What do social media ads mean for brands?
www.millwardbrown.com/Sites/MillwardBrown/Content/News/EPerspectiveArticles.aspx?
Showing posts with label Advertising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advertising. Show all posts
Friday, 7 March 2008
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
7 things you need to make a creative impact
Impact and irreverence
James Aitchison
29 February 2008
Jean-Marie Dru: the seven rules of impact
Jean-Marie Dru, global boss of TBWA, drew extensively on his network’s show reel to open day two with a presentation built around seven points crucial for the creation of advertising with impact.
1. Creativity is not exclusive to specific categories
2. Be creative before the creative process begins
3. You need a big idea
4. Every touchpoint must be creative
5. The interactive world is one of infinite creativity
6. Simplicity is key
7. Creativity builds sales
http://www.warc.com/ConferenceBlogs/EFFIES-022008.asp
James Aitchison
29 February 2008
Jean-Marie Dru: the seven rules of impact
Jean-Marie Dru, global boss of TBWA, drew extensively on his network’s show reel to open day two with a presentation built around seven points crucial for the creation of advertising with impact.
1. Creativity is not exclusive to specific categories
2. Be creative before the creative process begins
3. You need a big idea
4. Every touchpoint must be creative
5. The interactive world is one of infinite creativity
6. Simplicity is key
7. Creativity builds sales
http://www.warc.com/ConferenceBlogs/EFFIES-022008.asp
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
In game advertising
In-Game Advertising Built Momentum in '07
By Enid Burns, The ClickZ Network, Dec 28, 2007
While Microsoft's "Halo," the most anticipated video game to hit store shelves in 2007 was off limits to advertisers, the sector gained momentum both in games and around games.
Among the hot titles packed with advertising was Activision's "Guitar Hero III."
"The biggest thing this year is the momentum, the acceptance of the medium, the increase in size in the advertising buys, and increased acceptance in the publisher community," Cory Van Arsdale, CEO of Microsoft's Massive unit told ClickZ News.
In addition to advertisers and publishers, developers became more receptive to the appearance of brands into games. According to Van Arsdale, developers continue to obsess about the storyline, however they are considering advertisers in the process "They're increasingly thinking about[ad] inventory quality and how that might work."
Publishers are beginning to prioritize how and where ad insertion happens in a game. "There's only so much room in a game. When we look at priority, it's dynamic," said Shelby Cox, senior director of ad sales at Electronic Arts, the publisher of the "Madden" and "Need for Speed" series among other franchises. "The stuff we typically sold will now have dynamic tags on it."
Dynamic placements are able to be updated with new brand campaigns while static insertions are hard-coded into a game and remain with the same creative throughout.
"I think you'll see blurring of the lines between dynamic and static," said Van Arsdale. "Static ads that are in the game stay, they are shipped with the title, they never change, and you can't measure exposure. If you make those dynamic you can actually track that."
Earlier this year Double Fusion began offering dynamic product integration on its network. Massive has the ability to do the same, and expects to tag static items in games to provide metrics on gamer exposure and interaction. Without tags, a brand will know how many copies of a game are sold, but not how many gamers interacted with the brand.
Previously, marketers with large-scale integration bought additional dynamic ads to provide metrics, though the metrics didn't necessarily correlate with interaction with the brand in the game.
Momentum grew in in-game advertising in a year when the video game industry took part in a more businesslike Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Media buyers were privy to more meetings and invites than in previous years. "E3 of the past was a great place for [agencies and brands] to come get a snapshot [of the industry]," said Cox. "Some of the folks we talked with [this year] found it to be disappointing, but we did get a lot of business done meeting with the agencies that actually did come."
Many agencies, brands, and even in-game ad networks decided not to attend. Massive's Van Arsdale has only attended E3 in past years as a spectator. Though from a business standpoint, he said the emphasis for Microsoft is on the Game Developer Conference, Cannes, and Microsoft's Strategic Accounts Summits held throughout the year.
The next hurdle for in-game and around game advertising is to establish standards and metrics. "You have IGA Worldwide with one definition of an impression, and Double Fusion and Massive with another," said Cox. Massive counts a cumulative :10 exposure as an impression.
The onus is not entirely on the networks, but a general industry understanding. "We need to set standards and metrics buyers understand, and to come up with a vernacular," Cox said. "The research is there, but as an industry we need to do a better job making it easier for buyers to buy."
The Interactive Advertising Bureau's (IAB) committee on advertising in video and Web-based games released its first findings. The document was primarily definitions and a baseline of information.
"I think [the IAB] is going to have an increasing impact going forward," said Chris Houtzer, senior director of new media and games at RealNetworks. "Having the IAB recognize in-game advertising as a significant media for advertisers and the games industry in general is really important."
The IAB's goal to establish standards and terms is agreed to be a worthy objective. "Hopefully it will keep my competition from obfuscating the definitions of things, because I think that's not helping the medium," Van Arsdale said.
Van Arsdale wants to see a designation between different media. "People will call it in-game when it's not in-game, it's around-game or a Web site," he said. This includes banners and interstitials in Web-based games, and sponsorship of tournaments and contests. While these are viable options for advertisers who want to reach a particular audience, or be associated with a specific game, there is a distinction. "People really need to understand the medium, and that's what this year's been about," he said.
Momentum built in casual and Web-based games in much the same way as console and PC games. "Instead of this being an experimental year, we've seen the transition in 2007 from experimental to a must have for advertisers," Houtzer said.
Casual games paralleled console titles in terms of advertising. "In general across the industry we saw a lot of adoption of advertising as a significant way to monetize games," said Houtzer. "Developers made a great leap in supporting advertising, instead of 2006 questioning the legitimacy. What's really helped them do that this year is initiatives that Real has, as well as others, the aspect of sharing revenues."
Casual game sites including RealNetworks and Microsoft began offering developers a share of ad revenues. Many publishers earned stronger revenues from advertising than sales.
In the coming year new opportunities for casual games will emerge. EA is bringing the casual game experience of its property Pogo.com to the console. "We are focusing on different types of products on the console that are much more suited for advertising," said Cox. "Like our Pogo model, there's going to be products out there where advertising is the root business model."
The console manufacturers have already realized the value of such products. An IDC report identified additional revenue streams the current generation of consoles bring in. "The installed base growth and connectivity growth helped," Cox said.
By Enid Burns, The ClickZ Network, Dec 28, 2007
While Microsoft's "Halo," the most anticipated video game to hit store shelves in 2007 was off limits to advertisers, the sector gained momentum both in games and around games.
Among the hot titles packed with advertising was Activision's "Guitar Hero III."
"The biggest thing this year is the momentum, the acceptance of the medium, the increase in size in the advertising buys, and increased acceptance in the publisher community," Cory Van Arsdale, CEO of Microsoft's Massive unit told ClickZ News.
In addition to advertisers and publishers, developers became more receptive to the appearance of brands into games. According to Van Arsdale, developers continue to obsess about the storyline, however they are considering advertisers in the process "They're increasingly thinking about[ad] inventory quality and how that might work."
Publishers are beginning to prioritize how and where ad insertion happens in a game. "There's only so much room in a game. When we look at priority, it's dynamic," said Shelby Cox, senior director of ad sales at Electronic Arts, the publisher of the "Madden" and "Need for Speed" series among other franchises. "The stuff we typically sold will now have dynamic tags on it."
Dynamic placements are able to be updated with new brand campaigns while static insertions are hard-coded into a game and remain with the same creative throughout.
"I think you'll see blurring of the lines between dynamic and static," said Van Arsdale. "Static ads that are in the game stay, they are shipped with the title, they never change, and you can't measure exposure. If you make those dynamic you can actually track that."
Earlier this year Double Fusion began offering dynamic product integration on its network. Massive has the ability to do the same, and expects to tag static items in games to provide metrics on gamer exposure and interaction. Without tags, a brand will know how many copies of a game are sold, but not how many gamers interacted with the brand.
Previously, marketers with large-scale integration bought additional dynamic ads to provide metrics, though the metrics didn't necessarily correlate with interaction with the brand in the game.
Momentum grew in in-game advertising in a year when the video game industry took part in a more businesslike Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Media buyers were privy to more meetings and invites than in previous years. "E3 of the past was a great place for [agencies and brands] to come get a snapshot [of the industry]," said Cox. "Some of the folks we talked with [this year] found it to be disappointing, but we did get a lot of business done meeting with the agencies that actually did come."
Many agencies, brands, and even in-game ad networks decided not to attend. Massive's Van Arsdale has only attended E3 in past years as a spectator. Though from a business standpoint, he said the emphasis for Microsoft is on the Game Developer Conference, Cannes, and Microsoft's Strategic Accounts Summits held throughout the year.
The next hurdle for in-game and around game advertising is to establish standards and metrics. "You have IGA Worldwide with one definition of an impression, and Double Fusion and Massive with another," said Cox. Massive counts a cumulative :10 exposure as an impression.
The onus is not entirely on the networks, but a general industry understanding. "We need to set standards and metrics buyers understand, and to come up with a vernacular," Cox said. "The research is there, but as an industry we need to do a better job making it easier for buyers to buy."
The Interactive Advertising Bureau's (IAB) committee on advertising in video and Web-based games released its first findings. The document was primarily definitions and a baseline of information.
"I think [the IAB] is going to have an increasing impact going forward," said Chris Houtzer, senior director of new media and games at RealNetworks. "Having the IAB recognize in-game advertising as a significant media for advertisers and the games industry in general is really important."
The IAB's goal to establish standards and terms is agreed to be a worthy objective. "Hopefully it will keep my competition from obfuscating the definitions of things, because I think that's not helping the medium," Van Arsdale said.
Van Arsdale wants to see a designation between different media. "People will call it in-game when it's not in-game, it's around-game or a Web site," he said. This includes banners and interstitials in Web-based games, and sponsorship of tournaments and contests. While these are viable options for advertisers who want to reach a particular audience, or be associated with a specific game, there is a distinction. "People really need to understand the medium, and that's what this year's been about," he said.
Momentum built in casual and Web-based games in much the same way as console and PC games. "Instead of this being an experimental year, we've seen the transition in 2007 from experimental to a must have for advertisers," Houtzer said.
Casual games paralleled console titles in terms of advertising. "In general across the industry we saw a lot of adoption of advertising as a significant way to monetize games," said Houtzer. "Developers made a great leap in supporting advertising, instead of 2006 questioning the legitimacy. What's really helped them do that this year is initiatives that Real has, as well as others, the aspect of sharing revenues."
Casual game sites including RealNetworks and Microsoft began offering developers a share of ad revenues. Many publishers earned stronger revenues from advertising than sales.
In the coming year new opportunities for casual games will emerge. EA is bringing the casual game experience of its property Pogo.com to the console. "We are focusing on different types of products on the console that are much more suited for advertising," said Cox. "Like our Pogo model, there's going to be products out there where advertising is the root business model."
The console manufacturers have already realized the value of such products. An IDC report identified additional revenue streams the current generation of consoles bring in. "The installed base growth and connectivity growth helped," Cox said.
TV ads online
Consumers Who Watch TV Online More Engaged Than TV-Set Watchers, Simmons Finds
by Mark Walsh, Monday, Dec 24, 2007
CONSUMERS ARE 47% MORE ENGAGED in ads that run with television programs that they view online than those watched on a TV set, according to new research findings.
A cross-media study by Simmons, a unit of Experian Research Services, also found that viewers are 25% more engaged in the content of TV shows that they watch online than on a TV.
The study defines "engagement" according to six characteristics that respondents identify with media: "inspirational," "trustworthy," "life-enhancing," "social interaction," "personal time-out" and ad receptivity.
Survey participants were asked, for instance, to rate TV shows, magazines and Web sites based on how "inspiring" they were or how much they provided fodder for conversation. Ad "receptivity" was gauged on how willing people were to view or read advertising in a given medium because of its relevance.
John Fetto, product manager for Experian Research Services, said that the research suggests that TV ads online are especially effective at reaching consumers.
"Web sites that are extensions of properties that exist in other media channels have great potential to funnel audiences that are highly engaged in the first place," he said.
TV aside, the study found that people are 18% more engaged in ads online, as opposed to print versions, of magazines--and that they are also 15% more engaged in magazine articles online than in print.
In demographic terms, women and younger consumers were shown to have higher levels of engagement online than men and older users. However, the differences were not huge. For instance, based on a 100- to 500-point scoring system, women on average were only slightly more receptive to online ads than men on average, at 236 to 228, respectively.
Also, those between the ages of 35 and 54 rated the Internet as being almost as trustworthy a source of information as did 18- to-34-year-olds (307 for the older demographic, 316 for the younger one).
Other findings:
• People are more receptive to ads on sites that they visit often. Those who visited sites two to six times per week or more are more likely to be responsive to ads than less frequent visitors.
• Among media overall, print rated higher in engagement than TV or the Internet. Does that mean rumors of print being dead are highly exaggerated? Not necessarily. Fetto said that the study showed that among those who read magazines, it's the most engaging medium--but overall, the audience for print media is declining.
The Simmons study was based on 74,996 interviews with U.S. adults about the TV programs, magazines and Web sites that they watch, read and visit. The survey was conducted online and
by Mark Walsh, Monday, Dec 24, 2007
CONSUMERS ARE 47% MORE ENGAGED in ads that run with television programs that they view online than those watched on a TV set, according to new research findings.
A cross-media study by Simmons, a unit of Experian Research Services, also found that viewers are 25% more engaged in the content of TV shows that they watch online than on a TV.
The study defines "engagement" according to six characteristics that respondents identify with media: "inspirational," "trustworthy," "life-enhancing," "social interaction," "personal time-out" and ad receptivity.
Survey participants were asked, for instance, to rate TV shows, magazines and Web sites based on how "inspiring" they were or how much they provided fodder for conversation. Ad "receptivity" was gauged on how willing people were to view or read advertising in a given medium because of its relevance.
John Fetto, product manager for Experian Research Services, said that the research suggests that TV ads online are especially effective at reaching consumers.
"Web sites that are extensions of properties that exist in other media channels have great potential to funnel audiences that are highly engaged in the first place," he said.
TV aside, the study found that people are 18% more engaged in ads online, as opposed to print versions, of magazines--and that they are also 15% more engaged in magazine articles online than in print.
In demographic terms, women and younger consumers were shown to have higher levels of engagement online than men and older users. However, the differences were not huge. For instance, based on a 100- to 500-point scoring system, women on average were only slightly more receptive to online ads than men on average, at 236 to 228, respectively.
Also, those between the ages of 35 and 54 rated the Internet as being almost as trustworthy a source of information as did 18- to-34-year-olds (307 for the older demographic, 316 for the younger one).
Other findings:
• People are more receptive to ads on sites that they visit often. Those who visited sites two to six times per week or more are more likely to be responsive to ads than less frequent visitors.
• Among media overall, print rated higher in engagement than TV or the Internet. Does that mean rumors of print being dead are highly exaggerated? Not necessarily. Fetto said that the study showed that among those who read magazines, it's the most engaging medium--but overall, the audience for print media is declining.
The Simmons study was based on 74,996 interviews with U.S. adults about the TV programs, magazines and Web sites that they watch, read and visit. The survey was conducted online and
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Need a presentation fast?
Slide Share is a really good slide sharing site. Loads of different stuff:
http://www.slideshare.net/
http://www.slideshare.net/
Monday, 22 October 2007
Why do clients dump agencies?
Study reveals reasons for client / agency splits - taken from Precision Marketing. 22.10.2007
Breakdowns in client and agency relationships are due to failures from both parties to listen to each other and quality of personnel, a study from the AAR reveals.
A survey conducted by the intermediary shows that failure to listen to each other, quality of personnel and inflexibility are sited by agencies and clients as the most common reasons why relationships breakdown. However, 81 per cent of clients and 75 per cent of agencies believe setting clear expectations and clearly defining roles are the best preventative measures.
Over 80 per cent of clients said growing dissatisfaction with their agency’s service output was a key early warning sign to problems ahead. Over 40 per cent of clients are dissatisfied with agencies because of their lack of delivery, 34 per cent are dissatisfied with agencies who don’t meet briefs, and 33 per cent of clients are left unhappy because of declining agency work.
In contrast, only 41 per cent of agencies focused on clients’ dissatisfaction with output or service. Over half of respondents said their dissatisfaction with clients was due to people and relationship changes, while 21 per cent of agencies were left disgruntled because clients were not happy with their staff.
Kerry Glazer, chief executive at AAR, comments: “There needs to be a more concerted effort upfront to establish how the client and agency are going to work together. Our research indicated that a break up could be avoided if working practices were agreed and formalised in writing and practice at the start of the relationship, but the reality is that the focus is on establishing commercial arrangements. This type of forward planning could make for more enduring and successful relationships for both parties.”
Breakdowns in client and agency relationships are due to failures from both parties to listen to each other and quality of personnel, a study from the AAR reveals.
A survey conducted by the intermediary shows that failure to listen to each other, quality of personnel and inflexibility are sited by agencies and clients as the most common reasons why relationships breakdown. However, 81 per cent of clients and 75 per cent of agencies believe setting clear expectations and clearly defining roles are the best preventative measures.
Over 80 per cent of clients said growing dissatisfaction with their agency’s service output was a key early warning sign to problems ahead. Over 40 per cent of clients are dissatisfied with agencies because of their lack of delivery, 34 per cent are dissatisfied with agencies who don’t meet briefs, and 33 per cent of clients are left unhappy because of declining agency work.
In contrast, only 41 per cent of agencies focused on clients’ dissatisfaction with output or service. Over half of respondents said their dissatisfaction with clients was due to people and relationship changes, while 21 per cent of agencies were left disgruntled because clients were not happy with their staff.
Kerry Glazer, chief executive at AAR, comments: “There needs to be a more concerted effort upfront to establish how the client and agency are going to work together. Our research indicated that a break up could be avoided if working practices were agreed and formalised in writing and practice at the start of the relationship, but the reality is that the focus is on establishing commercial arrangements. This type of forward planning could make for more enduring and successful relationships for both parties.”
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
How online advertising influences search volumes
Published: 04 June 2007
Mike Teasdale, Planning Director at Harvest Digital discusses the connections between online display activity and search and reveals some interesting consumer trends.
A recent Atlas survey on the ‘halo effect’ between display and search discovered an average uplift on conversion rates of 22 per cent on searchers who had recently been exposed to a display advertisement from the same company.
Research using adserving data like this has the advantage of using massive amounts of customer data across different companies, but there are some issues with the accuracy of the data – for example, cookie deletion by users can skew the results.
So we turned to primary research with consumers to ask them directly whether display advertising influenced their subsequent searching behaviour.
We ran a survey in conjunction with Adviva, the leading advertising network, to assess attitudes to online travel purchasing. Research was conducted and compiled by Nielsen//NetRatings with over 900 respondents.
Research findings
Respondents were asked whether they would click on an ad, do a search or go directly to the advertiser’s website if they saw an online advertisement.
We expected clicking on a banner to be the most popular option – but surprisingly only 26 per cent of our sample said that they would click on a banner to respond.
In fact search was the most popular option. This was split between searches for the advertiser’s name (26per cent) or for a general term relating to the advertisement (31per cent). So more than twice as many people are being driven to a search engine by banner advertising than by clicking directly on the banner!
Retail channels also benefit, with 4 per cent claiming they would visit a high street store having seen a banner.
What’s going on here?
At first, these findings seem counter-intuitive – after all, what could be easier than clicking on a banner?
Much web activity is task-driven. How much is that flight? What’s the weather like in Hull? Clicking on a banner distracts from the completion of a task, people tend to follow up on the advertisement afterwards. Many consumers seem to be treating the activity more like posters or TV.
Implications of this research
One key implication is in how we judge the effectiveness of online activity. Focusing on the last click before a transaction will often rate search marketing as the most cost-effective channel, underestimating the part display advertising plays.
Alex Burmaster, European Internet Analyst at Nielsen/NetRatings observes, "The unrivalled ability of the Internet to provide marketers with detailed information on direct user response to online ads often means the whole story is ignored. Our research highlights how 'click-through-tunnel-vision' ignores the larger or delayed impact that the ad can have on viewer behaviour or perception. After all, you don't just measure the success of a poster by how many people buy the product advertised from the nearest shop."
Todd Treusdell, CEO at Adviva comments: “Display activity gives clients the opportunity to reach large numbers of internet users at a relatively low cost. It’s important to appreciate (as this research underlines) that direct clicks are only one way that the advertising is working. Consumers are also doing searches, going directly to your web site and even visiting your retail store – all prompted by an online advertising campaign.”
The importance of an integrated approach to search and display
The most striking finding is how many searches are being prompted by online display activity.
Unfortunately for brand owners, the research suggests that more searches are going to generic terms like “package holiday Cyprus” than to the brand itself.
Search needs to be optimised to work with banner advertising, by anticipating searches that are likely to be prompted by the banner and ensure a higher rank for search results.
Although the speed and accuracy digital marketing enjoys is the envy of other marketing channels, the numbers do not always give a true indication.
Just as online is influenced by activity in offline channels, different online channels also seem to have a profound influence on each other.
This research strongly suggests that measuring display activity by CTR alone underestimates the impact of that activity. For every click on a banner, our research implies at least two related searches and a further direct visit to the advertiser’s web site.
Research on the Adviva network conducted by Nielsen/Netratings
Mike Teasdale, Planning Director at Harvest Digital discusses the connections between online display activity and search and reveals some interesting consumer trends.
A recent Atlas survey on the ‘halo effect’ between display and search discovered an average uplift on conversion rates of 22 per cent on searchers who had recently been exposed to a display advertisement from the same company.
Research using adserving data like this has the advantage of using massive amounts of customer data across different companies, but there are some issues with the accuracy of the data – for example, cookie deletion by users can skew the results.
So we turned to primary research with consumers to ask them directly whether display advertising influenced their subsequent searching behaviour.
We ran a survey in conjunction with Adviva, the leading advertising network, to assess attitudes to online travel purchasing. Research was conducted and compiled by Nielsen//NetRatings with over 900 respondents.
Research findings
Respondents were asked whether they would click on an ad, do a search or go directly to the advertiser’s website if they saw an online advertisement.
We expected clicking on a banner to be the most popular option – but surprisingly only 26 per cent of our sample said that they would click on a banner to respond.
In fact search was the most popular option. This was split between searches for the advertiser’s name (26per cent) or for a general term relating to the advertisement (31per cent). So more than twice as many people are being driven to a search engine by banner advertising than by clicking directly on the banner!
Retail channels also benefit, with 4 per cent claiming they would visit a high street store having seen a banner.
What’s going on here?
At first, these findings seem counter-intuitive – after all, what could be easier than clicking on a banner?
Much web activity is task-driven. How much is that flight? What’s the weather like in Hull? Clicking on a banner distracts from the completion of a task, people tend to follow up on the advertisement afterwards. Many consumers seem to be treating the activity more like posters or TV.
Implications of this research
One key implication is in how we judge the effectiveness of online activity. Focusing on the last click before a transaction will often rate search marketing as the most cost-effective channel, underestimating the part display advertising plays.
Alex Burmaster, European Internet Analyst at Nielsen/NetRatings observes, "The unrivalled ability of the Internet to provide marketers with detailed information on direct user response to online ads often means the whole story is ignored. Our research highlights how 'click-through-tunnel-vision' ignores the larger or delayed impact that the ad can have on viewer behaviour or perception. After all, you don't just measure the success of a poster by how many people buy the product advertised from the nearest shop."
Todd Treusdell, CEO at Adviva comments: “Display activity gives clients the opportunity to reach large numbers of internet users at a relatively low cost. It’s important to appreciate (as this research underlines) that direct clicks are only one way that the advertising is working. Consumers are also doing searches, going directly to your web site and even visiting your retail store – all prompted by an online advertising campaign.”
The importance of an integrated approach to search and display
The most striking finding is how many searches are being prompted by online display activity.
Unfortunately for brand owners, the research suggests that more searches are going to generic terms like “package holiday Cyprus” than to the brand itself.
Search needs to be optimised to work with banner advertising, by anticipating searches that are likely to be prompted by the banner and ensure a higher rank for search results.
Although the speed and accuracy digital marketing enjoys is the envy of other marketing channels, the numbers do not always give a true indication.
Just as online is influenced by activity in offline channels, different online channels also seem to have a profound influence on each other.
This research strongly suggests that measuring display activity by CTR alone underestimates the impact of that activity. For every click on a banner, our research implies at least two related searches and a further direct visit to the advertiser’s web site.
Research on the Adviva network conducted by Nielsen/Netratings
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
Online display advertising
Thanks Jo
How online display advertising influences search volumes
Published: 04 June 2007
Mike Teasdale, Planning Director at online marketing agency Harvest Digital discusses the connections between online display activity and search and reveals some interesting consumer trends.
A recent Atlas survey on the ‘halo effect’ between display and search discovered an average uplift on conversion rates of 22 per cent on searchers who had recently been exposed to a display advertisement from the same company.
Research using adserving data like this has the advantage of using massive amounts of customer data across different companies, but there are some issues with the accuracy of the data – for example, cookie deletion by users can skew the results.
So we turned to primary research with consumers to ask them directly whether display advertising influenced their subsequent searching behaviour.
We ran a survey in conjunction with Adviva, the leading advertising network, to assess attitudes to online travel purchasing. Research was conducted and compiled by Nielsen//NetRatings with over 900 respondents.
Research findings
Respondents were asked whether they would click on an ad, do a search or go directly to the advertiser’s website if they saw an online advertisement.
We expected clicking on a banner to be the most popular option – but surprisingly only 26 per cent of our sample said that they would click on a banner to respond.
In fact search was the most popular option. This was split between searches for the advertiser’s name (26per cent) or for a general term relating to the advertisement (31per cent). So more than twice as many people are being driven to a search engine by banner advertising than by clicking directly on the banner!
Retail channels also benefit, with 4 per cent claiming they would visit a high street store having seen a banner.
What’s going on here?
At first, these findings seem counter-intuitive – after all, what could be easier than clicking on a banner?
Much web activity is task-driven. How much is that flight? What’s the weather like in Hull? Clicking on a banner distracts from the completion of a task, people tend to follow up on the advertisement afterwards. Many consumers seem to be treating the activity more like posters or TV.
Implications of this research
One key implication is in how we judge the effectiveness of online activity. Focusing on the last click before a transaction will often rate search marketing as the most cost-effective channel, underestimating the part display advertising plays.
Alex Burmaster, European Internet Analyst at Nielsen/NetRatings observes, "The unrivalled ability of the Internet to provide marketers with detailed information on direct user response to online ads often means the whole story is ignored. Our research highlights how 'click-through-tunnel-vision' ignores the larger or delayed impact that the ad can have on viewer behaviour or perception. After all, you don't just measure the success of a poster by how many people buy the product advertised from the nearest shop."
Todd Treusdell, CEO at Adviva comments: “Display activity gives clients the opportunity to reach large numbers of internet users at a relatively low cost. It’s important to appreciate (as this research underlines) that direct clicks are only one way that the advertising is working. Consumers are also doing searches, going directly to your web site and even visiting your retail store – all prompted by an online advertising campaign.”
The importance of an integrated approach to search and display
The most striking finding is how many searches are being prompted by online display activity.
Unfortunately for brand owners, the research suggests that more searches are going to generic terms like “package holiday Cyprus” than to the brand itself.
Search needs to be optimised to work with banner advertising, by anticipating searches that are likely to be prompted by the banner and ensure a higher rank for search results.
Although the speed and accuracy digital marketing enjoys is the envy of other marketing channels, the numbers do not always give a true indication.
Just as online is influenced by activity in offline channels, different online channels also seem to have a profound influence on each other.
This research strongly suggests that measuring display activity by CTR alone underestimates the impact of that activity. For every click on a banner, our research implies at least two related searches and a further direct visit to the advertiser’s web site.
Research on the Adviva network conducted by Nielsen/Netratings
How online display advertising influences search volumes
Published: 04 June 2007
Mike Teasdale, Planning Director at online marketing agency Harvest Digital discusses the connections between online display activity and search and reveals some interesting consumer trends.
A recent Atlas survey on the ‘halo effect’ between display and search discovered an average uplift on conversion rates of 22 per cent on searchers who had recently been exposed to a display advertisement from the same company.
Research using adserving data like this has the advantage of using massive amounts of customer data across different companies, but there are some issues with the accuracy of the data – for example, cookie deletion by users can skew the results.
So we turned to primary research with consumers to ask them directly whether display advertising influenced their subsequent searching behaviour.
We ran a survey in conjunction with Adviva, the leading advertising network, to assess attitudes to online travel purchasing. Research was conducted and compiled by Nielsen//NetRatings with over 900 respondents.
Research findings
Respondents were asked whether they would click on an ad, do a search or go directly to the advertiser’s website if they saw an online advertisement.
We expected clicking on a banner to be the most popular option – but surprisingly only 26 per cent of our sample said that they would click on a banner to respond.
In fact search was the most popular option. This was split between searches for the advertiser’s name (26per cent) or for a general term relating to the advertisement (31per cent). So more than twice as many people are being driven to a search engine by banner advertising than by clicking directly on the banner!
Retail channels also benefit, with 4 per cent claiming they would visit a high street store having seen a banner.
What’s going on here?
At first, these findings seem counter-intuitive – after all, what could be easier than clicking on a banner?
Much web activity is task-driven. How much is that flight? What’s the weather like in Hull? Clicking on a banner distracts from the completion of a task, people tend to follow up on the advertisement afterwards. Many consumers seem to be treating the activity more like posters or TV.
Implications of this research
One key implication is in how we judge the effectiveness of online activity. Focusing on the last click before a transaction will often rate search marketing as the most cost-effective channel, underestimating the part display advertising plays.
Alex Burmaster, European Internet Analyst at Nielsen/NetRatings observes, "The unrivalled ability of the Internet to provide marketers with detailed information on direct user response to online ads often means the whole story is ignored. Our research highlights how 'click-through-tunnel-vision' ignores the larger or delayed impact that the ad can have on viewer behaviour or perception. After all, you don't just measure the success of a poster by how many people buy the product advertised from the nearest shop."
Todd Treusdell, CEO at Adviva comments: “Display activity gives clients the opportunity to reach large numbers of internet users at a relatively low cost. It’s important to appreciate (as this research underlines) that direct clicks are only one way that the advertising is working. Consumers are also doing searches, going directly to your web site and even visiting your retail store – all prompted by an online advertising campaign.”
The importance of an integrated approach to search and display
The most striking finding is how many searches are being prompted by online display activity.
Unfortunately for brand owners, the research suggests that more searches are going to generic terms like “package holiday Cyprus” than to the brand itself.
Search needs to be optimised to work with banner advertising, by anticipating searches that are likely to be prompted by the banner and ensure a higher rank for search results.
Although the speed and accuracy digital marketing enjoys is the envy of other marketing channels, the numbers do not always give a true indication.
Just as online is influenced by activity in offline channels, different online channels also seem to have a profound influence on each other.
This research strongly suggests that measuring display activity by CTR alone underestimates the impact of that activity. For every click on a banner, our research implies at least two related searches and a further direct visit to the advertiser’s web site.
Research on the Adviva network conducted by Nielsen/Netratings
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
Near game advertising
Extract from Near-Game Advertising - Intellectual Capital BY Gary Stein March 12, 2007
As gaming's reach has increased, so too has advertiser interest. Who wouldn't be attracted to a channel in which consumers spend hours upon hours each day, heavily involved? Advertising in games has exploded. We've seen a small flurry of interest as companies like Microsoft (buying Massive) and Google (buying Adscape) have made forays, investments, and out-right purchases that got them ('scuse the pun) in the game.
Essentially, the logic around game advertising has followed three paths. That is, you can do one of three things, based on three broad categories of games. Simulation games (especially sport simulation games) allow you to place a relevant product within the game. Tire manufacturers can have their products featured in a NASCAR game, for example. Games with broad landscapes (such as a first-person shooter) allow for simple display advertising; you can buy a virtual billboard.
Finally, there are the deep fantasy games that take place in Middle Earth, the Star Wars universe, or other virtual spaces. These games allow you to do a whole lot of nothing. Sorry. No Yoo-Hoo allowed in Middle Earth.
There's a new category of space quietly growing, however: the passage pages manufacturers offer as consumers access directly from their consoles, such as the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Portal to the Games
The Live Marketplace is an interesting space. In a way, its like a TiVo-style interface to the gaming universe in that it's a portal through which people can get new content or review the choices available to them. To date, there hasn't been too much interest in this sliver of media space. Everyone's been trying to wedge their ads into games. But this spot, while overlooked, could hold a lot of potential.
Consider the behavior around these pass-through spaces. Game consumers specifically go online to see what sorts of things are available to them, be they new games to buy, demos to try, or even video content to consume. This is a group looking for an opportunity to engage with content.
The normal set of tactics -- banners and buttons -- could certainly be extended to this space. But there's also the chance to bring in branded content and even behaviorally targeted ads. Because of the space's nature, a brand could even conduct e-commerce on the site, allowing consumers to purchase actual items via a simple interface.
More important, these middle spaces could represent real opportunities for brands to begin experimenting with that swirling world of games and advertising without having to totally understand all the delicate rules and balances of power brands need to negotiate, and still get plenty of exposure.
All advertisers who consider using video games must be cognizant of a simple rule: don't get in the way of the play. If Lara Croft has to stop and wait while Tony the Tiger dances across the screen, there will be trouble. But if the advertiser follows the rules and puts the logo or brand into a subtle corner, the impression's value begins to dissipate and get lost. How do you ensure you get the ad's value while not damaging the ad vehicle's value?
It's certainly a tough spot to be in, but as you can see with Xbox Live Marketplace and similar opportunities, there are spaces near games where an advertiser can simply be an advertiser. Since these spaces often offer casual, fun games, there may be a way for an advertiser to poke around and experiment with the space while not having to get too deep, too quickly.
Games Are Ad Disruptors
Games are advertising disruptors. Their increasing presence means more time in front of the television is dedicated to a space where the old rules of broadcast are destroyed like a Romulan being attacked by a Borg. That means advertisers who want to get a little slice of that sitting-in-front-of-the-box time must be creative, imaginative, and unafraid.
This doesn't mean advertisers need to be reckless. Instead, they should find the spots that allow them to engage and learn.
As gaming's reach has increased, so too has advertiser interest. Who wouldn't be attracted to a channel in which consumers spend hours upon hours each day, heavily involved? Advertising in games has exploded. We've seen a small flurry of interest as companies like Microsoft (buying Massive) and Google (buying Adscape) have made forays, investments, and out-right purchases that got them ('scuse the pun) in the game.
Essentially, the logic around game advertising has followed three paths. That is, you can do one of three things, based on three broad categories of games. Simulation games (especially sport simulation games) allow you to place a relevant product within the game. Tire manufacturers can have their products featured in a NASCAR game, for example. Games with broad landscapes (such as a first-person shooter) allow for simple display advertising; you can buy a virtual billboard.
Finally, there are the deep fantasy games that take place in Middle Earth, the Star Wars universe, or other virtual spaces. These games allow you to do a whole lot of nothing. Sorry. No Yoo-Hoo allowed in Middle Earth.
There's a new category of space quietly growing, however: the passage pages manufacturers offer as consumers access directly from their consoles, such as the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Portal to the Games
The Live Marketplace is an interesting space. In a way, its like a TiVo-style interface to the gaming universe in that it's a portal through which people can get new content or review the choices available to them. To date, there hasn't been too much interest in this sliver of media space. Everyone's been trying to wedge their ads into games. But this spot, while overlooked, could hold a lot of potential.
Consider the behavior around these pass-through spaces. Game consumers specifically go online to see what sorts of things are available to them, be they new games to buy, demos to try, or even video content to consume. This is a group looking for an opportunity to engage with content.
The normal set of tactics -- banners and buttons -- could certainly be extended to this space. But there's also the chance to bring in branded content and even behaviorally targeted ads. Because of the space's nature, a brand could even conduct e-commerce on the site, allowing consumers to purchase actual items via a simple interface.
More important, these middle spaces could represent real opportunities for brands to begin experimenting with that swirling world of games and advertising without having to totally understand all the delicate rules and balances of power brands need to negotiate, and still get plenty of exposure.
All advertisers who consider using video games must be cognizant of a simple rule: don't get in the way of the play. If Lara Croft has to stop and wait while Tony the Tiger dances across the screen, there will be trouble. But if the advertiser follows the rules and puts the logo or brand into a subtle corner, the impression's value begins to dissipate and get lost. How do you ensure you get the ad's value while not damaging the ad vehicle's value?
It's certainly a tough spot to be in, but as you can see with Xbox Live Marketplace and similar opportunities, there are spaces near games where an advertiser can simply be an advertiser. Since these spaces often offer casual, fun games, there may be a way for an advertiser to poke around and experiment with the space while not having to get too deep, too quickly.
Games Are Ad Disruptors
Games are advertising disruptors. Their increasing presence means more time in front of the television is dedicated to a space where the old rules of broadcast are destroyed like a Romulan being attacked by a Borg. That means advertisers who want to get a little slice of that sitting-in-front-of-the-box time must be creative, imaginative, and unafraid.
This doesn't mean advertisers need to be reckless. Instead, they should find the spots that allow them to engage and learn.
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