Don’t you guys like to watch ads? Video sites have a new solution

Imagine that you no longer have to wait for 40 seconds of ads when watching videos online, but the ads will appear randomly in the video you are watching.

For example, in Gao Xiaosong's "Xiaosong Qitan", a bottle of Coca-Cola appeared on an empty table. Would you choose to accept it?

Not long ago, iQiyi launched a patented technology called Video in, which realizes the above functions and allows advertisements to appear more "silently" in video content.

When hearing this for the first time, many people may spontaneously develop a resistance to this new form of advertising, believing that it is a more "rogue" way of inserting advertisements.

However, if you are not deliberately looking for traces of advertising in the video content, you may not realize how abrupt the Coke can on Gao Xiaosong's desk is.

Video ads now

At present, video websites still mainly use conventional advertising forms such as patches and banners, with advertisements appearing before watching videos, at the end of videos, and on pause screens.

The display format of this type of advertisement is direct, but its weakness is very simple. It can be said to be completely disruptive to users unless they are interested in the advertisement.

According to iQiyi's statistics, the time users spend watching advertisements on its platform is less than 2% of the entire video length, which means that nearly 80% of the time users spend on the video site cannot be monetized.

According to a survey by research firm DCCI, 3.8% of users can tolerate 45-second video ads, while 2.1% can tolerate 60-second ads.

In addition, more and more advertisers are trying to embed their products in the plot. The advantage of embedding ads in video content is that it is closely integrated with the plot and can display products relatively naturally.

However, this form of advertising lacks flexibility. Merchants must negotiate all placement issues with the producers before filming begins, and the content sales cycle is relatively short.

New ideas for Video in

"We hope that the implants can blend naturally with the surrounding environment, just like the protective coloration of animals, so that people do not feel unnatural but at the same time are truly influenced by the brand," explained Tang Xing, CTO of iQiyi, about the purpose of launching Video in.

Video-in also solves the problem of insufficient flexibility in embedded advertising. It can also add advertising elements to the video after the content is produced. However, the operator of adding advertising is not the video producer, but iQiyi.

This model has been implemented in the case of Jiaduobao. After the broadcast of iQiyi's self-produced drama "Waste Chai Brothers 2", Jiaduobao invested in ten scenes in the drama that are suitable for product placement. Now netizens can see the Jiaduobao ads that have been post-placed in the drama.

However, it is still unknown whether the Video in advertising model can reach an agreement with content providers, which is also the key to whether this technology can be widely promoted.

Currently, Video in only appears in iQiyi's self-produced content, and self-produced dramas still account for a very small proportion of the content on the video website. Tang Xing said that they are currently discussing the business model of cooperation with copyright holders, but there is no specific result yet.

Model innovation driven by “technical flow”

Currently, major video websites are trying new marketing methods through some technological innovations.

In 2014, Alibaba reached a cooperation with Youku Tudou . Alimama, Alibaba's marketing platform, will support new video marketing models such as Youku's "Watch and Buy" and Tudou's "Play Goods" through data and technology, helping merchants to conduct data-based operations and reduce video delivery costs.

Tencent Video has also launched the “Watch and Buy” feature on some of its programs, leveraging the combination of program content and products and integrating resources from various platforms to directly guide online product sales.

The Green Mirror feature launched by iQiyi in 2013 not only helps users to concentrate on the content they may be interested in, but also promotes the improvement of TV stations. For example, through data analysis, iQiyi can tell TV stations which scene of a certain episode of a variety show users like the most, and which host or guest users like the most, which will be of greater help to their later production.

With the development of technology, the functions of IT departments are changing. In the past, the main functions of IT departments were to improve user experience, reduce operating costs, and improve operational efficiency. In the future, with the mastery of big data, IT departments will have more monetization capabilities.

However, users' acceptance of new technologies is still a factor full of unknowns, especially the modification of the content itself, which is itself controversial.

As an ordinary video user, if you were asked to choose between a 45-second ad and an extra can of Coke on Gao Xiaosong’s table, what would you choose?

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.