Study: Ads out of context are effective
Cory Bergman September 28th, 2007
This is fascinating. Yahoo and MediaVest just released a study that found that “ads displayed out of context had roughly the same impact on brand preference as identical placements shown next to related content.” So for example, they measured consumer reaction to the gourmet coffee product Tassimo. The ads ran in Yahoo’s food section as well as in Yahoo News. Brand affinity increased 26 percent among users who saw the ads in the food section compared to 21 percent for the news section. A little higher, but not by much. (And note the study did not measure clicks, which historically have shown to be significantly higher when targeted.) Writes Brian Morrissey in MediaPost, “It suggests some softness in the long-held belief that ads shown in context are more valuable than those seen out of context… With new targeting tools, it is easier than ever to find specific audiences, such as foodies, wherever they are online, rather than only on food-related sites.”
2 Comments Add your own
1. Safran | September 28th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
The key message isn’t that “It doesn’t matter if the ad is in context or not.” The message is “we have to target the person who cares about the ad wherever they are.” The lead is this quote:
“With new targeting tools, it is easier than ever to find specific audiences, such as foodies, wherever they are online, rather than only on food-related sites.”
In other words, no - it doesn’t matter if a food ad is on the Food Network site. But it does matter if it hits a “foodie” as opposed to a car person. The article is a little misleading up to that point - a cursory glance would indicate that ads out of context are as effective as in-context ads. Not so.
2. Rocker | September 28th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
This also highlights the differences between brand equity/awareness building as an objective and direct response. I am pretty sure that if clicks/sales are the metric, ads in context will perform better.
This is really an argument for a balanced/nuanced approach to online media planning, balanced according to tactical needs. Need to stimulate immediate sales? Context. Have a longer-term goal of growing margins? Reach. Some combination of both.
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