Going Viral on Advertising YouTube Video: Detecting the Influences

Abstract

Objective: this research aims to identify the key characteristics that influence viewers to watch and share ads. Theoretical approach: by exploring both technical and subjective attributes, this study provides valuable insights for advertisers to enhance their video performance. It farsighted to study the attributes that motivate the sharing video ads behavior using the characteristics present in the videos altogether. Method: the research employed a multi-method approach. The qualitative study analyzed 35 YouTube ads to identify potential attributes for evoking sharing behavior. Subsequently, an experimental study was conducted based on the derived qualitative propositions. Result: the propositions produced the attributes: narrative, purpose, interaction, real characters, celebrities, technical themes, humor, and market. With them, we formed 16 bundles, converted into ad visual scripts analyzed by a conjoint. Conclusions: the study highlighted that congruency of service announcements from service companies, addressing real problems with non-technical themes, have the highest potential for sharing, while ads focusing on technical topics with elements of humor performed poorly. This research sheds light on the discussion of two goals established by the United Nations — SDG 9 and SDG 12, providing valuable insights for advertisers.