Twelve percent of the total US population own or use a tablet, and another 11% of the population is expected to get one in 2012, according to a new study by the Online Publishers Association (OPA). This means that 54 million people in the United States will be using a tablet by 2012.
This is a game changer for the online publishing and advertising industries, as tablets are expected to replace PCs as the dominant medium for consuming online content. According to the research, 87% of users spend the largest share of their time on the tablet consuming content. Ninety-three percent of users have downloaded an app, and the average user has 20 apps on their device.
One of the best opportunities for advertisers in this phenomenal growth in the use of tablets is the touch screen. The touch screen creates a user experience that is hard to match by traditional online advertising on PC. According to the OPA, 43% of the survey respondents said that they found tablet advertising within newspaper and magazine apps to be relevant, unique and interesting.
When looking at the new ad units on a tablet, it is hard not to agree. This award-winning ad for the popular USA Network show ‘White Collar’ leverages touch to create a game that lets you be an active participant in solving crime and take part in the show. This interactive iPad demo lets you scan the New York Times for clues and break the criminal cypher to unlock bonus video footage from the upcoming season. Users just have to move the iPad image using their fingertips.
Another great example is the Interactive Video Ad for Avatar. The campaign from Fox Home Entertainment allows fans to preview exclusive scenes and behind-the-scenes footage in a way that befits the film's augmented-reality-based plot.
By tapping on an interactive banner ad, users can use their fingers to drag six exclusive clips from the Blu-ray release and view them on top of the web page's content. All of the videos are resizable and can play simultaneously. The use of touch rather than a mouse augments the user experience and makes the ad much more impactful.
These ads are only the tip of the iceberg. As tablets become more prevalent, we are going to see more and more ads take advantage of the unique user experience that tablets enable. Is it time for a new metric called Tap Through Rate?
