The Importance of consumer-friendly advertising

There is nothing worse than having an experience ruined by obtrusive advertising, whether it is while you’re waiting to watch a YouTube video, or enjoying a game of football.

With many of us viewing our favourite shows on demand or through video streaming platforms such as Netflix, we are entering an age where we no longer watch the advert breaks. Instead we fast-forward, skip, or even better, use a source without adverts at all.

Companies quickly resorted to forcing viewers to watch promotional activity, an example of which is YouTube’s 30 second unskippable adverts becoming a go-to option for brands to achieve targeted online recognition.

However, Google recently announced that they would be removing the 30 second unskippable adverts on YouTube in a bid to enhance the user experience. With more than half of YouTube’s views reportedly coming from mobile, these 30 second adverts had become a hindrance to users. They were considered even more noticeable on smaller screens which had also resulted in a large percentage of viewers abandoning their activity rather than watching the advert.

When it comes to brands, perception is everything. Users make quick assumptions of brands based on their experience and the emotions connected with their advertising, which is why it is so important to get it right. This is something we at Project11 are incredibly passionate about.

At Project11, we pride ourselves on being able to offer world-class exposure, putting brands in the moments which become a part of history itself, without affecting the game experience whatsoever. Football fans throughout the world are able to enjoy the game with advertising running simultaneously, enabling viewers to positively associate brands with the excitement of the game, as opposed to waiting for the advertising to be over.

Google carried out a study which showed that brands who focus on advertising which consumers watch voluntarily have a far more positive impact on customers, with tone being one of the most effective tools for grabbing the viewers’ attention. It also reported greater ad recall, brand awareness and time spent watching when users had the option to ‘skip’ the advert, making the viewing optional as opposed to forced.

YouTube is set to promote its new six-second format and 20 second unskippable adverts, completely removing the 30 second version from the end of 2017.

Share your thoughts on consumer-friendly advertising, and let us know if you’re as excited as we are about the positive changes towards consumer-friendly advertising.

Written by the Project11 Marketing Department