The Realise approach to Online advertising

Consumers do not trust advertising. Messages attributed to a commercial source have much lower credibility and much lower impact on the perception of product quality than the same message attributed to a rating service. Forrester Research has completed studies that show that advertising and company sponsored blogs are the leasttrusted source of information on products and services, while recommendations from friends and online reviews from customers are the highest. Consumers do not want to view advertising. Think of watching network TV news and remember that the commercials on all the major networks are as closely synchronized as possible. Why? If network executives believed we all wanted to see the ads they would be staggered, so that users could channel surf to view the ads; ads are synchronized so that users cannot channel surf to avoid the ads. Consumers do not need advertising. My own research suggests that consumers behave as if they get much of their information about product offerings.

right brain left brain harmony The Realise approach to Online advertising Offline’s ugly cousin Losing the popularity contest Consumers do not trust advertising. Messages attributed to a commercial source have much lower credibility and much lower impact on the perception of product quality than the same message attributed to a rating service. Forrester Research has completed studies that show that advertising and company sponsored blogs are the least-trusted source of information on products and ser vices, while recommendations from friends and online reviews from customers are the highest. Consumers do not want to view advertising. Think of watching network TV news and remember that the commercials on all the major networks are as closely synchronized as possible. Why? If network executives believed we all wanted to see the ads they would be staggered, so that users could channel surf to view the ads; ads are synchronized so that users cannot chan- nel surf to avoid the ads. Consumers do not need advertising. My own research suggests that consumers behave as if they get much of their information about product offer- ings from the internet, through independent professional rating sites like dpreview.com or community content rating services like Ratebeer.com or TripAdvisor Eric Clemons, NY Times, March 09. Advertising blindness. Audiences have learned how to filter out the intrusive (Nielson eyetracking research). They’re not just avoiding advertising, but things that resemble advertising. There is hope It’s not all bad news You are 5x more likely to convert in a banner than convert on a site as a result of clicking on a standard banner. The inclusion of an incentive, such as a giveaway or access to exclusive content, will positively impact the data capture rates. Consumers are nearly 8x more likely to fill in a form in a banner then click on it . 34% of unique users who interact will fill in form details within a banner. Popular rich media formats are showing 2.5x uplift in the ability to generate conversions over standard display inventory. One can measure an increase in search activity as a result of display advertising that is sustained for a sizeable amount of time. Messages clearly resonate. Eyeblaster research 09. It’s early days There are few experts so quality is low. Many advertisers making schoolboy errors. History shows that people like great advertising. So how can be more impactful? Turn heads Be attractive and pleasing to the eye. Without being gratuitous or sensationalist. The viewer should want to look not have to look. [...]... sure you understand the audience Put the right message in the right place Say something that provokes a response Make it unexpected Challenge the expectations of the viewer Show them something unfamiliar Leave them thinking about your adver tising History repeats itself The men who are going to be in business tomorrow are the men who understand that the future, as always, belongs to the brave.” Bill... learn Respond to the analytical results of your work Look at the way the audience interact and ask questions Read between the lines and you can improve efficiency, Remove barriers Look at the reasons people wouldn’t buy from you Find ways to turn those inhibitors into benefits Challenge their views and contradict perceptions Strange shapes are interesting Banners are ver y angular and often the content... Rollovers don’t have to roll out at right angles Page overlays don’t have to be page shaped Entertain It’s still the best way to be liked Get a move on No one has time to wait for you’re point to be made The audience is busy, you’re a distraction, so be quick 2 seconds is good, 3 second is OK, 4 seconds is eternity Don’t squeeze too much in The Full page press ad won’t squeeze into a banner Create... your message doesn’t mean the audience can Be honest, is the message simple enough, will they get it? Don’t be afraid of the B word Your brand is often more impor tant than your products People want to know about you as well as what you do Not being salesy can improve the chance of generating sales Make big waves The impact of the adver tising should create ripples around the web People should be... printing it Picture perfect Anyone can use a stockshot Few people notice them Photography can add gravity, provenance and impact to your message Use images that captivate the eye Open spaces Just because you’ve paid for 468*60 pixels doesn’t mean you have to utilise ever y single one A message requires breathing space The eye likes to see a frame Jurassic Park There’s only so much you can achieve on a... interactive Give viewers a reason to get involved Make the interaction rewarding and enjoyable Capture data and star t a relationship Innovate with software Think about the way the message is created and presented Use software to create depth, dimension and movement Create an interface that is intuitive, dynamic and usable ypography is alive Although many online designers are tr ying to kill it Use great fonts... much in The Full page press ad won’t squeeze into a banner Create executions specifically for online It’s a good discipline to do your online first Keep changing Familiarity breeds contempt Multiple variations in a campaign keep the viewer engaged But make sure each execution is better than the last Put the audience first Messages that are about me, me, me, me have far less impact than messages that... budget allows If the video looks cheap it cheapens the brand Be iconic Develop a strong visual style Be instantly recognisable But evolve over time Lightness of touch It’s not just about bold colours, bold fonts, bold images and bold statements Simplicity can be just as powerful Quick to respond Production and upload times mean you can react in real time and make your messages topical Adding greater... tising History repeats itself The men who are going to be in business tomorrow are the men who understand that the future, as always, belongs to the brave.” Bill Bernbach right brain left brain harmony realise. com