Are Shoppable Ads Worth the Time and Effort?

BY Rachel Cagle
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Americans are watching both traditional and streaming TV far more than they did before the pandemic hit last year. As such, many companies are investing in shoppable ads. However, research highlighted by Ethan Jakob Craft in a recent AdAge article shows that those efforts are missing their mark.

The Problem with Shoppable Ads

The Harris Poll has released information from a poll they took of nearly 2,000 U.S. adults last month concerning shoppable ads, particularly video ads. Shoppable ads, as they currently stand, encounter many problems:

  1. Only 19% of respondents expect to see four or more ads during a 30-​minute TV show
  2. Also, if an ad load is too heavy, 65% will turn off the show they’re watching
  3. 64% say they will not even consider buying a product or service advertised in an in-​show ad
  4. About 80% of respondents don’t watch traditional or digital TV commercials. They’d rather use in-​show commercial breaks to browse other channels, check their phones, or do basically anything else

Now, this may seem like a hefty amount of problems (and it is). However, not all the results The Harris Poll found were bad for shoppable ads.

The Silver Lining

Marketers should note that all the negative feelings listed above are for in-​show ads. So, consumers are less disapproving of shoppable ads in general and more annoyed with ads that interrupt their shows. “80% would prefer to see ads before a show than in the middle of it-​on linear TV and ad-​supported streaming views,” says Craft. Of the 36% of consumers surveyed who would consider making a purchase because of a shoppable ad, 28.8% would be more inclined to make a purchase if the ad’s placement was simply moved to before the show starts. Simple enough!

Respondents also had less of a problem with the presence of the shoppable ads themselves and more with vast numbers of ads. 89% of respondents expect there to be up to three ads during the typical 30-​minute TV show. So, your client’s ads will be expected. If you combine this fact with making sure your client’s ad is placed before the show starts, the ad will be regarded in higher favor by potential customers.

The definition of a heavy ad load also includes the length of the ads being shown. Most people get annoyed when they have to sit through a lengthy shoppable ad before watching their show. If your client wants their ads to be looked at in a better light, they should consider making their ads as concise as possible. Making super short ads can be tricky, but here are a few tips on making short video ads.

TV Ads Aren’t Dead

According to AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel, 66.9% of OTT Streaming Service Advertising Responders watch a minimum of three hours of TV on a daily basis. That gives them plenty of opportunities to interact with your client’s shoppable ads. Last year, 81.3% of these consumers took action after seeing TV commercials and 64.3% took action after seeing pre-​roll video ads. Shoppable ads aren’t a waste of money and effort. You just need to know how to properly utilize them.


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