Title: Does online video-sharing advertising have diffusion gene?

Authors: Yichen Liao; Jing Zhu; Qinli Zhai

Addresses: Economic Management School, Wuhan University, China Luo-jia-shan, Wuchang, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430072, China ' School of Business, Alfred University, 10 Park Street, Alfred, NY, 14870, USA ' Guangzhou Haizhu Branch, China Telecom Corporation Limited, China No. 140 Jiangnan Road, Haizhuqu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510000, China

Abstract: Video-sharing is one of the most popular applications on the internet, the development of which subverts the traditional information diffusion path. Online video-sharing advertising emerges quickly at the same time. Quick online video sharing and diffusing of advertising depend heavily on its entertainment content and its display format. This article classifies the entertainment content of online video-sharing advertising (VSA) into three kinds, namely, humour and funny content (HFC), focus event content (FEC), and sex and nudity content (SNC); and classifies the display format of online VSA into realistic format and anthropomorphic format. Based on this, the authors have conducted a research on the possible relationship between these two factors and how they influence the effects of online video-sharing advertising. This experimental study confirms that entertainment content and display format are the most critical factors to audiences in sharing and diffusing the online VSA. It also finds out that if HFC is used as the entertainment content of online VSA, the best display format would be the realistic format; and if SNC is used as the entertainment content of online VSA, the best display format of online VSA would be the anthropomorphic format.

Keywords: online advertising; video sharing advertising; video sharing sites; internet advertising; advertising diffusion; display format; entertainment content; humourous content; funny content; focus event content; sexual content; nudity content; anthropomorphic format; realistic format.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNVO.2014.065073

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, 2014 Vol.14 No.1/2, pp.160 - 175

Received: 14 Dec 2013
Accepted: 03 Mar 2014
Published online: 29 Oct 2014 *

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