From AdAge: Why Most Digital Ads Still Fail to Work

I was presenting to one of our major clients yesterday, and one of the learnings we pointed out was that Flash ads do not necessarily outperform static image ads, even if they're "flashy". The article below may provide some insights on how to make your digital ads translate better to response. Remember, online advertising is NOT meant to deliver all your marketing copy points. They're meant to drive you to click and bring you TO the place where you deliver your marketing message.

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Creative Efforts Often Don't Suit Digital, Neglect Research

Posted by Philip W. Sawyer on 01.27.10 @ 12:33 PM

Philip W. Sawyer

In 2005, CNET undertook a series of landmark online-advertising-effectiveness studies with Starch Communications to identify the best approaches to online advertising. CNET made the research public, offering presentations throughout the country and on its website.

How effective is digital advertising today? As lead analyst for those studies, I'll be blunt: Many digital advertisers make the same mistakes that the least effective advertisers made five years ago. The medium isn't to blame. The problems are due to creative efforts that do not suit the medium and the refusal to employ research tools that can identify creative problems and how to fix them.

Here are seven mistakes that, research tells us, afflict so many digital ads today.

1. They are too complex.
To digital advertisers: Most people aren't as interested in your products and services as you are; avoid the details. To interest them, attract their eye with uncluttered visual displays and concise, to-the-point headlines and body copy. In short: Keep it simple.

2. They take too long to get to the point.
Yes, the viewer is watching a screen. But they're not at the movies -- they're not waiting for the credits to roll and the good stuff to start. Effective internet advertisers register their brands, post their messages quickly and avoid the long build-up with teaser words and images, which irritate and, worse, alienate the audience.

3. They are ambiguous.
Americans don't go to advertising to raise questions. They want answers. When internet ads generate thoughts that begin, "I wonder what..." or "Why are they..." or "What the hell...," they've missed their opportunity. Some digital advertisers believe that ambiguity arouses curiosity and product interest, but the research indicates that advertising effectiveness and uncertainty are usually mutually exclusive.

4. They are visually bland -- or, worse, ugly.
The research demonstrates that the eye is drawn to sharp, clear, colorful pictures; yet many digital advertisers offer muted, abstract photography or a visual cacophony of verbiage and images. With photographs, present one clear focal-point to entice the eye; employ strong, primary colors; and, if possible, heighten contrast by using black for the background.

5. They use Flash for the sake of Flash -- not for a clear purpose.
Static ads often perform better than flash ads. Why? The online world is divided into two kinds of advertisers: the quick and the dead. Effective static ads don't have the luxury to distract the visitor with Flash; rather, they're forced to rely on simple images to attract the eye and on simply-stated messages for the mind, exactly what most online travelers are looking for.

6. They are often difficult, if not impossible, to read.
Some digital advertisers unwisely borrow from some of the most egregious print ads, which were created by people who are not aware that uniformity of font size and style, not VaRIabIlitY, is the key to legibility. The most effective digital ads use one font style, in one size, well spaced and in lower case. (All-caps copy demands too much effort.)

7. They are bereft of benefit statements.
The vast majority of advertisers in all media are more comfortable listing features not benefits. The importance of this point cannot be overstated: There is one primary question that drives purchase interest in any product in any medium, and it is, "What's in it for me?" Clearly and concisely answer that question, and you'll win their hearts and minds.

One last point: The internet traveler usually has a clear purpose: to read e-mail, to get medical information, to book a flight to Bermuda ... Time moves quickly for people on a mission. Distract them without a quick payoff, and you're likely to irritate them -- rarely a goal of any advertising campaign.

Digital advertising isn't working very well, but don't blame the medium. The fault lies in the creative. Exploit the research possibilities available to you -- especially web analytics -- and you can create powerful advertising that can turn your business around.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Philip W. Sawyer is an advertising effectiveness consultant for Conversion Associates, a digital analytics company located in Allston, Mass. The company's goal is to lead in the innovation, development and production of software applications to make digital analytics easier and have more of an impact on business decision-making.

10 Tips to Keep Your PPC(From Web Marketing Today)

Paid Search

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10 Tips for Ad Refinement -- Ways to Keep Your PPC Ads Fresh Christine Churchill , KeyRelevance.com - Dec 8, 2009

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When the economy is tough, small businesses with tight budgets need to find new ways to stretch their advertising dollars. One method is to refine ads to keep them fresh and unique.

Before you write any ads, survey the competition's ads that are currently running for your keywords. You don't want to copy their ads, but want to know what they are doing so you can do something different. Knowing what the competitors' ads look like helps you craft ads that stand out. The following are some proven techniques to help differentiate your ad from the pack.

1. Add seasonality to your ads

Many marketers are lazy. They run the same ads year round despite the changing of the seasons and holidays. Taking the time to update your ads to work in holidays or seasons can bring a big return. Ads that reflect the current holiday better connect with consumers and help catch their attention. Consumers know your offer is current -- and since the holiday is on their mind, your ad speaks to them directly.

2. Include mention of a special deal

Shoppers love getting a special rate or price for items they were going to buy anyway. If your ad mentions a limited time offer or a special online price, you increase the likelihood that a shopper will select your ad from the others. Do you offer free shipping -- or free Wi-Fi (if you're a hotel)? Then include it.

3. Break the mold in your ad copy

Ask a question that addresses a need. "Need more widgets? We have them in all colors." Questions help pull consumers into your ad and get their attention. Another copywriting technique that grabs readers' attention is to create ad copy that is a bit offbeat or so bizarre that the reader is compelled to click on the ad to learn more. Be aware that this technique can be easily overdone, so use it sparingly.

4. Customize the ad with geo-terms whenever possible

Including specific geographical terms into your ads, such as names of cities, towns, and neighborhoods. This lets consumers know that you're serving their local region.

5. Use Ad Sitelinks where possible

Google is currently running a beta test using sitelinks in an ad. Sitelinks are additional links to content deep within your site. Since this is an experimental program, not everyone can participate. You can see an example of an ad with site links in the graphic below.

Learn more about Google AdWords Sitelinks online. If you are eligible to participate, the extra links are a great way to differentiate your ad and attract consumers' attention.

6. Run multiple ads

It is always surprising to learn how many advertisers don't take advantage of the analytical tools built into the Google PPC interface. They create one ad and run it. A better way would be to create multiple ads and let the consumer tell you which is the most effective ad based on performance. Since search engines make it easy to test multiple ads, there's no reason to pre-filter ads. Let the data be your guide. You might be surprised which ads win.

7. Use different media beyond the search network

If all your competitors are doing keyword-based search ads and you don't have the budget to compete, consider alternatives. The Google AdWords content network on non-search engine websites is vastly improved and allows much greater advertiser control than when it was first launched. Test out the content network in a separate campaign to explore if it might be a great place for your product. Other alternatives might be branded videos or mobile ads. These areas are not as saturated as the search results ad space and may allow a nimble small business to get a good return.

8. Work certifications, awards, or memberships into the ad copy

If your company has a 5-star rating or has won an award, flaunt it in the ad. Membership in BBB or AAA can also grab consumers' eyes and make your ad stand out. On websites we call these "trust seals." They instill confidence in the consumer that you are a legitimate company.

9. Identify what makes your company unique and include that in the ad

Why should consumers choose to do business with your company? What makes your company better than your competitors? If you can succinctly identify your company's unique selling proposition (USP), you can differentiate your company from the herd. If your company has been in business for 50 years, use that. McDonald's converts many a family by telling them how many burgers they have served. You may be able to include only an abbreviated mention of your USP in the ad, but don't worry. You can expand on it in the landing page.

10. Test running your ad with a phone number, if appropriate

Some consumers would prefer to speak directly to a human to ask questions about products or services. Including a phone number reduces your CTR, but could increase your conversions. If you use a phone number, be sure to track "offline conversions" by connecting the phone number back to the ad and keyword. Not tracking the phone number will leave a hole in your analytics and cause you to make decisions on incomplete information.

Try a few of these approaches to freshen your ads. They might just help you freshen your profits, too.

Christine Churchill is the President of KeyRelevance.com, a full service Dallas search engine marketing company that specializes in helping businesses succeed online. Christine and her experienced team of online marketers provide a holistic approach to marketing: increasing a site's visibility online, improving the user experience on the site, and maximizing the site's conversion potential.

From AdAge Digital: Bringing Back CREATIVE in Online Advertising

I've never been a fan of online banner ads, nor an avid fan of Apple products. I do look up to them though for their creativity and innovation. Maybe it's the pompousness and the eliteness of Apple that turns me off. And maybe it's the intrusiveness of banner advertising that I don't believe in. But I'm definitely a fan of sparks of creativity especially when recognition is due. 

Happy reading!

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Apple Ads Breathe New Life Into Online Creative

TBWA/Media Arts Lab's 'Mac Vs. PC' Synched Banners Inspire Sharing Among Consumers

By Abbey Klaassen 

Published: March 30, 2009

Illustration: Pete McDonell

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- At an industry conference almost a year ago, Lee Clow, chairman and chief creative officer of TBWA/Media Arts Lab, deplored the state of online ad creative as "semi-nowhere." It's fitting, then, that arguably the most creative banner-ad execution of the past 12 months came from Mr. Clow's shop.

The ads, for Apple's Leopard operating system and its "Mac vs. PC" campaign, started showing up in spring 2008 in the form of synched ad banners running on NYtimes.com. In the fall, they started running on sites such as Yahoo Games, where iPhone ads appeared to interact with the content of the page -- game play got so intense it "busted" the navigation bar of the page on which the ad appeared.

It was enough to inspire what is perhaps the ultimate reward for compelling advertising: consumer distribution. Fans of the "Mac vs. PC" creative on NYtimes.com, for example, captured videos of the ads' animation and uploaded them to YouTube where, collectively, they got tens of thousands of more views.

Apple and Media Arts Lab weren't the first to use such tactics. Synched banners have been around for years -- an early version of an Applebee's ad ran on iVillage a few years ago. And last summer Nintendo ran a trailer on YouTube for Wii's "Warioland" game, in which the game's action busted up the entire page's navigation (the game has received 5.2 million views on the video-sharing site). But with Apple, creativity has been a consistent theme in all its web ads. And let's not forget it was only a year ago -- in this same issue -- that Ad Age wrote about the brand's paltry investment in online ads.

"Most online advertising still feels like it is a result of a conversation about click rates and the tactics of grabbing attention through gimmicks, as if tricking people to engage is a measure of true success," Mr. Clow told Ad Age via e-mail recently. "But I believe creativity should be our filter. I want to see artists and idea people find more influence in this space."

Saving online ads
His point of view has been gaining steam lately. The "semi-nowhere" remark last year was a prologue to the recent conversation about the dearth of online ad creativity. That discussion itself lies within a larger debate: Can online advertising, a once-promising medium whose momentum has slowed, be saved?

WORK

Rich-media ads with a twist tout the iPhone as a gaming device: When the user tilts the device, the web page's navigation bar follows along.

When the web was conceived as a potential marketing medium, it had little to offer besides two-way interaction via the mouse and, thus, the click was born as a proxy for effectiveness.

The conversation about clicks is not a pretty one these days -- fewer than 0.1% of display ads are clicked on, according to ComScore. And bemoaning dropping click-through rates as a sign display ads are dying is a big part of the problem.

"Simply put, we need a creative renaissance in interactive advertising," Randy Rothenberg, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, challenged the industry at his association's recent annual meeting. "Because of our direct-response heritage, we've toiled under the tyranny of the click for too long. ... We simply have got to emerge from under the shadow of our technological wizardry and start paying attention to the power of great creativity."

But few are doing that. According to PointRoll, the rich-media provider that worked with TBWA/Media Arts Lab on the ads, only about 5% of online ads served today include some sort of rich media. Why so few? Reasons range from budget (rich-media ads are more expensive to run) to the fact some publishers don't accept a full range of rich-media ads, making them difficult to scale.

Engagement is possible
Catherine Spurway,VP-strategy and marketing at PointRoll, said about 6% of users who see PointRoll-served ads interact with them, whether by mousing over them for at least a few seconds or performing some sort of activity within the ad unit, showing that when creative is good and engaging, people will engage with it. Online isn't passive, she said, and "people should be able to engage with advertising the way they do the rest of the net."

Ultimately the Apple ads work, both online and off, because they're the starting point of a story. AKQA co-Chief Creative Officer Lars Bastholm called this concept "social storytelling" and said it's even more essential online, since the water cooler is built into the system. The users that took the time to capture video of the ads on NYtimes.com and upload them to YouTube were continuing the conversation that TBWA/Media Arts Lab started.

Figuring out how to "let emotional ideas live naturally" is still something most brands struggle with, Mr. Clow said. In his mind, it's not just about embracing the rational utilities of this space -- search, information and functionality -- something most brands are still trying to figure out. It's also about creating desirable content that works for the audience and the environment.

"That is the stuff that gets discovered and posted on YouTube," he said. "Because when you lead with being surprising or fun, people will pass your ideas around. But if brands force themselves into the wrong spaces, they will be called out or ignored."

MOST IMPORTANT DIGITAL LESSON I'VE LEARNED

Expand the definition of contextual targeting.

"Being contextual sometimes also means being aware of the 'physical' space," said Lee Clow, chairman and chief creative officer TBWA/Media Arts Lab. "The Touch ad actually used elements of the website to mimic the physical behavior of playing a game on the device itself. The intention of these ideas can't be a gimmick for technology's sake but a way to help with the storytelling of the idea."