IAB Identifies Audience Motivations & Mindsets as Signals Required to Better Inform Targeting Strategies for Digital Video

Delving into how consumers watch digital video—beyond dayparts, demos
and/or perceived personas—IAB
released research today that highlights how consumers motivations and
mindsets inform their receptivity to advertising. The study presented at
the 2019 IAB Digital Content NewFronts, entitled “A Day in the Life of
Video Viewers,” shows that consumers watch video on different screens
throughout the day—and do so with multiple motivations—which impacts
their receptiveness to advertising. As marketers look to unify TV and
digital campaigns, the research provides valuable information about how
advertisers can use the medium more effectively to connect with
consumers.

Motivation wise, nearly 90 percent of weekly online video viewers say
that they stream video to relax at the end of the day and during their
free time—the highest percent of any motivation/mindset. The next most
common viewing motivations are planned viewing (76%) and taking a break
(75%).

Motivations/mindset groupings in the study include:

Viewers are significantly more attentive to both content and ads when
watching videos for educational/instructional purposes, and 40 percent
say they pay more attention to ads in this mindset. In addition,
consumers are highly attentive to ads when they are watching video as
they prepare for the day.

Overall, digital video viewers are accepting of advertising and
communicate clear ad preferences:

• Nearly 80% of digital video viewers accept free content as a value
  exchange for watching advertising
• 56% of video viewers say that they prefer and are more open to
  contextual ads
• On average, 37% of viewers surveyed reported an increase in ad
  receptivity when exposed to ad targeting that they prefer (e.g.,
  Behavioral, Contextual, Mindset, Demo)

Learnings by device Include:

Mobile:

• Mobile phones are the ‘go to’ device for all ages for Informational,
  Spontaneous or Escapist viewing, with ages 13-17 more likely to use a
  smartphone for any viewing mindset. As ad attention is higher in these
  states consider shorter, vertical video and/or native ads.

Connected TV:

• Viewing occurs on the big screen across all age groups, typically when
  appointment viewing or in a relaxation mindset, where TV shows and
  movies are preferred and no strong ad relevance preference is shown.
  Consider general advertising.

Desktop:

• Educational/instructional videos, where consumers are most open to
  ads, rank highest on desktop for all age demos. Consider contextual or
  informative (e.g. product learning) ads.
• Adults 35+ over index on spontaneous viewing on desktop—consider
  delivering sequential horizontal ads when consumers are binge viewing
  clips

“The IAB is constantly working to improve the video marketplace and
educate buyers and sellers on opportunities and what works best,” said
Anna Bager, Executive Vice President of Industry Initiatives, IAB.
“Digital video isn’t traditional TV, and today there are many more
viewing options. As consumers jump from different content and different
screens throughout their day, their openness and receptiveness to
advertising changes, and what it takes to successfully reach them shifts
as well.”

“The industry recognizes that the on-demand and always-on nature of
media consumption requires a more nuanced approach to connecting with
the right audience. We see this ‘day-part to mind-part evolution’ as key
to a more relevant and effective way of working,” said Eric John, Deputy
Director, Video Center of Excellence, IAB. “We hope this study will lead
to innovation and greater rigor in both audience research and the data
and methods used for pairing content, consumer mindset, and advertising.”

“A Day in the Life of Video Viewers” was released during the IAB
NewFronts Insights Symposium in New York City by IAB Research and
Measurement and the IAB Digital Video Center of Excellence. To view the
entire report, go to https://www.iab.com/day-in-life-video-viewers.

Methodology

Commissioned partner: maru/matchbox. Online survey fielded March 19-27,
2019 to a panel of U.S. consumers, aged 13+. Total sample size: 1,544
consumers

About the Digital Content NewFronts

The Digital Content NewFronts is an annual series of events founded by
Digitas, Google/YouTube, Hulu, Microsoft, and Verizon Media (formerly
known as AOL and Yahoo), in 2012. It is committed to the creation of
valuable partnerships between brands and native digital content. Our
mission is to shape the NewFronts into a new and practical marketplace
for connecting the wealth of digital content and content creators to
brands and their media and marketing agencies.

About IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and
marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership is
comprised of more than 650 leading media and technology companies that
are responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital
advertising or marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical
research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands,
agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital
marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, it develops technical
practices. IAB and the IAB Education Foundation are committed to
professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise,
and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of
its public policy office in Washington, D.C., IAB advocates for its
members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry
to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, the IAB is
headquartered in New York City and has a San Francisco office.

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