UK based video advertising technology company, Unruly, and the Video Entertainment Network Asia (VeNA) have teamed up to help advertisers produce adverts with sufficient appeal to persuade consumers to turn off ad blockers that are becoming increasingly popular, especially in New Zealand.
They say their New Zealand Future Video Manifesto advises advertisers on how to future-proof their video strategy and deal with the rise in ad blocking, setting out “seven pillars to help brands put viewers in control of their viewing experiences.”
They cite research from Page Fair that suggests New Zealanders are among the biggest users of ad blockers. “Almost a quarter of New Zealanders (24 percent) already use ad blockers - a higher proportion than in the US (18 percent), the UK (16 percent) and Australia (20 percent) … An Unruly survey conducted in January 2017 found that 93 percent of internet users across New Zealand would consider using ad blocking software because they feel there are too many ads and they find them ‘creepy’.”
The chief commercial officer APAC at Unruly, Phil Townend, said the survey highlighted some of the huge challenges facing the ad industry.
“The industry has largely adopted an interruptive video model, which is a hangover from TV, and consumers are being bombarded with hard sell sales messages which deliver little emotional value,” he said.
“There’s a real risk that consumers will abandon advertising if brands don’t listen to the signals and adopt more engaging, non-invasive ad strategies for the long term.”
Group sales director ANZ, Stuart Kruger, added: “We launched the New Zealand Future Video Manifesto to help brands in the country rebuild trust, reconnect with consumers and reset the ad economy so we can collectively survive the existential threats that face the ad industry in the 21st Century and realise the full potential of video as a medium.”
The move, however seems to be part of a strategy to ramp up Unruly’s presence in New Zealand, where it does not presently have an office.
Last month the company advertised for a managing director for Australia and New Zealand, to be based in Sydney. The successful candidate is required to “set clear vision and strategy, articulate and refine an Unruly value proposition to resonate in the local Australasian marketplaces, evangelise and educate the Australasian marketing community and position yourself and Unruly as the thought leader for social video marketing.”
Unruly was founded in the UK in 2006 and acquired by News Corporation in 2015. It claims to “get videos seen, shared and loved across the open web for brands that want to move people, not just reach people … by bringing emotional intelligence to digital advertising.”
Unruly’s partner in the manifesto, VeNA, describes itself as “one of the largest premium advertising and technology platforms operating across the Asia Pacific region, delivering advertisers access to millions of engaged consumers across all screens.” It is an independently owned and operated media company with offices in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.