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Ready for more ads? YouTube is adding a new ad format for publishers. Called “bumper ads,” they’re short 6-second spots that will run before a video is played. This is in contrast to the usual format where a longer ad is played but is able to be skipped after 5 seconds.
The ad format is targeted more toward folks watching video on smartphones and tablets. Google’s strategy here is to introduce the sort of bite-sized content that people on mobile devices might not mind, as opposed to longer clips which they’re more anxious to skip in order to get to the video they want to watch. The idea is that the ads become more engaging as the publisher can guarantee the full extent of their message is delivered, and this, in turn, drives up the ad revenue for the publishers.
Some people might be turned off by the fact that you can’t skip it, but at 6 seconds long is it really any worse than a 3-minute ad that you have to click to skip in 5 seconds? Exchanging 1 second of your time (maybe half a second if you consider the time it takes to click) for a more palatable ad experience sits very well with us, and this is one case where we won’t be moaning and groaning over it.
[via Google]
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