Publishers of programmatic advertising are faced with another head-scratching question when it comes to the VPAID vs. VAST decision. The two protocols have much in common, but what is the difference between VAST and VPAID, and which should you go with? If you are a publisher or an advertiser, this is a decision you must ponder. The answer, however, seems simple, and it comes down to one factor: revenue. After all, that is the ultimate purpose of your ads. They are a source of your business’s income, and when boiled down, it is clear which program is better for generating the most revenue.
What Is VAST?
VAST stands for Video Ad Serving Template, and it is good news for publishers. VAST lets publishers roll ads the way they want because it coordinates video players with ad servers. This means that publishers can give specific instructions to the video player, including the following:
- What adverts to run
- The point in the video where the ad should roll
- How many seconds the ad rolls before the viewer can skip it
- Whether the viewer will have the option to skip the ad, to begin with
- How their CTA (Call To Action) works, and where it directs the viewers.
The benefits of this program are obvious. It gives more control to the publisher and is quick and convenient for the advertisers. This is because advertisers can get their content to multiple publishers swiftly. Furthermore, VAST offers cross-platform engagement, as publishers can run ads on all devices, including laptops, desktops, tablets, and mobile forms.
But hang on a second. The pros of this programmatic are all hinged on the benefits for the publishers and advertisers. But surely that is only two-thirds of the equation? Because what about the viewers?
What Is VPAID?
VPAID is a similar programmatic, but it benefits the recipients to a greater degree. It stands for Video Player Ad Interface Definition, and it allows ads to interact with the viewers. This is all in the power of the publishers, who choose how to supply these elements. But with VPAID, users are able to:
- Click on different tabs on the ads and look at more information
- Zoom in and out of a particular ad
- Fill out a form that is embedded into the ad
- Take a survey that is embedded in the add
- Interact with and play games embedded in the ad
This makes the whole ‘watching the ads’ aspect a more interactive, personal, and potentially fun avenue of the audience’s engagement with ads as a whole. This element could increase engagement and improve revenue while fighting the limitations brought about by adblockers. It also should be noted that this format provides more creative freedom and opportunities for creative ad developers. Furthermore, VPAID offers indispensable benefits that VAST does not, such as:
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- Ad performance measurement: An invaluable tool that assists advertisers in their content creation. They can study their demographics and tailor their ads to their viewers more specifically than before.
- The discovery and removal of fraud. This one is self-explanatory. Who wouldn’t want to strengthen their focus against this inevitability?
- More monetization opportunities. This is due to the broader media options available to advertisers and publishers.
Unfortunately, the drawbacks of the VPAID programmatic are vast. Firstly, it can cause a reduced web loading speed, which equals a loss of revenue. Furthermore, in contrast to VAST, it has a limited mobile inventory. This is due to its incompatibility with some platforms.
In Conclusion
Overall, VAST is the better option. This is because of the purported revenue lost through VPAID and also the platform limitations, which carry the same result. VAST is transferable to many different platforms, and as a direct result, creates more revenue. As to the interactive aspect of VPAID, you must remember that viewers want to avoid adverts altogether. It doesn’t matter how much interaction or games an ad has. However, the ability to measure ad performance may provide a counter to this issue, as publishers and advertisers can use their performance statistics to target their markets more specifically.
Although both are effective programmatic systems that work for many publishers, VAST is a tried and true choice that is more likely to boost your income.
