Findings defy conventional wisdom and standard ad pricing based on ad dimensions
NEW YORK – Lotame, a platform enabling targeted advertising to customizable audiences through social data, revealed surprising results of a recent study comparing the impact of different online ads. The study, based on 148.3 million ads served in 2009, demonstrated a distinct advantage for 300 x 250 “medium rectangle” ads over the 728 x 90 “leaderboard” format typically found at the top of a page, and 160 x 600 “skyscraper” ads.
While relative advertising rates for the three ad sizes vary according to the Website, page position and other factors, few if any reflect the distinct differences in the average time spent viewing each ad size. Of the ads studied by Lotame, internet users spent an average of 13 seconds viewing each medium rectangle, 5.4 seconds viewing each leaderboard, and 1.9 seconds viewing each skyscraper.
“Advertisers plan campaigns and buy ads based on traditionally accepted criteria including size and placement, but the data clearly shows that the rates commonly charged for each ad type don’t accurately reflect the impact delivered to the audience,” said Scott Hoffman, CMO for Lotame. “Thanks to the same technology that uncovered these findings, Lotame can eliminate questions around what ad types deliver the most value and help advertisers design campaigns that deliver demonstrable impact.”
In order to accurately measure the impact of the time spent with an ad, Lotame’s Exposure Tracker technology counts the time that a user actually spends viewing an ad without counting time when the ad is obscured, minimized or scrolled out of view. By accurately monitoring and combining the time each user spends with the ad in plain sight, Lotame can measure the actual impact on the desired audience. In this way, Time Spent removes the single biggest flaw of traditional display advertising – the fact that an “impression” may not make any impression at all.
Lotame’s Crowd Control platform enables brands to target consumers based on interests that have been actively and recently demonstrated through social Web activity such as blogging, uploading pictures, commenting, watching a video, etc. Lotame then factors in multiple data points including age, gender and frequency – all completely anonymous – to create a robust stable of user profiles that enable brands to target their messages to engaged consumers. In addition, Lotame can measure the impact of every campaign by gauging the increase in social activity on the subject of the campaign, demonstrating that the message was received and internalized by the defined audience.
About Lotame
Lotame provides a platform for easily building and addressing customizable consumer audiences based on social activity in addition to implied or stated interests. Lotame has specifically designed its patented Crowd Control platform to take full advantage of the unique attributes of social data, using participation and user generated content as a foundation for improved campaign performance. Lotame is a member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Please visit www.lotame.com for more information.
