With the rising culture of adblocking, Fox Now is attempting to strike a compromise with viewers while also increasing the effectiveness of the ads that run on its streamed programs. Fox Now is now one of the many websites that require users to turn off their adblocking programs. Unlike other websites though, Fox Now is also giving users the ability to choose their ad experience. Users who don’t mind watching ads can opt for the traditional ad experience format: about five ads, 30 seconds each. Those users are likely not paying attention to what’s playing on their laptop and are instead answering messages on their phones.
T-Mobile takes advantage of the opportunity
On the other hand, users who just want to watch their show will likely opt for the 15 second (though it usually ends up being 30 second) interactive ad experience. T-Mobile has taken advantage of this new ad format by creating a short arcade game to engage the user. The mobile phone company has created a Whac-A-Mole game where the user whacks taxes and fees, called Smash-A-Fee. At the end of the game, there’s a Fee Fact that pops up, highlighting T-Mobile’s commitment to getting rid of fees. Throughout the ad, there’s a CTA designed to get users to act on the ad. This is an innovative way to drive the company message across; one that is likely to break through the clutter and stick with the user.
Bank of America’s approach
Bank of America’s interactive ad is another one that I am served often. It allows viewers to chose which ad to be played for them. Once viewed (shown to the left), they can view the other two ads or click on the Learn More button. While this interactive ad is a step up from the traditional ads due to the CTA, it isn’t really all that interactive.
Yet, what Bank of America does well is sponsoring an episode. Users will sometimes be served the image to the right for a couple seconds during a commercial break. This means that Bank of America pays for the whole commercial break slot and removes the long interruption for the user. While this does not push a specific message to the consumer, it is likely to develop a positive image of the company. When faced with a choice between two credit card companies, the users may be more likely to go with Bank of America as it had helped their streaming experience in the past.
Essentially, Fox Now is attempting to break out of the traditional advertising mode. The TV channel is aware that that is not the best practice for the new streaming environment and is aiming to adapt. Through interactive ads, consumers might be more likely to retain the information from the ads. If this is tracked and proven, Fox Now will be able to charge a premium for their ad placements. In this scenario, all parties win: the TV channel increases its revenue, companies display ads with higher success rates and users spend less time in commercial breaks.
Have you experienced interactive ads in your TV streaming? Do you like the new idea or do you prefer the more traditional commercial experience?