A new Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) report reveals that brands increasingly turn to commerce video ads to drive consumer actions. However, this strategy comes with a significant risk of annoying their audience. The IAB’s research, conducted with market research firm Alter Agents, surveyed 300 marketers and 1,000 consumers in the U.S. An additional cohort of 20 participants was monitored over three days to assess their interactions with commerce video ads.
The findings indicate a disconnect between marketers‘ assumptions and consumers’ actual preferences. Chris Bruderle, the IAB’s vice president of industry insights and content strategy, said, “If you are not implementing commerce video assets in your creative, you’re not only going to miss an opportunity to win a new customer or repeating customer, there could be a potential backlash—like frustration.
The study found that 71% of consumers feel annoyed or negatively impacted by commerce video ads at least once a month, with a third feeling that way weekly. Annoyance can lead to significant repercussions for brands, including consumers ignoring future ads, unfollowing or unsubscribing from brand content, switching to competitors, or posting negative comments on social media.
Consumer annoyance with video ads
Overly repetitive ads and irrelevant content are the primary sources of frustration. Although retargeting can be effective, excessive repetition can backfire.
The research also highlighted further misconceptions held by advertisers. While 53% of advertisers worry that creators might dilute a campaign’s consistency, influencer content was the second-most persuasive form of commerce video among surveyed consumers. Consumers also preferred longer ads, especially those that included product demonstrations.
While most advertisers opt for shorter formats (15 seconds or less), consumers generally preferred 30-, 45-, or 60-second ads. The IAB’s findings provide a nuanced perspective on how brands can better align their commerce video strategies with consumer expectations to minimize backlash and enhance engagement.
