The Evolution of Advertising Is Non-Interruptive

Advertising is not a static business.  It evolves and it changes over time.  Sometimes that change is slow and methodical and sometimes it is radical and revolutionary.  We are currently witnessing one of those revolutionary times as more of the web shifts to digital video and AI-driven content, and advertising is going to shift right along with it.

The most important thing to consider during this period of change is the signal from consumers that is very clear and concise.  They do not like commercial interruption.  Data on this is clear.  A study from IPG states that 65% of consumers skip the video ads when given the chance.  A study from OCR quotes that 90% of the audience skips or pays to ignore the ads.  On streaming, 50% of the audience pays a premium to avoid the ads completely.  Even Wunderkind, an online analyst group, published a report saying that non-interruptive ads are 73% more influential than the ones that interrupt content.  Couple this with falling click rates on display and other decreasing metrics for additional forms of advertising and the message is clear. Interruptive advertising is not sustainable.

That brings us to a better, more positive place.  Non-interruptive formats are doing better than ever before.  Non-interruptive ads have always been around, and they actually represent the lion’s share of spend.  It all begins with search.  Search is the original non-interruptive format and it has always worked.  It is consumer-induced in that it stems from a search a consumer requests, and Google has always focused on ads which are relevant to the search results.  Native is another format for non-interruptive advertising that works. It embeds in a feed of content but doesn’t hijack your attention and get you to move away from what you were doing.  Out-of-home and Digital out-of-home, and even print, are essentially non-interruptive forms of advertising and they are still extremely valuable in the media mix.  Advertisers use them, spending many millions of dollars each year.

That brings us to In-Scene Media.  In-Scene Media, or ISM, consists of all the non-interruptive formats that are available in a video screen environment and which do not interrupt the content itself.  In-Scene Media is a larger umbrella term for units that range from Posters and Product Placement to Animated forms of Product Placement, as well as overlays, inlays and even things like In-Game advertising.  It’s about embedding your brand in the scene itself in a way that can’t be skipped, can’t be blocked and is never ignored.  ISM is extremely effective because not only does it not interrupt the content, it can be placed in a way that is augmented because of the content.  Interruptions are proving to be detrimental to brand value.  ISM is not.  Insertions for ISM are realistic and natural, and yet they create an associate value between the brand and the content.  They can tap into emotion, or in the case of ISM for creator content they can create an implied endorsement that carries over positively to the brand.  

In-Scene Media is growing fast.  According to a Gartner study, 70% of all brands will reallocate at least 10% of their media budgets to Product Placement in entertainment content by the end of 2024.  Product Placement is just one form of creative unit for In-Scene Media, and it’s quickly forecasted to be a $32 Billlion category.  Other elements like Posters and Overlays are already being widely used in Creator content and Sports content, utilizing the only remaining appointment viewing content that seems to be left in TV.

ISM also drives results.  Our studies with leading brands have shown numbers that deliver as high as 49% lift in unaided awareness, 20% lifts in brand favorability and purchase intent, and more positive engagement with audiences than almost any other form of media available in a digital landscape.  ISM works because it is relevant, it can’t be skipped, and because it entertains.  Th best ads entertain the audience rather than interrupt and divert their attention.  ISM does this well, and it scales like display and search.

This is the next evolution of advertising.  Messaging that doesn’t interrupt the content.  Ads that are relevant with being interruptive.  Are you thinking about these models in your media mix?

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