An unfortunate reality today is that people may love certain brands, but not many are interested in their digital advertisements. They can come across as attention-hungry; a turnoff to most, so people fight back with ad blockers and other ad-averse settings. Which poses the question: is it possible for marketers to create mobile ads that compel rather than repel?
Kargo knows it is, and that belief is backed up by research, that shows that not only is it possible to create likable ads, but that the likable ads are far more memorable and effective. Dr. Manuel Garcia-Garcia of the ARF (Advertising Research Foundation) confirmed those findings at the ARF Audience Measurement Conference 2017 with research that illustrated the critical importance of creating mobile ads that don't interfere with the consumer experience. Ever.
The ARF setup two studies: one to measure early branding and a call-to-action in mobile video, and the other to compare four different mobile ad formats (a pre-roll, an in-stream unit, a pop-up, and “payoff” unit that provides an incentive).
The results?
Brand Early.
The video unit with branding right at the beginning of the ad captured the highest visual attention. Out of the total amount of time on-screen, viewers looked at the ad with early branding for 64% of the time it was on the screen, compared to 52% of time in the control cell.
Don’t Disrupt.
Of the four ad formats tested, the pop-up ad was viewed for the shortest amount of time. On average, the 15 second pop-up was in view for less than two seconds. That means only 10% of it was watched before the user frantically found the “X” button to close it out. Unsurprisingly, pop-up units also created the strongest negative response.
Brand Recall = Favorability
Brand recall was the highest for non-disruptive ads. When users are disrupted, they pay less attention to the ad, and it’s of a lower value to advertisers. In fact, brand recall directly aligned with how long the less intrusive unit was noticed on-screen.
Non-disruptive ad experiences give brands a much greater likelihood of not just being viewed, but perceived favorably and remembered by users, too.
