According to Rapt Media, when consumers interact with brands online on a personal level, they find online video content to be more engaging. Nearly two-thirds of consumers (64%) say they will spend more time watching video if they can interact with it.

"The marketplace is being flooded with content, but our research shows that brands need to go beyond pushing passive content," said Erika Trautman, founder and CEO of Rapt Media. "Brands that rely on passive content to win customers are missing their biggest opportunity for engagement and collecting consumer insights. They need to produce content that contains participatory elements, especially in video, to give consumers greater control over their content and drive meaningful engagement."

Rapt Media's research found that consumers feel that choices are no longer nice-to-haves; they're increasingly expecting more options for controlling their online experience based on what is most interesting and relevant to them. A full 89% want control over the ads they're shown online, 86% want to be able to control the topics they see on news sites, and 56% like choosing content that is relevant to them.

The consumers also said that they want control in the way they discover information online, which means brands can't simply push owned content at consumers without considering overall engagement and response rates; 57% would rather find content on their own than through advertising.