Independent Survey Finds Advertisers and Media Companies Alike View Technology as Key Differentiator as Video and TV Speed toward Convergence

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Videology—one of the world's largest video advertising platforms—today announced the findings of an independent, commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Videology entitled, "Optimism Despite Unresolved Issues About Video Advertising." The survey results, which will be highlighted in a webinar today (details below), show that video advertising decision makers are optimistic about what the majority see as the continuing shift of video viewing across devices, despite lingering challenges surrounding measurement, leadership between digital and traditional media teams, and the best use of technology to recognize the advertising benefits.

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The survey included 150 advertisers, media companies and agencies across the U.S. and Canada and was designed to explore the hypothesis that the evolving combination of data, technology and cross-device viewing would lead to holistic, platform-agnostic planning of linear television and digital video advertising.  The survey found that almost 70% of both advertisers and agencies believe that it is "likely" or "very likely" that agencies will plan video and TV campaigns holistically across all video viewing options within the next three years.  Who will lead the charge is less clear.  The study showed that while those with digital experience appear to have a slight edge, there is still a large segment of respondents with both linear and digital skills that believe the future will be more like linear television and that traditional agencies are best to lead.

"These are challenging times, with clear knowledge gaps in how to operate in a future that all parties agree is coming quickly," according to the study by Forrester Consulting. "Clearly, not all practices from the television era will translate to the new video era, but waiting until new practices are firmly established is not an option."

Other key findings:

• Advertisers and their agencies see different benefits in video.
  Interestingly, 51% of advertisers see targeting specific consumers as a key benefit versus 37% of agencies, while 43% of agencies see improving audience attention as a key benefit versus 27% of advertisers.  
• Media companies are most confident about improved ROI.
  43% of media companies believe increasing ROI accountability is a top benefit that video advertising will offer versus 27% of advertisers and agencies.
• Agencies are the most bullish on the potential for second-screen viewing experiences.
  82% of agency respondents believe consumer engagement with content on a second screen will increase moderate or significantly.
• Respondents still struggle with cross-screen measurement.
  According to the study, "All participants struggle to understand how their audience behaves in a multi-screen world…while the gross rating point (GRP) retains significant support, strong reservations are emerging, especially among media companies that only sell digital video."
• Technology must adapt to the operational needs of marketers and media companies; flexibility will be key.
  While upwards of 70% of agencies and media companies see programmatic buying as important to the future of video advertising, tellingly almost an equal number cite the ability to buy ads on specific programs as a key capability.   This seeming divergence suggests that the industry will continue to use different techniques to achieve different marketing goals with no one-size-fits-all solution on the horizon.

"As a technology provider serving the advertising sector, it's vital that we understand how all constituencies view the changes in television and video consumption, and most importantly how they feel these changes will impact their business," said Scott Ferber, Chairman and CEO of Videology. "One key finding is that both the demand and supply side of the business feel that the extension of video across screens will be good for their business.  This is huge, as hesitancy by either side will dramatically impact the speed of adoption for the entire industry."

"Another key finding is that while all parties agree that technology will be a differentiator, there are still multiple views on what this technology should enable and the capabilities that it should offer," added Ferber. "It's clear that for video advertising a one-size-fits-all solution is not the answer, nor is a demand versus a supply solution. Ideally, technology is a unifier. Recognizing this early on, we designed our platform to be an open, flexible technology that can be customized to the needs of our increasingly diverse client base.

Videology will share the complete findings of the survey in a webinar event on Wednesday, January 15^th at 1PM EST, featuring Forrester Research, Inc., principal analyst, Jim Nail and Videology CEO, Scott Ferber.  All are welcome to register for today's webinar here.

The full survey is available for download at www.videologygroup.com/forrester.

About Videology
Videology (videologygroup.com) is one of the world's largest video advertising platforms.  By simplifying big data, we empower marketers and media companies to make smarter advertising decisions to fully harness the value of their audience across screens.  Our math and science-based technology enables our customers to manage, measure and optimize digital video and TV advertising to achieve the best results in the converging media landscape.

Videology, Inc., is a privately-held, venture-backed company, whose investors include Catalyst Investors, Comcast Ventures, NEA, Pinnacle Ventures, and Valhalla Partners. Videology is headquartered in Baltimore, MD, with key offices in New York, Austin, Toronto, London, Paris, Madrid, Singapore, Sydney and sales teams across North America.  

Contact: Michele Skettino, Videology
[email protected]
(212) 231-7853

Sian Blevins, Eastwick
[email protected]
(209) 765-6568

SOURCE Videology