76% of Mobile Video Ads Are Viewed In-App [Study]

Mobile video is rapidly becoming the new darling of the digital advertising world, and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) recently conducted its first Mobile Video Benchmark Study to examine mobile video performance.  The results show very high completion rates – over 90% – for mobile video.

Here’s a summary of the main findings from the report:

  • engagement for mobile video ads is impressive, with CTR ranging from 1.41%-2.66%, depending on the ad format; according to the report, “results are robust even for skippable video advertising” (where viewers have the option to bypass ads)
  • shorter length ad units had higher click rates than those 30 seconds or longer
  • mobile video ads are dominated by in-app ads; 46% of impressions happen in-app on phones and 30% in-app on tablets
  • among “a certain group of consumers,” late night video ads see high engagement; completion rates peak during those late hours
  • mobile video ad engagement declines with excessive ad frequency

Mobile Video Benchmarks - MMA Study

“…Mobile video is beyond the tipping point. We are seeing new behaviors and attitudes develop as mobile becomes validated as the real first screen,” says Greg Stuart, the CEO of MMA, in the press release. “It’s becoming clearer to us daily that mobile video is proving to be a very powerful tool for marketers to tap into the biggest transformation marketing has ever experienced.”

The study was based on information from six leading mobile publishers, each of whom provided a complete month of mobile advertising data, and focused on three key measures: click through rates (CTR), completion rates and non-skippable vs. skippable ads. These criteria were evaluated through ad unit length, ad format, as well as time of day, in-app vs. mobile, iOS vs Android and comparisons of phone usage vs. tablets.

To download the full study, click here.