To learn how different methods of delivering an in-app ad impact a user’s receptivity to advertising (the team) used scientific-grade technologies to monitor consumers’ interactions, neuro and biometric responses before, during, and after the moment of ad delivery.
Subjects also underwent a post-test interview for further insights into their reaction and interactions with the test app and advertisements.
Overall, the study found that people engage more with mobile video ads that are embedded in the app experience, opt-in, and contextually relevant with a value exchange compared to a full-page interstitial ad unit.
One of the many findings:
Interstitials stimulate negative responses: the full page video interstitial ads triggered fight-or-flight responses at a rate twice that of the embedded opt-in ads, and interstitial ad viewers fixated 22 percent of time spent looking for the X button. Viewers are more likely to be more receptive to an ad message when it’s seen as adding value to their viewing experience.