The Marketing Architects – "Nerd Alert: Skippable vs. Non-Skippable Ads"

Date: November 20, 2025
Hosts: Leonard Jasper & Rob Demars
Main Theme:
A research-backed exploration of skippable vs. non-skippable ads. The episode dives into recent academic research, translating findings to real-world marketing strategies. The hosts discuss how each ad type shapes brand recall, salience, and conversion, and draw actionable insights for marketers.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Skippable vs. Non-Skippable Debate

• The hosts set up the episode as a deep dive into research about whether allowing viewers to skip ads makes a meaningful difference in ad effectiveness.
• Leonard Jasper (B) outlines the study: "Make Ads Skippable or Not. The Impact of Ad Type on Brand Recall Salience and Conversion Rate" conducted by Radka Barova and Veronika Kopriova.
  • Focus: How the option to skip influences immediate brand recall, salience during buying decisions, and conversion rates.
  • Study group: Gen Z participants; tested with YouTube-style video ads.

Notable Quote:

"This study dives into the difference between skippable and non skippable ads and how that choice can change the way people remember, feel about, and buy from your brand."
— Leonard Jasper (00:45)

2. Initial Reactions & Hypotheses

• Rob shares his gut feeling: forcing viewers to watch seems better for immediate response, but allowing skipping could foster goodwill and positive brand association.
• The hosts clarify that the study looked at people who watched the whole ad, whether or not there was a skip option.

Notable Quote:

"It just seems like a very polite gesture for the brand to offer, like, hey, we're pretty cool. But if you don't want to hang out with us, you know, here's this, here's a skip button."
— Rob Demars (02:20)

3. Study Methodology

• Experiment Details (02:50)
  • Participants: Gen Z, divided into three groups: skippable, non-skippable, and a mix.
  • Metrics: Brand recall, brand salience (ease of remembering in buying situations), and actual purchase behavior.
  • Tools: Eye-tracking technology to monitor attention focus.

4. Research Findings Unpacked

• Brand Recall:
  • Skippable ads led to higher short-term brand recall. (04:19)
• Brand Salience:
  • Non-skippable ads performed better over the long term; brands were more likely to come to mind during actual purchase decisions. (04:44)
• Conversions:
  • Slightly higher for skippable ads—the posited reason is a more positive feeling due to lack of force, making viewers more receptive. However, the margin is slim and possibly not statistically significant. (05:18)

Notable Exchange:

Rob: "I'm just going to stick with my answer and say the one that didn't have the skip button in it."
Leonard: "You're wrong. It's skippable. Damn. I would have thought the same thing though." (05:13 - 05:18)

5. The "Area of Interest Effect" & Creative Implications

• Eye-tracking insights:
  • In skippable ads, viewers spent excessive visual attention on the skip button itself. If the skip button dominates attention, recall for the ad drops.
  • Front-loading brand/logo and emotional hooks before the skip window is crucial.
• Best-performing ads:
  • Those that immediately grab attention—using humor, surprise, or emotion—minimize loss of attention to the skip button. (05:51)

6. Tactical Takeaways for Marketers

Actionable Insights:

• Front-load content: Show the logo and key messages before the skip window—"Don't save your logo or key message for the end of your ad. If 60% of people are going to skip at five seconds, make sure you've delivered value before they do." (06:45)
• Use emotional hooks: Humor and emotion reduce skipping and boost recall.
• Align ad type with goals:
  • Long-term brand building: Choose non-skippable for salience.
  • Quick attention/grab: Skippable may work better.
• Ad quality > ad format: Engaging creative drives results in both formats.
• Test and optimize: There's no one-size-fits-all—brands should A/B test both approaches, given the nuanced differences.

Memorable Metaphor:

"Think of skippable and non-skippable ads like two gears in the same machine. Skippable ads grab quick attention, but non-skippable ads build familiarity over time, perfect for staying power. The smartest brands don't pick a gear. They shift between both to keep momentum."
— Leonard Jasper (07:19)

7. Listener Questions and Further Nuance

• Rob wonders whether the ad creative was identical across skippable/non-skippable groups (08:01). Leonard confirms: Yes, only the skip button changed, not the ad itself.
• They discuss experimental limitations and the value of further testing (08:53).
• Leonard corrects an earlier statement: participants could actually skip in the experiment, not just view the ad in full (08:40).
• The hosts highlight the importance of continually testing ad structure, creative placements, and skip button positioning for optimization.

Notable Quote:

"It just makes you want to try a lot of different tests, right?… There's a lot of interesting variables."
— Rob Demars (08:16)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:45 — Study overview: impact of skippable vs. non-skippable ads.
• 02:50 — Study design and methodology explained.
• 04:19 — Key finding: Skippable ads win on brand recall.
• 04:44 — Non-skippable ads win on brand salience (long-term memory).
• 05:18 — Conversion rates: skippable ads slightly edge out.
• 05:51 — Creative tactics: front-loading, emotion, avoiding ad blindness.
• 07:19 — Metaphor: skippable and non-skippable as complementary gears.
• 08:01 — Rob queries about ad creative consistency; clarification on methods.
• 08:53 — Leonard corrects earlier statements on experiment context.

Tone and Delivery

The hosts kept the conversation lively, geeky, and conversational—mixing serious research takeaways with jokes and playful banter. Rob played skeptic and comic relief, while Leonard drove the narrative with clear, research-backed explanations.

Summary Takeaway

• Both skippable and non-skippable ads serve a purpose. Skippable ads drive swift recall and positive sentiment, but non-skippable ads are better for long-term brand salience.
• Great creative trumps ad type. Marketers should focus on rapid engagement (within 5 seconds), emotion, and consistent A/B testing.
• There’s no one right answer—test, iterate, and pick your strategy based on your goals and audience.

Memorable closer:

"Go forth and build great marketing."
— Marketing Architects (09:34)