Fifth of millennials more likely to buy after seeing a video ad

Research from video production company Groundbreak Productions has found that 20% of millennials are more likely to purchase a product or service after watching a video advertisement.

The study, which surveyed 1,000 consumers in the UK, also revealed that 42% of consumers like video ads that are informative and ‘to the point’, and 22% would be more likely to make a purchase after watching this kind of video content.

More than 30% of people surveyed like video ads that tell a story, with 29% favouring those that make them feel nostalgic. About 12% said that they would potentially buy a product or service after watching one of these ads.

Perhaps surprisingly, just 8% of consumers like video ads that have one of their favourite celebrities in them, with only 3% more likely to make a purchase after seeing one of these.

“This research really highlights the importance of brands carefully considering the way they use video to advertise their products or services to their target market,” said Geoff Brooks, CEO at Groundbreak Productions. “The fact that millennials’ spend is most likely to be influenced by video adverts is good news for those businesses targeting these consumers.”

All of that said, older generations are less receptive to video ads. With only 12% of 45-54-year-olds, 13% of 55-64-year-olds, and only 6% of those aged 65 and over said that they would be more likely to purchase a product or service after watching a video ad.

“For those that have different or more varied target markets these statistics shouldn’t be off-putting,” said Brooks. “Instead of packing in video advertising altogether, the research suggests that to influence consumer spending brands need to create either snappy and ‘to the point’ adverts, or invest in storytelling.”

He added: “As marketers increasingly champion digital platforms over print advertising, consumers are being bombarded with more video content than ever. As a result, for brands to get the best return on investment they need to start paying more attention to what consumers actually want from this kind of marketing and adapt their approach accordingly.”

The new study dovetails with research from Unruly. Millennials are more than twice as likely to share ads they like and 23% more likely to enjoy ads they find relevant but are also the demographic most likely to install ad blockers.