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Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

bloomberg.com

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Re: Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

#31

Post by DanBC »

I am ad-tolerant.

I find YouTube ads to be just weird and annoying.

i) I get gambling ads. This is a sleazy destructive industry and people should have to opt-in to receive ads for gambling products. (Ditto alcohol).

ii) I will queue up some obviously children's content for my son but get an adult's ad (eg ads for violent film) before that. This is fuckig stupid and it's disappointing that Google gets this wrong.

iii) I'll go to watch a 30 minute video but get a 5 minute ad. (Or maybe 3 minutes?) I should start making a list of the company names that do it.

iv) a lot of the ads are just terrible

Google really needs to implement some controls so people can avoid alcohol and gambling ads.

Re: Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

#32

Post by pdkl95 »

gergo_v wrote: post #23
jmnicolas wrote: post #21

How about they start producing interesting content (emphasis on interesting) with a bit of product placement inside ? I don't want to watch 30s of publicity for something I don't like and will never buy (and it could even make hate the brand). But if you insert in the video non obnoxious product placement I can live with it. Example : I watched a cooking recipe yesterday. The cook emphasized 2 or 3 times the brand of…

The problem with that, and "native" advertising in general is that it's a form of affiliate marketing, where the brand has little to no control over how obnoxious and spammed the delivery will be. Not to mention the fact that brand advertisers are really picky on where they are being promoted. They're dipping their toes in real time bidding platforms, but that's a whole different beast to tackle.

While non-disclosed "native" advertising is dangerously close to "fraud" and is only going to hurt brands in the long run, properly disclosed "sponsors" or "affiliates" can be one of the best forms of advertising. It takes a skilled marketer and there is always risk, but the potential are also large.

If I already watch somebody like the professional chef, their opinions of various related brands (such as flour) may also be valuable. I don't have to like their opinion - they just have to have a consistent-enough history[1]. IN the case of the chef mentioning a particular brand of flour, the fact that the chef agreed to advertise for that brand (the risk goes both ways[2]) can act as a filter or heuristic.

I don't think this is the kind of relationship that can be easily automated. A "real time bidding platform" misses the benefits entirely - if there is filter-effect, you are left with only the annoying (and brand-damaging) parts.

[1] ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm-3GJsr8Xw ) TotalBiscuit gave a great monologue on this subject somewhat recently. While he focuses on video game reviews (vs "demos", vs "personal opinions/editorials"), the ideas presented apply generally. (the video track in this link can be safely ignored)

[2] In addition to the business risking a bad delivery, the chef risks his own reputation (and audience) if that brand of flower ends up being hated. If the audience starts to see the chef a merely a shill for various brands, the audience can suddenly turn against everybody involved.

edit: fixed the URL - apparently TotalBiscuit now has more than one video about review/marketing/etc.

Re: Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

#34

Post by toothbrush »

pestaa wrote: post #25
sidcool wrote: post #7

I think detecting Ctrl+Tab or Alt+Tab is a good enough ballpark way of detecting if users are viewing a video ad.

I always stay on tab to optimize for clicking Skip as soon as possible.

I don't want to be inflammatory, really, but i'm actually quite surprised that quite a few people on HN don't "own their box", so to speak (i'm referring to the people who are prepared to waste time staring at a button until it says "skip"). One aspect of this would be doing whatever is necessary to get their box not to do unwanted stuff like playing ads.

Re: Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

#35

Post by GotAnyMegadeth »

NZ_Matt wrote: post #12

Facebook has a simple but clever way of tracking who is engaged with their video advertisements. Video ads auto play in the background without audio, the user has to click on the video to get audio. Presumably they're then able to track engagement by the number of users who specifically choose to watch the video with audio..

If anyone from FB is here: I am ok with videos autoplaying, but if I then click to watch the video, please start it from the start. So many times I see something that looks funny, click it, and then all I get is the punch line as the video carries on from halfway through.

Re: Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

#36

Post by unbeli »

DanBC wrote: post #31

I am ad-tolerant. I find YouTube ads to be just weird and annoying. i) I get gambling ads. This is a sleazy destructive industry and people should have to opt-in to receive ads for gambling products. (Ditto alcohol). ii) I will queue up some obviously children's content for my son but get an adult's ad (eg ads for violent film) before that. This is fuckig stupid and it's disappointing that Google gets this wrong. iii…

Why is it just alcohol and gambling and not, say, cat food and toothbrushes? I understand you don't like alcohol and gambling, but how do you derive that others should be prevented from seeing what you don't like?

Re: Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

#37

Post by mih »

coding4all wrote: post #19
shultays wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Install adblock, it blocks youtube video ads too

Ghostery + NoScript does just fine. Apparently people don't know but, NoScript also blocks flash, silverlight, and html5 videos/storage. I didn't even know Youtube had Ads until I went to a friend's house. Adblock is one of the worst plugins you can ever install if you still wish to use your browser without hogging resources.

Chrome based browsers have µBlock[1] and µMatrix[2] extensions to mitigate this very issue of hogging resources. Unfortunately these are not ported to Firefox yet.

EDIT: Links to source code for both

[1]https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock

[2]https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix

Re: Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

#38

Post by john2x »

anigbrowl wrote: post #11

I allow Google to show me its own ads, which are strongly graphically constrained compared to regular web advertising. But video ads are just insufferably obnoxious.

The worst thing about video ads is the bandwidth wasted on them. Especially in a country with not-so-good internet, those seconds wasted on video ads are precious.

Re: Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

#39

Post by TOMDM »

unbeli wrote: post #36
DanBC wrote: post #31

I am ad-tolerant. I find YouTube ads to be just weird and annoying. i) I get gambling ads. This is a sleazy destructive industry and people should have to opt-in to receive ads for gambling products. (Ditto alcohol). ii) I will queue up some obviously children's content for my son but get an adult's ad (eg ads for violent film) before that. This is fuckig stupid and it's disappointing that Google gets this wrong. iii…

Why is it just alcohol and gambling and not, say, cat food and toothbrushes? I understand you don't like alcohol and gambling, but how do you derive that others should be prevented from seeing what you don't like?

Not that I necessarily agree, though I can see the logic, they are suggesting that ads that promote destructive behavior be opt in.

Things such as gambling, smoking and (though somewhat debate-ably) alcohol all fall into this category.

Regardless of whether you agree with it or not, many countries now ban the advertising of cigarettes, so realistically, it's not too alien of an idea.

Re: Google Unveils a Tool to Check If Users Are Looking at Video Ads

#40

Post by majestic1211 »

unbeli wrote: post #36
DanBC wrote: post #31

I am ad-tolerant. I find YouTube ads to be just weird and annoying. i) I get gambling ads. This is a sleazy destructive industry and people should have to opt-in to receive ads for gambling products. (Ditto alcohol). ii) I will queue up some obviously children's content for my son but get an adult's ad (eg ads for violent film) before that. This is fuckig stupid and it's disappointing that Google gets this wrong. iii…

Why is it just alcohol and gambling and not, say, cat food and toothbrushes? I understand you don't like alcohol and gambling, but how do you derive that others should be prevented from seeing what you don't like?

Because alcohol and gambling tend to be more addictive than cat food and toothbrushes.

It is not a good idea to force an ad for beer on an ex-alcoholic/someone trying to stop alcohol, for example.

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