Interactive and opt-in ad formats can drive engagement substantially, and that’s why publishers and technologists are testing a range of new digital ad formats. Jun Group, for example, delivers opt-in video views and has been profitable since its founding five years ago in part because of the opt-in, reward-based approach, says Mitchell Reichgut, CEO of Jun Group, during a panel discussion with Ashley Swartz.

He says viewers watch two- to three-minute ads to completion 90% of the time, because of the opt-in approach. In addition, Jun Group can target videos via age, gender or interest, he says. “We work with a lot of pet food companies and we can target just cat owners,” he says, as an example. The incentivized views can build loyalty. About 65% of users say they stay longer on a publishers’ site after watching because they’ve received some sort of reward from the advertiser.

Mining new ad opportunities is vital, especially as publishers seek ad formats that keep users on a site, rather than clicking away, adds David Payne, Senior VP and Chief Digital Officer with the Gannett Company.

Interactivity can drive time spent on a site and with ads, says Tal Chalozin, founder and CTO of Innovid, an interactive online video advertising platform. Targeted, interactive ads can often double the time a marketer spends in front of a consumer, he says.

This segment was taped at the Beet Retreat 2013 in Vieques, Puerto Rico.