Unruly Launches Vertical Video Format Across APAC
- New outstream video ad unit allows advertisers to unlock the power of mobile video and maximise viewer attention
- New survey finds South-East Asians more likely to be annoyed at being forced to turn phones horizontally to watch an ad; almost half of ASEAN consumers lock phones to vertical mode
SINGAPORE – Thursday, August 25, 2016 – Video ad tech company Unruly today announces it is launching a new vertical video ad format for the APAC market.
The new outstream video unit – which can be bought programmatically or via Unruly’s sales team – can be distributed across the Open Web, allowing advertisers to unlock the power of mobile video.
Mobile is increasingly the device of choice for consumers watching video online. Almost a half of all global digital video views now take place on mobile phones (source: eMarketer), while, according to a new survey conducted by Unruly, South-East Asians are 12% more likely to watch video on their mobile than the global average.
Unruly’s new ad unit, compatible with both iOS and Android devices, displays ads the same way viewers consume videos on their mobile devices.
Recent research has found that a third (29%) of videos are viewed vertically (Mary Meeker Internet Trends), while according to the Unruly Mobile Video Survey:
- Almost a third of South-East Asians find it annoying when they have to turn their phone horizontally to watch an ad – 14% higher than the global average;
- 43% of South-East Asian consumers use rotation locks on their phone to keep their phones in vertical mode – 27% more than the global average. Thai consumers are the most likely to use rotation locks worldwide, with more than half admitting they lock their screens to vertical;
- South-East Asians are twice as likely to prefer watching mobile ads in full screen than the average global user. Two-thirds of Malaysians (65%) say they prefer to watch an in full screen rather than in a small window.
Key benefits for advertisers
- The format inserts advertisers’ vertical video content into contextually relevant articles, maximising attention;
- The format only begins to play when the video is in-view, and can be shared or scrolled past at any time, giving users ultimate control;
- The format loads after the editorial content and only plays sound when the viewer has actively activated sound using in-board controls;
- The mobile web format guarantees video views are viewable, as defined by the Media Ratings Council (MRC).
To help brands create best-in-class content for this emerging format, Unruly today also announces the launch of the Vertical Video Collective – a network of mobile-first content creators specialising in creating video for vertical viewing.
Phil Townend, Unruly’s Chief Commercial Officer, APAC, said: “The landscape is changing fast and our vertical format will help brands connect more authentically, intimately and effectively with mobile audiences. The Vertical Video Collective, also launching today, will give brands access to some of the freshest video makers, creating content that’s engineered to succeed in a mobile viewing environment.”
Unruly’s vertical video format is also available in the UK, Germany and the US.
You can see a demo of the format and download the Unruly Mobile Video Survey findings here.
We are Unruly!
Unruly gets videos seen, shared and loved across the open web for brands that want to move people, not just reach people.
By bringing emotional intelligence to digital advertising, we help 91% of Ad Age 100 brands inform and inspire 1.44bn people around the world, using polite outstream formats on sites that people love. UnrulyX, the viewable video SSP, creates better ad experiences for consumers, improved brand outcomes for advertisers and increased revenues for top-flight publishers.
Emotion matters in marketing. Emotion creates values and sets preferences. Inspires action. Drives sales. Unruly has a decade’s data of consumer responses to video and uses that to hone content, model audiences and deploy ad dollars in ways that heighten emotional response and maximise brand impact.
Unruly was founded in 2006 and acquired by News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) in 2015. With 300 Unrulies across 20 locations worldwide, our super power is emotional intelligence and our secret weapon is passionate people on a mission to #DeliverWow.