Compare digital advertising to every other form of advertising media. There are classic TV commercials. We have all cut an ad out of our favorite magazine. There are plenty of radio jingles that have stuck in my head. Newspapers and roadside billboards have had their moments but have been limited in their ability to connect with an audience. Direct mail is, well, for direct response.
Digital advertising has not and, I will be bold enough to say, will not have a standard IAB unit that people will remember as great advertising. It does not matter how targeted the ad is. It does not provide a canvas for the advertiser to tell their story in an engaging way.
What does?
Content Marketing - Sponsored stories. This is the winner for mobile as incorporating advertiser content within the stream layout of a mobile page has proven most effective. It is targeted and relevant not based on user data but as complimentary to the content and publisher environment in which it is delivered.
But what if my story is not best told through words?
Big, Splashy Ads. Everybody "hates" these because they get in the way of the audience visiting the site but they notice them. And they do give a great canvas for advertisers to tell their story with photos, videos, and interactive elements that consumers can engage with.
Take a look at these can't miss home page take overs:
- H-Unit: http://goo.gl/aFJN24
- Theater Unit: http://goo.gl/HfHBmD
- Cascade: http://goo.gl/ki29U3
- Window Blinders: http://goo.gl/plxaed
- Video-Stitial – Served before page view: bit.ly/1pZIbwY
The bottom line is that standard digital advertising will be as effective as highly targeted direct mail. Probably more so. Winner for the IAB Standard units, data targeting and exchanges.
If an advertiser wants to make a connection with a consumer they are going to need to create custom content that fits with the channel where they are reaching their audience. If their story is best told with words it will be with custom content. If it is visual and interactive it will be through reach out and grab you ads. This is how the digital medium will best be leveraged since it offers advantages that no other medium does giving it the potential for advertising that will be remembered.
