Neuro study proves higher effectiveness of video advertising in premium environments
A recent study by Teads and Neuro-Insight demonstrates the high advertising impact of videos in premium environments and, consequently, their relevance to advertisers. According to the study, Facebook videos generate a lower advertising impact than outstream videos.
To this end, the brain activity of 100 respondents was measured while they viewed moving image advertising in editorial content and in the Facebook newsfeed. To measure outstream advertising, the pages of some of Teads' partners were analyzed, including the premium publishers Time Inc, Conde Nast, Forbes and The Atlantic.
The result: premium editorial environments activate the brain significantly more than the Facebook feed. They are 16 percent more effective than social news feeds, as they appeal to both the emotional and rational hemispheres of the brain. If both hemispheres of the brain are addressed, editorial environments offer a variety of video formats opportunities for success.
Key findings of the study:
Premium editorial content offers the right environment for numerous advertising formats: Content and video advertising have separate neurostates, which represent the emotional and rational brain hemispheres. If both halves are aligned, advertising achieves greater effectiveness. Editorial premium content had a balanced NeuroState, meaning that activity in both hemispheres of the brain was equally pronounced. The result suggests that by addressing both hemispheres of the brain, video creatives in premium environments can be fundamentally successful.
Social feeds influence the right side of the brain more: Social feeds generate a NeuroState that is easily drawn to the right side of the brain, the emotional side. As a result, a more limited selection of creative strategies experience an increase in effectiveness through coordinated NeuroStates, as the emotional side is in the foreground here.
The right creative strategy can influence long-term memory: Advertising media can boost the impact of premium content and social feeds. The study shows that videos that focus on a human aspect achieve the highest performance in premium environments. On Facebook, on the other hand, more complex and fast-paced ads with lots of motion were successful. In addition, the study suggests that, contrary to previous assumptions, overt branding may have an opposite effect on memory encoding.
Premium editorial content appeals to users more than social media: Compared to social newsfeeds, premium editorial content has a 16 percent higher advertising impact or is more personally relevant to the user.
Premium editorial content creates a more intensive advertising experience and a higher advertising impact: Premium content had a 19 percent higher influence on advertising recall on the rational side of the brain (left side). Premium content had an eight percent higher influence on the emotional side (right side of the brain).
Videos in premium environments are much more memorable: 80 percent of videos placed in premium editorial-embedded environments achieved significantly better ad effectiveness than newsfeed videos.
Premium editorial content influences purchasing behavior: Peak memory is the area of the brain where detailed memories are stored. Outstream has 15 percent more influence on peak detail memory, which is crucial for a consumer's purchase intention.
About the study
For the study by Teads and Neuro-Insight, 100 test subjects were divided into two groups and fitted with neuro-mapping helmets to measure their brain activity. The helmets were used to measure the brain responses of both groups while viewing eight identical mobile ads on their Facebook newsfeed and in premium environments.
The key performance indicators (KPIs) used for this were engagement and the participants' memory coding. Engagement is a key feature for the performance of content. Brain activity is measured when viewing content and the personal relevance of the environment for the test person is derived from this. Content that triggers a high level of brain activity in the test subjects therefore generates a greater advertising effect for video advertisers. Long-term memory encoding is measured in both hemispheres of the brain and evaluates the effect of content on the subconscious. It is a recognized model for measuring advertising impact. If a brand has a high level of memory encoding, this can increase the value of a brand and influence the advertising impact on the consumer.
