“Does anyone actually look at banners?” No matter how many dozens of advertising effectiveness research papers show that display advertising works, some people still shrug their shoulders and mutter, “I just don’t remember ever looking at banners.” Often referred to as “banner blindness,” industry bigwigs claim that people look at the content and ignore the banners. But, a new research from the Online Publishers Association (OPA), an organization that represents the major US online publishers, should convert even fiercest skeptic.
Using eye tracking technology, the OPA tested to see whether people actually viewed the ads that were presented to them on a page that they were browsing. In addition, the researchers used biometric testing to track the participants’ emotional response by monitoring their breath and heart rate. The biometric testing is similar to a lie detector test, and signifies a positive or negative emotional response.
The results were staggering, with 96% of participants paying attention to the ads that were presented to them during a natural browsing experience. Furthermore, 90% of participants noticed the ads during the first 10 seconds of uploading the page. In fact, on average, it took participants less than one second to notice the banner.
Another important finding is that most participants look at the ad on the page multiple times. The OPA researchers found that 67% of participants view the ad both during the first 10 seconds after loading the page and view it again during the following 10 seconds. On average, participants have fixated their eyes on the banners 15 times.
When measuring the emotional response, the OPA found that participants responded to the banners in a similar manner to other parts of the page. However, users who viewed the ad again after the first 10 seconds exhibited elevated emotional response. Users also rated the ads favorably overall, giving them self reporting rating of 6.3 out of 9.
This is an important research that ends years of myths and wrong notions about display advertising. Unlike much of the previous research, which looked at outcomes and tracked what users were doing after viewing the ad, the OPA research has taken a direct approach. This rigorous methodology used by the OPA allows us to see through users’ eyes how they engage with banner ads.
Advertisers tend to focus on the interactivity of online ads, and typically narrow their measurements to Dwell, clicks and conversions. The evidence here shows that online display advertising has more to offer than just interactivity and direct response—sight may be as important as touch.
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There have been many similar eye-tracking studies and all have said that people's eye's move over the ad. Banner blindness does not indicate failure to see ads, but failure to consciously notice them. That people reacted emotionally in a similar fashion to the rest of the page at first, but not when they intentionally viewed them later, is surely proof they did NOT consciously notice the ad at first.
Furthermore, let's remember who did the survey - OPA - a bunch of people with a vested interest in selling ads. What did we expect them to discover? That their primary revenue source was a waste of time? Of course, their survey supports their sales proposition.
Let's get real here. Academic research which has nothing to gain from any conclusion, run on exactly the same basis, has consistently shown the opposite. A bunch of people trying to sell advertising say the opposite and this is somehow the definitive answer...
[...] Using Online Publishers Association data, Eyeblaster's Ariel Geifman goes off on display ad banner blindness in a piece on iMedia Connection. He concludes, "Advertisers tend to focus on the interactivity of online ads, and typically narrow their measurements to Dwell, clicks and conversions. The evidence here shows that online display advertising has more to offer than just interactivity and direct response—sight may be as important as touch." Read more. [...]
Bob, I won't disagree with you but I would ask if you would link to some of the case studies that have consistently shown the opposite.
I managed display advertising across the automotive industry. For as many measurements showing that it was having a positive impact on brand awareness and traffic to our networks of sites, at the same time there were measurements showing it held little ground for directional marketing.
Display advertising has always been a difficult medium to truly measure.
Bob,
A research by comScore called “How Online Advertising Works: Whither The Click?” has similar findings, with a different technique.
http://www.mediametrix.com/Press_Events/Presentations_Whitepapers/2008/How_Online_Advertising_Works_Whither_The_Click
According to comScore, the display campaigns yielded a 46% lift in advertiser websites visits, over a four week period. In addition, exposed users are 38% more likely to conduct an advertiser related branded keyword search, over a four week period and are 27% more likely to make a purchase online. Furthermore, exposed users are 17% more likely to make a purchase at the advertiser’s retail store.