Digital video is now an integral part of European marketers’ advertising plans, according to a new report, which also highlights the widespread use of programmatic direct and real-time bidding and a continuing reliance on in-stream formats.

The third ‘Attitudes to Digital Video Advertising’ Report from IAB Europe highlights that not only is investment in digital video advertising set to increase in the short term – over 90% of respondents cite an increase in the next 12 months – but that it has become an integral part of multimedia planning and buying, with more than half of advertisers believing that combined TV and video campaigns help to drive incremental reach.

Alongside these developments, the share of digital video traded programmatically is growing. Approximately 90% of all stakeholders are using a Private Marketplace (programmatic direct) and a quarter of advertisers are buying more than 60% of their digital video inventory via open RTB.

And publishers are now embracing video formats to support growing user and advertiser demands, and attracting more brand spend as a result. The number of publishers reporting that over 80% of their inventory was video grew by 72%, from 16% in 2017 to 28% in 2018.

The report also noted a willingness among advertisers to embrace newer formats, such as out-stream, but found that in-stream and in-banner video advertising still attract the largest overall investment.

A similar picture emerged with regard to content: there has been a decline in the use of repurposed TV content for digital video advertising campaigns, but that has been counterbalanced by many more advertisers opting for a blend of both repurposed TV content and original content.

And almost 20% of advertisers are still solely using repurposed TV content for mobile video, the report found.

When it comes to measurement, the report said that advertisers are using a more sophisticated range of metrics to assess media effectiveness (brand awareness, cost per completed views, deduplicated reach and frequency, audience and brand safety verification), and the impact of digital video on brand- and sales-related outcomes.

Sourced from IAB Europe; additional content by WARC staff