Canadian mobile device owners have a 98% completion rate when viewing seven to 10-second ads, compared with 81% in the U.S and 77% in the U.K., according to new research from digital advertising platform TubeMogul.

The study, released today, also revealed that while Canadians are more attentive to short ads, they lose interest more abruptly when viewing longer ads: Canada’s 98% completion rate in seven to 10-second ads plummets to just 37% completion when the ad is 15-seconds long. This represents a 62% drop-off, versus 27% in the U.K. and 21% in the U.S.

The drop-off on desktop ad completion was less severe, with 80% of Canadians watching 15-second ads all the way through.

The study says that 15 seconds is the duration most commonly used for mobile ads, though TubeMogul suggests that with the forecasted growth of mobile ads Canadian marketers should consider using shorter and snappier ads to get their money’s worth – and to leave the most lasting impression on its audience.

“There are a lot of advantages to telling your story in half the time, and Canada has two really striking data points,” says Taylor Schreiner, VP of research, TubeMogul, “they really will watch the first seven to 10 seconds of a mobile ad, and they really won’t watch the rest of it – unless it’s engaging.”

Information for the study was gathered in January and February 2015. The data was based on aggregated figures for advertising purchases made in Canada during this time on TubeMogul’s platform.

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