YouTube to provide viewer data to advertisers

[JasonD]

YouTube is preparing to allow companies to independently verify what proportion of the adverts they place on the video platform can be seen by viewers.
The move is a response to complaints by advertisers such as Unilever and Kellogg's, which have become increasingly concerned that they are wasting money on ads that are not visible.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d12dd504-523e-11e5-b029-b9d50a74fd14.html

[rcjordan]

How are they going to quantify banner blindness?  On the few vids I view, about all I see is the countdown-to-content ticker. 

The old dawgs like Unilever are out of their element here, as well, and I suspect they still think/hope it is like a tv audience.  Quick engagement is not their forte'.

[Rooftop]

How are they going to quantify banner blindness?  On the few vids I view, about all I see is the countdown-to-content ticker. 

That's what True View tries to do.  Those bidding by True View only pay if the ad runs further than the skip.    Turns out though, most brand advertisers don't care. Enough message is absorbed to warrant the cost.

One of the best related posts I have seen recently is linked below.  This is more about display ads, with a focus on fraud, but  the point remains:
https://medium.com/@RickWebb/banner-fraud-doesn-t-matter-fc84413fe59c

[buckworks]

Enough message is absorbed to warrant the cost

Only if the video is actually scripted to convey something recognizable in the first few seconds.

I've seen more ads than I can count that gave no clue who the advertiser was or what they were selling by the time I skipped.

[Gurtie]

cleverest youtube prerolls I've seen for ages; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvcj9xptNOQ

but that won't help clients who say "yeah just show our TV ad"

[Travoli]

Best ad I've seen all year!