Moments by Outbrain: Unlocking Vertical Video for the Open Internet

Video has undeniably become the most effective form of media for today’s brands. In its journey to the top, it has taken various paths in response to how audiences consume content. Beyond the increase of content viewing on mobile devices, vertical viewing in particular has emerged with less than 30% of users turning their mobile to watch horizontally. This trend has risen to be the norm across social media platforms, with an infinite stream of bite-sized videos turning every swipe into a potential moment between content creators, brands, and audiences. 

As the media landscape stands tall, vertical video is now making its moment on the Open Internet.

With the launch of Moments, Outbrain brings its prediction technology to a new immersive experience that transforms social-style vertical video engagement for the Open Internet, captivating users as they seek trustworthy information from publishers throughout the day.

The Trust Factor of Quality Environments 

As vertical video is the hype on social platforms, it might be easy to assume it’s where brands should focus their attention. However, the most effective strategies are rooted in understanding where their intended audiences truly pay attention and engage online. So what about the fact that the Open Internet is where audiences invest 66% of their time, driven by a deep trust in the quality and relevance of the content found in this environment? 

Trust is at the core of this reality, particularly among Gen Z, a generation keenly aware of the credibility issues plaguing social media – where 47% question the authenticity of social media reviews (considerably higher than the 29% average among all social users.)

Research undertaken with MediaScience to compare the effectiveness of content from Moments against popular social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts, presents a complementary approach for brands. Results show that engaging with content that mirrors the social media format in a premium environment delivers significant lifts in +32% aided brand recall and +49% brand recognition. Together within a brand’s media mix, Moments and social further enhance brand recall (+49%) and recognition (+64%), surpassing the impact of either environment as standalone solutions.  

Seizing Moments of Attention 

With more than half of total digital screen time dedicated to video content, notably in entertainment and news categories, media stakeholders have a golden opportunity to seize audience attention using Moments. By harnessing Outbrain’s prediction technology to present engaging and relevant vertical video content to consumers in an immersive full-screen experience, Moments seamlessly aligns with user browsing habits. Early results indicate users consume an average of 3.2 videos per session, with 40 percent of users watching between three and ten videos.

For brands, this represents a new environment proven to engage and drive results. Findings from MediaScience reveal that users spent an average of 16.4 seconds of their attention on Moments compared to 12.4 seconds spent on the same experience across social platforms. As a result, ads on Moments drive stronger brand memory. 

Moreover, a brand’s media mix is further amplified when complementing the lower-funnel engagement of social platforms with the impactful reach of Moments, where average attention duration extends to 23.5 seconds – superior to any other digital media combination. 

Enhancing Outcomes with our Prediction Technology 

In the immersive environment of Moments, where ads enjoy 100% share of voice, moments of relevance are optimized by our powerful prediction engine. Using real-time machine learning models, our platform leverages new data points, such as which video is likely to be watched until completion, and which video is likely to lead to another, for optimal results. The combination of engaging creatives, plus immersive environments, puts the brand front and center driving attention and engagement that drives true outcomes.

Bringing this new environment integrated into publishers’ sites, using vertical editorial and ad content in an interactive format, makes Moments a key component for brands and media owners to engage with their audiences through new media consumption environments on the Open Internet.