisdom is that all video ads on mobile screens must be short in order to resonate with audiences," Joe Laszlo, IAB's vice president of industry initiatives, told Adweek. "Our research shows that for some demographics and some advertising goals this doesn't hold up. These findings are critical in creating the next generation of multiscreen video advertising."
Another key finding from the research is that more millennials feel they are being served too many ads on mobile devices, as compared to the 35-54 demographic.
Separate recent research from Ace Metrix and BuzzFeed on long-form native video — video ads ranging from 90 seconds to five minutes — found the format complements TV advertising (rather than competing with the channel) and connects emotionally with viewers.
Video advertising is an important tactic for marketers, particularly on mobile, but the research by IAB and Ace Metrix shows that marketers should be testing what length of video ad resonates best with their audience. The takeaway? One format does not rule them all, but when in doubt, keep your video ads short.
