Survey: 90% Skip Pre-Roll Video Ads

It’s no secret that traditional advertising is increasingly ineffective, as online ad blocking and ad-skipping are becoming pervasive. Add another data point to the growing pile on ad blocking: In a survey of 1,015 adults by ORC International, in conjunction with ad-tech firm Mirriad, 76% reported blocking ads online and skipping traditional TV ads.

According to Mediapost, the study found the outlook for video advertising to be even worse: Ninety percent of people skip pre-roll ads appearing ahead of online video content and TV shows. While experts estimate that most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 ads per day, the messages are not sticking. The survey found that 68% of people recall less than five ads they’ve seen in the past week.

Juniper Research estimated in a recent study that digital publishers stand to lose more than $27 billion by 2020 as online publishers struggle to find effective strategies to counter ad blocking.

Among the other findings from the ORC-Mirriad study:

• Eighty-four percent of millennials admit to blocking or skipping ads all or some of the time, while 73% and 72% of Gen X and Baby Boomers, respectively, claim the same.
• Millennials, more than any other generation, prefer less disruptive forms of advertising in lieu of traditional commercials (27% vs. 15% of Gen X and 9% of Baby Boomers).
• Fifty-three percent of Baby Boomers don’t want to see any ads at all, compared to 30% of millennials who felt the same way.
• Personalized ads are resonating with more than 80% of Millennials, compared to less than 50% of their generational counterparts.

"These results reflect what most of us already know as individuals.  We skip ads. If we have a DVR, we skip ads. If we have mobiles, we skip ads. If we watch online, we skip ads -- and given access to the right apps, we block them altogether. Why? Because they all too often get in the way of the experience we are looking for when we seek out the content we love. Most of us don’t like being sold to, especially by someone we don’t know. It’s just a natural human trait," Mark Popkiewicz, Mirriad's CEO, told Real-Time Daily via email.