LAS VEGAS--Research by the digital media division of the ABC-Disney Television Group. indicates that Internet viewers will accept up to eight interactive ads per episode when viewing a show online, without any decrease in consumer satisfaction or intent to use the player that delivers the commercial messages.
Albert Cheng, executive vice president of digital media for the Disney-ABC Television Group, detailed some of the findings during a NATPE panel here, adding that tests included eight different advertisers within the episode, inserted two per advertising break. Today, most TV episodes stream with up to four ads in four breaks, often with the same spot each time.
Cheng said it appeared that users in the test enjoyed not having to sit through the same ad during the whole episode. He noted that the brand recall did not decline with multiple advertisers in the test.
The group's portal, ABC.com, uses interactive ads for 60% of its shows. In one demonstration,there were three different interactive ads for the same product, orange juice. All the ads result in a full-screen takeover. The first in the series of ads allowed consumers to link away from the current ad for more information on orange juice before coming back to complete the episode; the second ad was an interactive, pinata-themed game; and the third was a series of trivia questions. Consumer must watch or interact for at least 30 seconds before they're allowed to return to the episode, Cheng noted. Some viewers did stay with the ad content beyond the :30 second limit, according to Cheng.
Another panelist, Donna Speciale, president, investment and activation, MediaVest Worldwide, said she liked the idea that Disney was experimenting with what works in terms of online advertising, But she also expressed concern about possible clutter mimicking the TV world, where networks have gotten "crazy" with the number of ads.
People are going online for freedom and there is a very fine line between advertising to them and "pissing them off," she opined. The good news is everyone's trying to figure out where that line may be, she added.
