Tell Me More: Bumper Ads - Channel Factory

Tell Me More: Bumper Ads on YouTube

Our Tell Me More series is designed to break down ad formats and products into bitesize chunks. There’s a growing universe of YouTube ad bidding strategies and tactics and it’s our goal to make that universe a little more comprehensible.

Last time, we tackled Non-Skippable-Ads. Now up to bat: Bumper Ads.

WHAT IS IT?

Bumper ads have recently surged in popularity due to their success rate and overall efficiency. Bumper ads have three main differentiators that separate them from the rest of the pack:

Non-skippable video ads can run on th

They are 6-seconds long (or shorter)
- Short-form ads are less intrusive and get your brand image across with quick, impactful messaging. The best of both worlds!

They are non-skippable
- Viewers can’t skip your ad, driving high impressions and view rates. Your entire message is seen by all!
They’re charged on a CPM, not a CPV, basis
- CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) means you only pay every 1000 times your ad is seen, resulting in lower costs.

For the rest of this article we’ll be referring to the 15-20 second long non-skippable ads.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Everyone! Smart advertisers interested in lifting brand recall, driving high view rates and brand awareness.

According to Google, 90% of bumper ad campaigns that were analyzed last year saw an increase in global ad recall by an average of 38%.
61% of bumper campaigns drove a significant lift in brand awareness, with an average uplift of 9%.

Although bumper ads perform well on all devices, brands looking to capitalize reach for mobile viewers should strongly consider running a bumper ad campaign. Bumper ads perform well for mobile viewers, as they are often watching videos on the go.

YouTube reaches more 18-49 year-olds on mobile alone than any broadcast or cable TV network.

Non-skippable YouTube ads can benefit your brand by:

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Running a bumper ad campaign benefits your brand in multiple ways. Not only do you boost brand awareness and ad recall, but you also lower YouTube bumper ad costs and increase overall reach.

Since the bumper ad bidding strategy is CPM, you only pay for every 1,000 impressions. Your cost with CPM bidding is lower than a more traditional CPV or CPC strategy.
The shorter format makes bumpers an effective medium for greater reach and a more general, brand awareness message. The general message allows for a broader reach, which lets you run in front of many different consumer demographics within your audience.
Bumper ads can be used for remarketing, driving an abridged version of your brand’s core message to YouTube users that have already seen your full-length ad.

Bumper ads alone drive high ad recall, but are significantly less effective than :30 ads for driving specific product consideration or consumer action. Pairing a :06 bumper with a :30 ad through remarketing, however, achieves brand perception success. Bumpers have many benefits by themselves, but consider using them with other long-form creatives to accomplish your campaign goals.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Running a bumper ad is simple, but are you wondering how to create bumper ads? First, create a 6-second (or less) bumper video ad that quickly gets your brand message across and (if possible) tells a story. Your ad will engage audiences with quick, actionable messaging.

To achieve brand perception success, remarket your bumper with a full 30-second creative. Remarketing is a two-step process from the viewer’s perspective:

They see your 30-second ad that tells a detailed story to emphasize your brand message.
After seeing your 30-second ad, viewers will then be shown your 6-second bumper on following videos to increase brand awareness without the viewer feeling like their time is being wasted.

The decision on whether you should run a bumper ad by itself or pair it with a longer ad is dependent on your campaign goals. Either way, YouTube bumper ads are the most effective YouTube advertising strategy today.

ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO KNOW?

Yes! Bumper ads drive meaningful impact when they’re equipped with advanced targeting tactics. Here at Channel Factory, we use our award-winning ViewIQ technology to contextually target your audience with custom segments, as well as create both channel and video-level inclusion listing.