The Quest For True Interactive Video: Why We Built IDVx

“Interactive video” has been a trending topic across the advertising and media landscape for years, for a pretty simple reason: interactivity works. It’s been nearly a decade since a now-classic study came out from IPG Media Lab that consumers spend an average of 47% more time with an interactive ad than a standard video unit. More recent research has consistently revealed more benefits of interactivity, like that it’s the most likely reason why consumers say an ad got their attention. Still, despite the continuing rise of connected TV (CTV), which can bring interactivity to once-static household television interfaces, it’s evident that the ad industry still hasn’t decided what “interactive video” actually means.

At Infillion, we’ve noticed the disconnect between what many in the industry call “interactive video” and what consumers actually experience when they come across one of these ads. We’ve seen ads classified as “interactive” because they involve scanning a QR code with a phone or clicking to visit an external site. In reality, these units are more akin to traditional banner ads.

This approach falls short of genuine interactivity within the video experience itself. In short, a lot of media buyers who think they’re buying “interactive video” aren’t actually buying ad units that reap the true benefits of interactivity.

That’s why we built IDVx.

Introducing IDVx: A Paradigm Shift in Interactive Video

IDVx is a brand new interactive video technology that actually lives up to what’s presented to advertisers and consumers. Unlike “interactivity” that merely redirects users to external content, IDVx offers an immersive experience where viewers can engage directly with the video. Imagine watching a car commercial where you can click on different parts of the vehicle to learn more about its features, all within the same video player.

That’s the real promise of interactivity because it keeps viewers exploring various parts of the ad and making choices within the video – rather than sending them elsewhere. Consider how uniquely immersive streaming video is. A user chose the content that surrounds the ad, and they don’t want to miss a second of the action. By utilizing interactivity to keep them in one place, you’re tapping into that same rapt attention – and you can measure it based on how much and how meaningfully they interact. True interactive video ads like IDVx are packed with a mix of information and entertainment that rewards a viewer and inspires greater recall, even a direct response.

The IDVx Advantage

1. Enhanced Engagement: IDVx keeps users within the video player, allowing them to explore and interact with the content without navigating away. This increases the time spent on the ad and enhances the viewer’s experience. It also offers a seamless and premium user experience for video publishers.
2. Comprehensive Insights: With traditional video ads, measuring engagement is limited to counting views and click-through rates. IDVx offers detailed tracking of interactions within the video, providing deeper insights into user preferences and behaviors. What specific components of an ad, or information about your business, piqued viewers’ interest the most? This data is invaluable for optimizing future campaigns and improving ROI.
3. Seamless Integration Across Devices: One of the most significant challenges in interactive video has been scale – and efficient scale at that. Marketers are used to different builds of an ad being required across different platforms and devices, often resulting in significant cost increases and an extended go-to-market timeline. IDVx overcomes this hurdle, offering a seamless experience on CTV, desktop, and mobile. There’s an additional benefit to the cross-device integration: fewer wasted impressions because the same user who saw an ad isn’t counted more than once.

For digital and video buyers focused on KPIs like brand lift and purchase intent, IDVx delivers impressive results: On top of the 2% interaction rate, the platform also boasts an industry-leading 90%+ video completion rate.

In a recent beta test, research tech provider Cint reported remarkable outcomes with IDVx campaigns. Cint’s analysis showed a 7% rise in product awareness by media buyers using IDVx. The research also found an 8% lift in product familiarity and a 6% boost in purchase consideration. These numbers all point directly to enhanced campaign effectiveness and meaningful engagement.

The demand for truly interactive video content is growing, and IDVx is well-positioned to meet this need. IDVx ads can take several key formats that set the technology apart from other solutions in the market:

1. Foundation Carousel: This format allows advertisers to showcase multiple products within a single interactive video, giving users the ability to explore different options without leaving the player.
2. Polls and Quizzes: Engaging viewers with polls and quizzes within the video enhances the interactive experience and provides valuable feedback for advertisers.
3. Hotspot Units: Users can click on specific hotspots within the video to learn more about particular features or products, making the ad experience more informative and engaging.
4. Branching Videos: This feature allows users to choose their own path within the video, creating a personalized experience that keeps them engaged longer.

Streamlined Development and Deployment
We understand that time is of the essence in advertising. That’s why we’ve streamlined the creative development and deployment process for IDVx. Our timelines are designed to be efficient, ensuring that campaigns can go live quickly:

• Asset Preparation: 1 day
• Design & Development: 5 days
• Approval: 1 day
• QA/Setup/Launch: 2 days

The rollout of IDVx reflects wider industry improvements in the dominant video ad formats. The shift is long overdue. And it’s essential that publishers become more aware of the nuances involved.