We Hate Outstream Video

Why brands should think carefully before deciding to use outstream video

Nope, no, no, please no!! Whoever came out with the outstream video format must be a very annoying person. It reminds me of when I was a kid, I was forced to eat spinach soup even if I never asked for it and definitely never wanted it. Every time that happened I vomit, I get a similar feeling when an outstream video ad shows up unannounced in-between content I am engaging with. They call it native video ad, but this is a misleading term, it does not have anything native, it is invasive, and intrusive.

Let’s add the following into the mix; a survey done by video company Unruly showed that 92 percent of 3,200 internet users surveyed said that they would consider using an ad blocker and 62 percent of people said that they are annoyed by pre-roll ads. This study was done before the current increase in outstream video ads we have today.

This format is fairly new and at least at this moment the execution is far from great. The ad will definitely be seen but brands and publishers have to think twice before using it as it has a high potential to bring a negative brand perception for the advertiser and also result in loss of traffic for the publisher.