Why More Advertisers Are Turning to Mobile Video

The format has a range of benefits, but challenges remain

September 14, 2016 | Advertising | Video

2016 has offered increasing signs of the rise of mobile video advertising, with eMarketer predicting spending on the format will grow by rates of 20% or more through 2017. Why are advertisers embracing the format? And what challenges remain to be solved before mobile video sees wider adoption?

According to April 2016 research by outstream video advertising platform Teads, US brand professionals are flocking to mobile video because of its ability to increase brand awareness (44%), to reach more targeted audiences (34%) and to increase favorability of the brand (26%).

These results match with the findings of earlier December 2015 research from Trusted Media Brands and Advertiser Perceptions, which noted that US media decision-makers liked the format as a tool for boosting brand awareness and improving engagement.

Yet even amid the heightened interest in and spending on mobile video, many brand professionals readily admit that challenges remain. According to the same Teads study, 29% of respondents noted consumers have shorter attention spans on mobile, while 28% also mentioned concerns about the viewability of mobile video ads and the devices’ smaller screen size.