One of those takeaways were the surprising findings of a survey of established online video viewers by Ogilvy and The Young Turks (TYT). It may be time for brands to change their thinking from ‘How do I get someone to watch my pre-roll before a video?’ to ‘How do I integrate my brand message into a consumer viewing session?’” The concept of “session viewing” also has significant implications for the 107,000 brands that have sponsored content as well as the 15,000 influencers and publishers that have sold over 660,000 sponsored videos that Tubular tracks. In fact, it’s probably time to start asking if sponsored videos are more effective in long, cross-platform sessions than just running a pre-roll unit before one of those videos. In fact, three out of four respondents wished online ads were relevant to the shows they are watching when the ad runs. That’s good news for content creators and media companies who are working directly with brands and agencies to develop sponsored videos. Given that (online video) is a two-way platform where viewers and talent can – and do – communicate, the more we mix the style and creative of favorite programming into advertising, the more likely the viewer is to feel the ad is an extension of their session rather than a disruptor.” You can watch Rob talk more about the report in this video: Why The Young Turks Want Your Coffee Mug on Cenk Uygur’s Desk There was a panel discussion of the findings of the Ogilvy/TYT survey at an unofficial event held during the 2018 NewFronts at the Ogilvy offices in New York. Now, having said that, we have a huge audience on Facebook. What are you seeing, in terms of are there trends that you’re identifying on what you’re being asked to do?” Cenk Uygur: “Well, Deanna knows a lot better. I’m signing up for an Aspiration account.’ So the second guy responds to that tweet, ‘It was the mug,’ and then a whole bunch of them.” Rob Davis: “But, when brands like Aspiration come to you and you know the different things about relevance and what works and what doesn’t work with your audience. NewFronts Presenters: 2018 Video Statistics Tubular has put together a full ratings sheet with all the NewFronts 2018 presenters top properties listing their Facebook March Views, Facebook V30, YouTube March Views, and YouTube V30.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared eight critical takeaways from the 2018 Digital Content NewFronts. One of those takeaways were the surprising findings of a survey of established online video viewers by Ogilvy and The Young Turks (TYT). Among other things, the survey found that online viewers do not just watch videos in a one-and-done fashion. Rather, they stitch together viewing sessions that frequently last an hour or more, curating their own content on the fly.
According to the Ogilvy/TYT survey, 68% of the nearly 2,400 respondents reported their average online video sessions last more than 30 minutes, with 40% reporting average sessions of over an hour. The data also suggested these are frequently occurring events, with 73% reporting having 30+ minute viewing sessions more than three days a week and 29% saying they view for 60 minutes or more — per session — on a daily basis.
Now, the continuous engagement of viewers over long periods of time is one of the more important trends in the digital video marketing business. The longer and more frequently people watch video, the more fertile the landscape becomes for brands, influencers, and publishers. But, the concept of “session viewing” overturns a lot of conventional wisdom and old habits, too.
Session Viewing and Video Consumers
In a post entitled, “7 Lessons from Established Online Video Viewers,” Rob Davis, the Head of Digital, US at Ogilvy, said, “The data suggests a major disconnect between how consumers watch videos and how advertising is presented to them. Marketers tend to look at advertising on a per-asset basis while quantifying success by tracking views, completion rates and click-throughs of individual videos. This single asset focus disregards the fact that the audience is likely engaged in a session where an advert is just a small part of their overall viewing experience. It may be time for brands to change their thinking from ‘How do I get someone to watch my pre-roll before a video?’ to ‘How do I integrate my brand message into a consumer viewing session?’”
The concept of “session viewing” also has significant implications for the 107,000 brands that have sponsored content as well as the 15,000 influencers and publishers that have sold over 660,000 sponsored videos that Tubular tracks. In fact, it’s probably time to start asking if sponsored videos are more effective in long, cross-platform sessions than just running a pre-roll unit before one of those videos.
Another finding of the Ogilvy/TNT survey provides the likely answer to this question. Online video consumers prefer advertising that is related to the content they are viewing. In fact, three out of four respondents wished online ads were relevant to the shows they are watching when the ad runs. And 57% reported paying more attention to ads featuring talent from the specific video they are watching. That’s good news for content creators and media companies who are working directly with brands and agencies to develop sponsored videos.
In his post, Davis observed, “It harkens back to the earliest days of television when cast members of a show would also be involved with advertising segments. (Online video) viewers respond to the same thing. The viewing audience builds bonds with the talent they watch online; thus advertising featuring that same talent feels more connected to the overall session experience. Given that (online video) is a two-way platform where viewers and talent can – and do – communicate, the more we mix the style and creative of favorite programming into advertising, the more likely the viewer is to feel the ad is an extension of their session rather than a disruptor.” You can watch Rob talk more about the report in this video:
Why The Young Turks Want Your Coffee Mug on Cenk Uygur’s Desk
There was a panel discussion of the findings of the Ogilvy/TYT survey at an unofficial event held during the 2018 NewFronts at the Ogilvy offices in New York. The panel included Davis, Cenk Uygur, the Host and Founder of The Young Turks, and Deanna Brown, the President and COO of TYT Network. The discussion covered a wide range of topics, but here is what was said about why The Young Turks, which has an advertising-supported business model, would really prefer to have your coffee mug on Cenk Uygur’s desk.
The TYT Network includes 30 owned and operated and partner shows such as The Young Turks, What the Flick?!, ThinkTank, TYT Sports, TYT Interviews, TYT Politics, TYT Investigates, Pop Trigger, Nerd Alert and more. Across YouTube and Facebook, the TYT Network has more than 8 billion lifetime video views, gets over 200 million monthly unique video views, and 12+ million total subscribers. According to the most recent comScore ratings, TYT ranks #1 in News and Politics on all digital platforms among the millennial audience (18-24).
Rob Davis – Head of Digital, US at Ogilvy: “How’s it going, in terms of your platform expansion? I know that you started in pre-YouTube days….
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