When it comes to advertisements in online videos, Web surfers don’t know what to expect. Watch an episode of The Office on Hulu, and you’ll get a couple of 15-second ads from sponsors like Target. View a National Geographic Channel clip about emperor penguins on YouTube, and you might see clickable ads for an Arctic cruise company across the lower portion of the video. Other sites opt for a lowly display ad off to one side of the screen.

Whatever form they take, online video ads are confusing for consumers. Can an ad be skipped, and what happens when you click on a banner or link—those are just some of the questions that leave Internet users scratching their heads. …read more at What Works in Online Video Advertising? – BusinessWeek.

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