Pashkevich, Dorai-Raj, Kellar, and Zigmond (2012) compare YouTube TrueView skippable in-stream ads with conventional non-skippable in-stream ads.

On a metric of later search for terms related to the advertising content, skippable video ads may be as effective per impression as traditional non-skippable video ads. Randomized experiments also showed a strong implied viewer preference for the skippable format.

Method

YouTube introduced TrueView in-stream advertising in 2010. The format plays an online video ad and lets the viewer skip to the chosen content after five seconds. The authors compare it with conventional non-skippable in-stream ads using propensity to search for ad-related terms, and they report randomized experiments on viewer preference.

Main findings

  • Skip does not erase the impression. Skippable ads may be as effective per impression as traditional video ads on the search metric.
  • Viewers prefer the choice. Randomized experiments showed a strong implied preference for the skippable ads.
  • The format can serve both sides. The results suggest skippable in-stream ads can improve the viewing experience without sacrificing advertising value for advertisers or content owners.

Why this is in the Darwin index

This is the platform field comparison behind later skippable-ad papers in the index, including Belanche, Flavián, and Pérez-Rueda (2020) on brand recall and Frade, Oliveira, and Giraldi (2022) on where attention goes when a skip control is on screen.

Source of record: doi:10.2501/JAR-52-4-451-457.