Into the Mainstream: Advertising Year in Review
Metadata—This is data that is associated with the asset; it is used to facilitate the understanding, use, and management of the asset. Metadata may include standards for business-critical data such as advertiser name, eCPM goal, format, and version information.
Midroll—This is a linear video ad spot that appears somewhere in the middle of the video content.
Nonlinear Video Ads—This is a nonlinear video ad product that runs concurrently with the video content so the user still has the option of viewing the content. Common nonlinear ad products include overlays, which are shown directly over the content video itself, and product placements, which are ads placed within the video content itself. Nonlinear video ads can be delivered as text, graphical banners or buttons, or as video overlays.
Overlay Ad—This is an ad that appears in the bottom 20% of the video window. Clicking generally initiates a linear video ad spot or takes the user to a website; it is also commonly referred to as an "invitation unit."
Playlist—This is a list of discrete videos (sometimes referred to as "segments" or "clips") presented alongside a video player; it affords easy navigation from clip to clip (clicking on a thumbnail in the playlist will start the playback of the respective clip). It can be programmed as a "loop list" where clips play in sequential order, often with linear ads between the clips.
Postroll—This is a linear video ad spot that appears after the video content completes.
Preroll—This is a linear video ad spot that appears before the video content plays.
Quartile Reporting—This refers to whether the video ad played to its 25% and 75% points.
Replays—This refers to the number of times a user requested to see the video ad again (where available).
Rich Media—This refers to advertisements that users can interact with (as opposed to those that are simply animated) in a webpage format. They may appear in ad formats such as banners and buttons, as well as in transitionals (interstitials) and various over-the-page units such as floating ads, page takeovers, and tear-backs.Sourced Video—This is content generated by a third party (typically professional). An example could be a new car review.
Syndicated Video—This is content sourced from a professional third party and distributed through a multitude of outlets observing strict ownership rights; examples might include syndicated television shows, news footage, etc.
Sponsorship Graphics—These are components that are displayed as very persistent graphics, such as with a player-surrounding skin. Sponsorship graphics are generally displayed throughout the entirety of the content play. Sometimes the sponsorship graphic remains interactive and will behave like an overlay ad, allowing viewers to explore deeper ad units such as the embedded interactive.
User-Generated Video—This is video content created by the public at large. It is generally not professionally edited and is directly uploaded to a site.
VOD—"Video on Demand" allows users to select and watch video content over a network; this usually refers to services offered by cable companies through set-top boxes.
(Adapted from "Digital Video In-Stream Ad Format Guidelines and Best Practices," IAB, May 2008)Digital Video In-Stream Ad Metrics Definitions
Linear Video Ad With or Without Companion Ad
Impression—The measurement and reporting of digital video impressions should be governed by the IAB "Broadband Video Commercial Measurement Guidelines," found here: www.iab.net/iab_products_and_industry_services/1421/1443/1479. The measurement and reporting of the companion ad should be governed by the IAB "Interactive Audience Measurement and Advertising Campaign Reporting and Audit Guidelines," found here: www.iab.net/media/file/US_meas_guidelines.pdf.
View—This is often used as a synonym for "impression." Any measurement and reporting of a "view" should be governed by the "impression" definition.
Video Clickthrough—This occurs when a user clicks on the linear ad and is taken to the advertiser’s web landing page.
Completed Play—This occurs immediately upon completion of the video play. The user must complete the video view at normal speed.
Time Spent Viewing—This is the amount of video viewed at normal speed in seconds or other appropriate time-based units; if a rewind event occurs during play, time spent viewing may be calculated on the total amount of video viewed at normal speed (i.e., including additional amounts of video viewed after rewind).
Percent Complete—This is the percentage of video viewed continuously at normal speed. If a rewind event occurs during play, percent complete may be calculated on the total amount of unduplicated video viewed at normal speed. Each section of video may only be considered once in the calculation. This definition governs the triggering of any "partial play" metrics, such as the common quartile percentages (25%, 50%, and 75%). Specifically, any partial play reporting must be based on the trigger being activated based on normal viewing speed.
Other EventsThe following events are less prevalent in current ad formats, but they are defined in order to give optional guidance if offered:
Audio Mute—This indicates when a user clicks or otherwise activates the mute control. This should not be considered an accurate substitute for the "state" of the audio.
Audio Unmute—This indicates when a user clicks or otherwise activates the unmute control. If the unmute control is the same as the mute control, the reporting should be able to differentiate the two events. This should not be considered an accurate substitute for the "state" of the audio.
Collapse—This indicates when the user clicks or otherwise activates the collapse control in order to contract the size of the video pane. This often refers to the contraction of the video to its original experience, but it can be applied to any contraction of the video pane.Expand—This indicates when the user clicks or otherwise activates the expand control in order to expand the size of the video pane. This often refers to the expansion of the video to a full-screen experience, but it can be applied to any expansion of video pane.
Pause—This indicates that the ad was intentionally stopped midplay when the user clicked or otherwise activated a pause control. This should not be considered an accurate substitute for the "state" of the video.
Resume—This indicates that the ad was intentionally restarted midplay when the user clicked or otherwise activated a resume control. If the resume control is the same as the pause control, the reporting should be able to differentiate the two events. This should not be considered an accurate substitute for the "state" of the video.
Rewind—This Indicates that a user clicks or otherwise activates a rewind control in order to move backward along the video ad’s timeline.
Nonlinear Overlay Ad and Nonlinear Nonoverlay Ad—Although nonlinear overlay ads and nonlinear nonoverlay ads are separate ad formats and are treated separately in the "In-Stream Ad Format Guidelines"
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