It may sound simplistic, but it’s a point that’s often ignored or overlooked: the key to successful advertising is understanding what consumers really want from marketers. Relying on your instinct or assumptions can be a dead end. More often than not, the truth will surprise you.

A new report from eMarketer examines the factors that earn the highest engagement for video ads, broken down by device and content type. Their analysis offers some very helpful insight for automotive marketers.

Using completion and clickthrough rates as the primary KPIs, video ads were most successful when viewed on a smart TV or other over-the-top (OTT) service, where audio, video, and other media is delivered over the internet without the involvement of a cable provider or other third party.  Smartphones and other devices were less successful, likely due to the fact that the device is in the user’s hand as the video runs, making it easier to skip content.

Because we know that shoppers are generally interested in approaches that make the process easier, it follows that you’re more likely to get your message across when you reach them in ways that require a bit of work to avoid.

While the device consumers viewed an ad on was the most important factor, video type was a close second. The eMarketer report found that live and long-format videos, which are more typical of OTT services, had the highest engagement levels.

With ad blockers becoming increasingly popular, it’s vital for digital marketers to understand consumers’ content preferences and device engagement behaviors. That understanding can be a potent weapon in the battle against wasted ad spend. When you know what consumers want to see, and the ways they’re most likely to see it, you stand a much better chance of getting your message across.