Most marketers agree: There is a lot to love about digital as an advertising medium. It is highly targetable, cost efficient, extremely trackable, easy to optimize on the fly, and ever evolving to more effectively buy and serve ads.
Marketers not only love it, but are using it as well. Industry research has found that the average consumer is served 1,700 banner ads per month. With all of this clutter, it begs the question of whether or not consumers are even paying attention to the parade of ads that they are continually inundated with. Communicus data suggests that the answer to this question is: No.
It looks like the marketer and digital media chemistry might not promise a long-term love affair, but can the two at least be friends?
Over the past four years, Communicus has seen a trend of softening engagement with digital executions – banner ads, page takeovers, and games. As the digital space becomes more cluttered, consumers are familiar with the deluge of ads and are getting better at ignoring them. All of the advanced buying, serving, and tracking technology is irrelevant if consumers aren’t paying attention to the creative when given the exposure opportunity.
The good news is that strong creative can help to overcome some of the engagement challenges that are present in the digital space today. The first strategy that can help brand advertisers is to keep digital creative simple and clean. This applies both to the creative approach and to messaging. Simple creative tends to outperform busy executions or executions that are trying to convey multiple messages. Also, consumers can digest simple creative with a brief glance, without having to watch an entire Flash ad to get the main message.
The most engaging digital executions are well integrated with more broad based media – particularly TV. Another valuable approach: Leveraging common imagery, themes, and characters from TV spots into the digital space often increases the odds of consumers engaging with a digital execution.
Lastly, using brand-linked equities within the digital space can help to increase digital effectiveness. Given all of the clutter within the medium, consumers are unlikely to work hard to figure out what product or brand an ad is for, much less pay attention to the message. Make it easy for consumers by leading your ad with obvious brand cues and equities.
While digital is still a very valuable medium, it is not the magic bullet that many marketers would like it to be. As with any maturing medium, marketers will face new challenges as digital evolves. Identifying challenges early and working strategically to address them can help ensure online success. It’s crucial for marketers to get to know digital media warts and all, turning a mere fling into a long-lasting, fruitful partnership.
