Two presentations (both based on research conducted by MediaScience) demonstrated how the context in which ads are placed can have a strong impact of the ads’ performance.
Context Matters: Music Television Learnings on Engaging Audiences
Laura Vanison – Director Consumer & Artist Insights, Vevo; Bryon Schafer – SVP, Research, Vevo; Dr. Duane Varan – CEO, MediaScience.
This presentation described a research project that confirmed the power of context effects, especially when there is alignment between the content and the ad creative, in a music video environment.
- Vevo’s consumer surveys have shown that most viewers of music videos want to alter or improve their mood and they seek out the music that fits the mood they’re after. This research explored how mood states evoked by music videos impacted the performance of ads that were aligned with those moods.
- Using neuro-metric measures in lab experiments, the study found that ads paired with music videos of a similar mood drove greater brand impact.
- The researchers point out that this finding is consistent with other data that found “mood repair.” This context effect is where the emotions evoked by the content transfers the to the ads, especially if the ad is aligned. (Different context effects have been found for other content, such as “excitation transfer” from sports programs to ads in those programs). The researchers recommend that advertisers take advantage of the opportunity to increase engagement with the ad and enhance brand impact though alignments with the context.
The Power of Live TV & Sports – TV’s Advantage or Unrealized Potential for OTT?
Marc Sommer – VP, Strategy & Consumer Insights, FOX Sports; Amy Rask, Ph.D. – Chief Operating Officer, MediaScience
This study explored “The Power of Now” – the role of live sports, for viewers and advertisers – with an in-lab experiment that used biometric measures as well as a survey. Special attention was given to the role of sports betting.
- The study found that watching sports (NFL games) live resulted in more attention and more positive evaluations of the game, and it resulted in more purchase intent compared to watching the next day.
- Watching sports live also resulted in better ad recall and brand memory than watching other primetime content.
- The study found a strong effect for sports betting, concluding that “Gambling amplifies emotional engagement.” Gamblers watch more and, importantly, their engagement during the game carries over into ad breaks.
Marc stressed that these findings confirm that sports ratings points are worth more and that sports deserves a premium. Finally, two issues were raised. First: Are live sports an unrealized potential for streaming services? Second: Can sports betting be integrated into live sports streaming?