Beyond the Frame: How viewers define content quality
Oct 14, 2024 – [[read-time]] minute read
The way we consume media has fundamentally shifted. Viewers are now more empowered than ever before, but how do they decide which content deserves their time and attention?
In our latest research, we’ve partnered with MTM and The Behavioural Architects to explore a critical variable in viewer choice: content quality. Quality makes the difference between time wasted and time well spent. And though it can be hard to define, it’s instinctively recognised. Audiences know quality when they see it — and when they feel it — making the platforms that provide it even more engaging and valuable.
So, what is quality?
91% of viewers in EMEA say that high quality content needs to deliver on both a technical and emotional level.
At surface level, quality is subjective. But beneath the surface are layers of value judgements. In our survey of 12,000 video viewers, we discovered that while clear visuals and good audio are important, these are now the default rather than a differentiator. Technical excellence helps to sell the story, but only if the story is worth telling.
91% of viewers in EMEA say that high quality content needs to deliver on both a technical and emotional level.1
Today’s audiences judge content on how it makes them feel, not just on how it looks — they expect it to capture their attention and create an emotional connection. Platforms like YouTube have a real advantage here, giving creators the freedom to address a diverse set of viewers who enjoy storytelling across all screens, devices and topics - allowing them to discover content that fits their own emotional needs.
And with a world of choice available to viewers on the platform, it’s not surprising that YouTube viewers were the most open to ads of all the platform types examined in our survey — as long as certain quality criteria were met. If advertising was interesting,2 related to the content being watched,3 personally relevant4 and supportive of either a favorite creator5 or cause,6 viewers were more likely to say they didn’t mind ads on YouTube than on either social media or broadcast.7 This suggests that viewers are more accepting of ads when they have a function and purpose, and may be more receptive to advertising that meets their quality expectations around interest and relevance.
The power of emotion
Next we turned to neuroscience for a window into these powerful emotions. Brain imaging conducted by Neuro-Insight measured non-conscious neurological responses to participants watching video content on YouTube. Results showed that emotional impact increases when viewers watch videos from chosen YouTube creators that they relate or feel close to, and younger audiences also saw heightened impact on personal relevance and memory.8
91% of viewers in EMEA say that high quality content needs to deliver on both a technical and emotional level.
Today's viewers have high expectations, demanding content that meets technical standards and resonates with them on an emotional level. But as our neuroimaging data shows, when content meets those expectations — as it does with viewers’ favorite YouTube creators — the brain lights up.
Viewers are making a real emotional investment in building their own personal media universes, and discovering content that means something to them. In an experiment conducted by TBA, viewers reported being less satisfied when they set aside their watch history and created a new YouTube account. But after just one week engaging with the platform to find the content they love – and discovering new content – viewers reported increasing levels of satisfaction, entertainment value and relevance. And as positivity improved, and engagement in the platform increased, so did participants’ receptiveness to ads.9
60% of Gen Z in EMEA agree that the more effort they put into customising video platforms, the more quality content they get.10
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Why this matters
Quality isn’t just budgets or camera angles — it’s about the human connection between viewers and the content they love. And with the technical barriers to entry now being so low, both creators and advertisers can focus even more on exploring the storytelling potential of new formats and surfaces.
YouTube is where audiences can find endless content matching their own personal expectations of ‘quality’. Today, the biggest and most expansive worlds of content can only be found on YouTube. Each video that viewers find relevant and love, leads to yet another video or creator that allows them to explore their interests and passions to their hearts’ content. This is where viewers get to go beyond just viewing — where they immerse themselves in their passions to their heart’s content.
This combination of rich engagement and unparalleled breadth is a huge opportunity for brands to find audiences where they are most deeply engaged.
Read more in the full whitepaper here.
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1. Google/MTM, Why We Watch Indispensability. MTM survey questions: B2. Thinking about any video content that you watch in general, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? “In my opinion, high quality video content means…”. Base: Weekly users of any video content service (UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, PL, SE, KSA, n=12,000), 2024.
2. Google/MTM, Why We Watch Indispensability, EMEA, 2024. Base: UK, FR, DE, ES, IT NL, PL, SE, KSA: People who claim to use video content services at least once a week: n = 12,000
3. Google/MTM, Why We Watch Indispensability, EMEA, 2024. Base: UK, FR, DE, ES, IT NL, PL, SE, KSA: People who claim to use video content services at least once a week: n = 12,000
4. Google/MTM, Why We Watch Indispensability, EMEA, 2024. Base: UK, FR, DE, ES, IT NL, PL, SE, KSA: People who claim to use video content services at least once a week: n = 12,000
5. Google/MTM, Why We Watch Indispensability, EMEA, 2024. Base: UK, FR, DE, ES, IT NL, PL, SE, KSA: People who claim to use video content services at least once a week: n = 12,000
6. Google/MTM, Why We Watch Indispensability, EMEA, 2024. Base: UK, FR, DE, ES, IT NL, PL, SE, KSA: People who claim to use video content services at least once a week: n = 12,000
7. Source: Google/MTM, Why We Watch Indispensability, 2024. MTM survey questions: B8. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? “I don’t mind adverts on [PLATFORM] if they…” Base: UK, FR, DE, ES, IT NL, PL, SE, KSA: Weekly users who were asked about the service (YouTube = 6,311, Social media = 6,171, Broadcast = 3,531).
8. Google/MTM, Why We Watch Indispensability, EMEA, 2024. Base: UK, FR, DE, ES, IT NL, PL, SE, KSA: People who claim to use video content services at least once a week and were asked about the service: YouTube n = 6,311, Social media n = 6,171, SVOD n = 4,670, Broadcast n = 3,531.