Sustaining engagement with ads is usually much tougher than simply grabbing eyeballs. This is even more true for ads on smaller screens; while only (51%) of consumers watch the full video ad on a smartphone, the figure is nearly two-thirds (61%) for the larger screens. When it comes to banners, consumers spend very little time with them – roughly 2 seconds. Younger individuals who grew up with smartphones have developed the most unique relationships with their phones and the content they view on them. They are the most likely to disengage from ads on their smartphones very quickly relative to how they respond to ads in other environments – so ads targeting young consumers need to be particularly sensitive to how to engage them.
In their own way, though, older consumers are also proving to be very hard to hang onto. While mobile ads rate below those on traditional screens for maintaining engagement across the board, the shortfall is particularly severe in the 60-plus age group. Like young consumers, Boomers are half as likely to stay with a mobile ad when compared to ads on a large-screen. This often relates to the ability to focus on the detail on the small screen.
Mobile ads on social media pose a particular engagement challenge for advertisers, with viewers spending just 2.3 seconds on average with ads served through a social platform. In comparison, non-social mobile video ads hold attention for 19 seconds, and laptop ads for 22 seconds – dramatically longer.
The hurdles facing video ad engagement have driven many marketers to move to shorter video ads, including 6-second executions. These short-form video ads provide their own unique challenges to creative teams.
It is essential that ads make an emotional connection with consumers, and we find that this happens most efficiently when messages are simple and relatable. Our research shows that people are slightly more likely to feel affection in response to smartphone ads – so the opportunity for intimacy and engagement is real.
To maximize “Hold” with small-screen advertising, focus on younger cohorts, and stay away from complicated content and messages.
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