Reinventing Online Video Ads

Previous authors have suggested that advertising can be seen as stand-alone media content that could bring value to consumers in various ways (O’Donohoe, 1994; O’Keefe, 1981). In search of a value proposition, this study looks for attributes of online video ads that could influence consumers’ willingness to watch them. An online survey of 211 respondents was conducted to investigate if internet users can experience any personal value from online video advertising. A factor analysis revealed nine value elements: product interest, creative enjoyment, incentive, pastime, knowledge seeking, product comparing, negative emotions, product relevance and social. These value elements were all found to influence the willingness to watch an online video ad. Based on these factors, a cluster analysis was conducted to see if different customer segments perceived value in different ways. The results of the cluster analysis showed that there were two customer segments to be identified. Both segments indicated an increased willingness to watch an online video ad if it contained the element of creative enjoyment and/or the product relevance element.