The future is digital media... everyone knows that. But is online advertising as effective as everyone thinks it is? Maybe not, according to a recent study conducted by comScore, media agency Starcom USA, and the ad network Tacoda, owned by AOL. The study's results found that:
- Just 6% of Web surfers ccount for more than 50% of all clicks on display ads (i.e. banner ads)
- The majority of these "heavy clickers" earn less than $40,000 and account for less than 15% of the actual shopping online
What does this mean for sports marketers and property reps? Well, simple online banner advertising may not be as great of an asset as people once thought. Therefore, we need to get more creative with using our online ad space to drive promotions/sweepstakes, offers for customized products, and other initiatives that engage consumers.
How is the industry reacting to these findings?
- Google is rolling out a new tool that allows advertisers to pay only when they acquire new customers (i.e. a person who purchases or signs up for a mailing list)
- Microsoft has developed a system that allows advertisers to pay based on the amount of consumers that watch a video, provide their email address, or act in another manner the corporate advertiser desires.
Here are some examples of great banner ads that I have recently seen:
