do you recall?

December 01, 2009

While the battle between traditional and new media rages on, the question is, just how effective is online advertising?.....

Take online banner ads for example. Their scope is clearly already far greater than traditional media, when you consider the capabilities of these banners to expand, change shape, move around and even wrap your entire screen. They are almost completely unavoidable.

In an attempt to measure the success of this ‘in-your-face’ advertising, Nielsen have produced new research data indicating that up to a third of the Australian consumers exposed to an online advertisement are able to recall that advertisement when asked to do so. This research was based upon 100,000 respondents, 41% of whom were able to link the correct brand to the unbranded advertisement. Clearly its effectiveness is unquestionably high.

In addition to the seemingly subliminal effectiveness of online banner ads, there is the added benefit of the quantifiable evidence that flows from it.
Offline or traditional advertising (ie: outdoor, radio and TV) is, by comparison, very difficult to measure. Advertisers are now able to revel in ability to monitor the number of click-throughs they receive, thus giving them specific and measurable data to prove (or disprove) the value of their ad.

Add to all this the observation that the intention to purchase a product or service increased by 4.9 percent following exposure to an online ad campaign. Based on this evidence, even those of us who can’t stand the incessant pop-up distraction, can comprehend the value of such a tool.

Perhaps the battle is almost won....