Glossary of Digital Video Terms
Average View Time – refers to the average amount of time the video ad was played/viewed by users.
Brand Awareness – research studies can associate ad effectiveness to measure the impact of online advertising on key branding metrics.
Bug – a persistent, graphical element that appears in the video environment. Clicking on it will generally take the user
to a website.
Bumper Ad – usually refers to a linear video ad with clickable call-to-action; format is usually shorter than full linear ads (i.e. 3-10 seconds) and call-to-action usually can load another video or can bring up a new site while pausing the content.
Click-through – the action of following a hyperlink within an advertisement or editorial content to another Web site or another page or frame within the Web site.
Cloud Computing - A metaphor for internet-based services that allow users access IT-enabled services delivered and maintained via internet servers ("the cloud"). The idea is to provide a single point of access for all the computing needs of the user. The term entered the vernacular when Amazon.com began building massive cloud-based data centers to improve efficiencies in its online retail businesses.
Companion Ad – both linear and non-linear video ad products have the option of pairing their core video ad product with what is commonly referred to as companion ads. Commonly text, display ads, rich media, or skins that wrap around the video experience, can run alongside either or both the video or ad content. The primary purpose of the companion ad product is to offer sustained visibility of the sponsor throughout the video content experience.
Companion ads may offer click-through interactivity and rich media experiences such as expansion of the ad for further engagement opportunities.
Completes – completes refer to whether the video played to completion.
Contextual Ads – existing contextual ad engines can deliver text and image ads to non-video content pages. Ads are matched to keywords extracted from content. Advertisers can leverage existing keyword-based paid search campaigns and gain access to a larger audience. Third-parties generally receive a share of the revenue collected from the advertisers.
Core Ad Video – the essential video asset, often repurposed from offline; can be displayed directly in the player or in a more customized presentation.
Crowdsourcing - The web 2.0 practice of leveraging communities of fans, users or members of the general public to help achieve a stated business goal. Online crowds are tapped to solve complex issues, develop or test new products or in the realm of entertainment, point development executives in the right direction. The term was coined by writer Jeff Howe in a 2006 magazine article for Wired.
Event Trackers – primarily used for click-through tracking today, but also for companion ad interactions and video session tracking where available.
Full Screen Views – refers to the number of impressions where the video was played in full screen mode.
Hot Spot – an ad unit that is sold within the video content experience. Mouse action over the video highlights objects that can be clicked. The click action generally initiates a linear video ad or takes the user to a website.
In-Banner Video Ads – leverage the banner space to deliver a video experience as opposed to another static or rich media format. The format relies on the existence of display ad inventory on the page for its delivery.
In-Page Video Ads – delivered most often as standalone video ads and do not generally have other streaming content associated with them. This format is typically home page or channel based and depends on real estate within the page dedicated for the video player.
In-Stream Video Ads – played before, during or after the streaming video content that the consumer has requested. These ads cannot typically be stopped from being played (particularly with pre-roll). This format is frequently used to monetize the video content that the publisher is delivering. In-Stream ads can be played inside short or long form video and rely on video content for their delivery. There are generally four different types of video content where in- stream plays: UGC (User Generated Content/Video), Syndicated, Sourced and Journalistic.
In-Text Video Ads – delivered from highlighted words and phrases within the text of web content. The ads are user activated and delivered only when a user chooses to move their mouse over a relevant word or phrase.
Invitation Unit – a smallish still or animated graphic often overlaid directly onto video content. Typically used as a less-intrusive initial call-to-action. Normally when a viewer clicks or interacts with the invitation graphic, they expand into the ad’s full expression, which might be a simple auto-play video or an interactive experience; also commonly referred to as an Overlay Ad.
Source: IAB Digital Video In-Stream Ad Format Guidelines and Best Practices