1. “TrueView Skippable PreRolls”
Evaluating the Effect of Consumer Choice on
Pre-roll Effectiveness
Ipsos MediaCT and Innerscope Research Inc.
All Rights Reserved. 2011
Google Confidential and Proprietary

2. The Problem: “Is anyone actually watching?”
In 2009...
53%
of online video ads were watched to completion
DoubleClick Benchmark Report - A Year in Review, 2009
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Q18. When considering ads you might see on websites like YouTube before videos
you want to see, which of the following statements most applies to you?

3. The Solution: YouTube “True-View In-Stream”
(a.k.a. Skippable PreRoll)
Google Confidential and Proprietary 3

4. TrueView “Skipppable” PreRolls:
How They Work
User must watch the first five seconds
of an ad. After that, he can choose to
skip the ad to proceed immediately to
the content he wanted.
With Skippable PreRoll, the advertiser
only pays for what matters most--
people actually watching the ad.
Advertisers are only charged when a
viewer chooses to watch the ad
completely or after 30sec
(whichever comes first).
Unique to YouTube!
Source: Doublecklick Benchmark Report. 2009
Google Confidential and Proprietary

5. TrueView enhances viewer experience and makes
media dollars work harder
Reasons for participants skipping ads
I had seen the ad before 22%
I am not interested in the product / service 19%
I didn't find the ideas in the ad interesting 14%
The ideas were not relevant to me 14%
Less than half of users (45%) will always skip ads.
Other reasons to skip indicate that TrueView delivers efficient reach by:
• Natural frequency capping
• Delivering targeted ad views
Those who skipped each ad (n=259-343) Google Confidential and Proprietary
Q11e. Which of the following, if any, describe why you decided to skip the ad?

6. Experiment: UK based, first of its kind globally
Google Confidential and Proprietary 6

7. Comparison groups
Lab test:
Viewed Standard Pre-Roll Skipped TrueView Watched TrueView
Online test:
+
Control group (no exposure)
Google Confidential and Proprietary

8. Methodology
1. Lab test 2. Online test
Biometrics (132 people) Online survey (2,000 people)
Eye tracking (132 people)
Ipsos MediaCT. All Rights Reserved Google Confidential and Proprietary 8

9. Key Findings across all participating advertisers
TrueView ads drive higher viewer engagement.
1 On average, people who watched TrueView ads showed 75% greater
engagement with the ad than people who viewed the same ad as a
standard pre-roll.
2 Skipped ads deliver free value.
With the right creative, ads can deliver impact even on those who skip.
The first 5 seconds matter– so use the time wisely.
Users who watched a TrueView ad were 40% more engaged during
3 first 5 seconds vs. users who saw a standard preroll. Even users who
skipped a TrueView ad were 30% more engaged during the first 5
seconds vs. users exposed to a standard preroll.
Google Confidential and Proprietary

10. Option to skip does not distract from the ad
Brand A Brand B
Video
Video
Skip Bar
Skip Bar
82% of users think the skip button is ‘very’/ ‘extremely’ clear
Ipsos MediaCT and Innerscope Research Inc. All Rights Reserved.
All respondents (n=2,000) Google Confidential and Proprietary 10
Q15. The highlighted button allows you to skip an ad after 5 seconds before watching a video.
How clear do you think this was when the button appeared?

11. Across all brands, people who watch TrueView ads are over
75% more engaged than those who see standard pre-rolls
Saw Standard PreRoll Watched TrueView
Ipsos MediaCT and Innerscope Research Inc. All Rights Reserved Google Confidential and Proprietary 11

12. People who watch ad in TrueView format (choosing not to
skip) show higher biometric engagement
100
80
Emotional Engagement
60
40
20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time in seconds
Saw Standard PreRoll Watched TrueView Neutral Engagement (55)
Ipsos MediaCT and Innerscope Research Inc. All Rights Reserved Google Confidential and Proprietary 12

13. Viewers who watch TrueView ads feel better about the
brand
Average across all participating advertisers (4 dif’t industries)
Watched TrueView Saw Standard Pre-roll
Brand
Favourability +5% +4%
Purchase
intent
+3% +2%
All respondents (n=2,000)
Q4. Please indicate how favourable or unfavourable you feel towards each of the following brands
of [CATEGORY] using the below agreement scale.
Google Confidential and Proprietary 13
Q6. How likely are you to buy any of the following [CATEGORY] in the future? /
Q6. When you next come to buy a [CATEGORY], which of these would be your first choice?

14. TrueView ads deliver impact– even on users
who skip
All respondents Google Confidential and Proprietary 14
Q8a. [Post 5 second de-branded exposure]. Do you remember seeing this ad when you watched the clips
on YouTube?

15. The option to skip increases user response during the
first 5 seconds
This is true whether the user watches or skips the ad
AQ™ Biometric Scores
6
5
3.7
4
3.5
2.7
3
2
1
0
Saw Standard Pre-roll
Control SkippableTrueView
Skipped Skipped Watched TrueView
Skippable Not Skipped
Scores are aggregated across all ads within a single condition and are derived from the emotional
intensity during the first 5 seconds of each target ad in that condition.
Ipsos MediaCT and Innerscope Research Inc. All Rights Reserved. Google Confidential and Proprietary 15

16. Key Findings
On average, people who watched TrueView ad showed 388% higher
1 engagement than people who viewed the same ad as a standard pre-
roll (vs. 75% average uplift across all brands).
Uplift in key brand metrics was relatively consistent across formats –
2 whether a person watched a TrueView ad or saw a standard pre-roll.
But we saw some indication that the TrueView format lifts brand metrics
more effectively than standard pre-roll.
3 Interestingly, people who saw ad as a standard preroll showed the
highest levels of brand linkage and spontaneous awareness– possibly
because people who opted to watch TrueView were drawn in by
creative content and less focused on branding messages.
Google Confidential and Proprietary

17. People who watched ad as a TrueView were 388% more
engaged than those who saw standard pre-roll
Saw Standard PreRoll Watched TrueView
Ipsos MediaCT and Innerscope Research Inc. All Rights Reserved Google Confidential and Proprietary 17

18. A single viewing of any format has no significant impact
on aided brand awareness
Prompted Brand Awareness
96% 96%
95%
94%
Control Skipped TrueView Watched TrueView Saw Standard PreRoll
All respondents (n=2,000) Google Confidential and Proprietary 18
Q3. Which of the following brands of [CATEGORY] have you heard of? Ipsos MediaCT. All Rights Reserved

19. People who watched standard pre-roll report highest levels
of unaided brand awareness
Spontaneous Brand Awareness
7%
5%
2%
1%
Control Skipped TrueView Watched TrueView Saw Standard PreRoll
All respondents (n=2,000)
Google Confidential and Proprietary 19
Q2. Which is the FIRST brand that comes to mind when you think of [CATEGORY]?
Ipsos MediaCT. All Rights Reserved

20. The standard pre-roll delivered higher brand linkage
Correctly naming the Brand (amongst Recognisers)
85%
78%
64%
Skipped TrueView Watched TrueView Saw Standard PreRoll
Recognisers of the ad
Google Confidential and Proprietary 20
Q8b. What brand or company was it for? [OPEN END]
Ipsos MediaCT. All Rights Reserved

21. Results suggest possible higher uplift to metrics
across the purchase funnel as a result of viewing
TrueView ad
NB: results not statistically significant
Control Skipped Ad Watched Saw
TrueView Standard
Preroll
Favourability 48% 48% 52% 50%
Consideration 17% 19% 21% 21%
Purchase intent 5% 6% 7% 5%
Recommendation 31% 25% 30% 28%
All Respondents (n = 2000)
(Q4B) Please indicate how favourable or unfavourable you feel towards each of (Q6B) When you (next) come to buy a car, which of these would be
the following brands of cars using the below agreement scale. your first choice?
(Q5B) Which of the following brands of cars would you consider the next time (Q7B) How likely are you to recommend each of these brands of cars
you are thinking of buying a new car? to someone else?
Google Confidential and Proprietary 21

22. Recommendations
• Take advantage of TrueView’s ability to drive higher viewer
response, in addition to the efficiencies created through
auction pricing.
• Where sensible, include branding in first 5 seconds. This
leverages heightened viewer response at this stage and
ensures brand impact in all cases– whether the ad is viewed
or skipped.
• Consider mixed targeting strategy: Use standard prerolls to
reach your target audience and use TrueView ads to achieve
broader reach in an efficient way.
Google Confidential and Proprietary 22

23. Thank you
Google Confidential and Proprietary 23