Facebook inflated video ad metrics for last two years
Dive Brief:
After Facebook told advertisers several weeks ago it has been overlooking video views of less than three seconds in its measurement of time spent for the past two years, several agencies began investigating further, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
Publicis Media found that the average time spent watching videos was overestimated by between 60% and 80%, suggesting a number of marketers may be making decisions about where to invest their video budgets based on faulty data.
Facebook claims billing was not impacted and a new metric has been introduced to rectify the problem
Here's my take. The Bottom Line? A lot of money locally and nationally is at stake. When those who sell on line ads tell you mllions are going to watch your entire video or 75% of it on Facebook, or anywhere else for that matter, the natural inclination is to put your ads there. And yes, there are many who will see your ad. BUT.. even with the best sites on a local level, comparing budget dollars equally, it does not match the amount of people you can reach with radio and Television. Today. I’m not an ostrich. More people are moving to Net Flix, You Tube.. lots of places to receive their digital content. And there lies the problem. Again, on the local level, there are SO many choices; the viewing is dispersed over numerous channels. And of course, this is not limited to just young viewers. But those under 40 are driving the majority of migration.
Other studies indicate as we grow older (some of us are already there) people are spending more of their time with traditional media, like television. Remember when you were 29 or 33? Active lifestyle, hanging with friends, going places, doing things, starting a family.. these events happen. And they take up your leisure time. So naturally you pick and choose the media you want to enjoy. This was the same 30 years ago, we just didn’t have the media choices and avenues that we have today, so much of that “time” was spent with Mork and Mindy, Happy Days, Dallas… But as we age, studies show many find the programs on TV to be “relaxing”. Sometimes we want to be spoon fed our entertainment. Thus, traditional TV is a great medium to reach that over 40 – 45 crowd. Once again, that probably will shift in the next 10 – 15 years. How much? Time will tell. I guess.
