Arguably the most critical question being analyzed is how long is too long? Not surprisingly, the answer boils down to "it depends." The first thing that seems to matter is the actual content. If viewers find an ad entertaining they're apparently willing to watch more of it before their video clip. Unlike television ads which are typically 30 or 60 seconds long, pre-rolls - the industry name for video ads that "roll" or play prior to streaming video - are 15 or 30 seconds long. One thing that was clear from their study was an unwillingness to watch longer pre-rolls before video clips that are only a few minutes long themselves.

The second major question, and one that really defines the nature of pre-rolls, is whether it's best to develop original content for the Web or simply recycle television advertising campaigns. The answer here seems a little more predictable. While some ads from television work just as well on the internet, there are some fundamental differences between web and TV interfaces that can reduce the effectiveness of an ad, or even make a good TV ad just plain annoying. A computer monitor is typically smaller, but closer to the viewer. Arguably the viewer is also paying more attention to a pre-roll than a TV spot since it's almost part of the video rather than a break between program segments.

While the research done so far is interesting, webcasters and advertisers are still fine tuning basic delivery. Ad strategies will no doubt evolve along the way, particularly in the next 2-3 years.

Source: Adweek Media