Banners ‘advertising medium of future’ says Adlink report
Banner ads do work, according to the first independent pan-European study of online advertising effectiveness.
Just under half of online consumers believe banner advertising has a viable future, according to the “Banner brand impact study” from Adlink.
Undertaken in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden and Spain, the survey of 500 online users (split equally between male and female) used sample banners for a range of industries, including automotive, travel, information technology and information services. A single, uniform banner from the automotive sector was tested in each country to act as a control mechanism.
The study showed that in many cases, banner advertising was perceived as having informational value to Internet users rather than merely trying to sell them something. This was particularly the case in Germany, where 47 per cent did not regard banner advertising as a pure selling tool.
The research also showed that banners are often viewed as a means of accessing the advertiser’s website. Between 79 per cent (UK) and 93 per cent (Sweden) of those questioned said they click on a banner “occasionally to frequently” because it catches their attention or helps them obtain additional information.
Up to 48 per cent of those questioned described banners as “the advertising medium of the future”.
Adlink UK managing director Richard Holman says the survey “clearly indicates that Internet banner ads make a major impact on Web consumers, and are destined to play a pivotal role in the future of advertising communications.”
