editorial
Rich Media Advertising
Keeps Getting Richer
(and More Effective!)
by Jason Scheidt
Internet advertising has come a long way since the first primitive ads appeared over a decade ago. Since the start, the web's unique ability to track and measure ad clicks and interactions solved the classic advertising dilemma stated by department store pioneer John Wanamaker; "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half." Today, thanks to a decade of advances in technology and audience behavior, online advertising has evolved from a curiosity to (I'll argue) the most legitimate medium for reaching today's most desirable audiences with the most compelling and effective campaigns.
As audiences spend less time watching broadcast TV and more time online, the Internet is now delivering the mass audiences required by the top brands. Home broadband connections exceed 55 percent, and users are craving more interactive media experiences when they go online. Thanks to advances from EyeWonder and other rich media vendors, online ads are richer and more effective than ever, delivering the interactive experiences that today's audiences desire.
Today's Internet ads can accomplish more than those of any other single advertising medium. In fact, they can combine the best of TV, print, interactivity and more to drive specific campaign objectives with completely quantifiable results. Six years ago, EyeWonder pioneered the Instant Play Video Ad, which for the first time brought the power and emotion of video to online ads. Today video has been embraced as the future of online advertising. A 2005 Dynamic Logic MarketNorms Study concluded that video ads actually triple the key brand metrics (brand awareness, ad awareness, message association, brand favorability, and purchase intent) compared to standard display ads!
Rich media and video ads can deliver two-way communication with customers. They encourage customer feedback and interaction with the brand that you can't get from any other ad medium. The question facing online advertisers is: how do I use all of today's ad options, formats, features, and placements available to best drive specific actions and results on my next online campaign?
Technology is one thing, but providing the consultation and service that enables agencies and advertisers to best take advantage of new technology is what matters most. The bottom line is that results have to be both measurable and worthwhile. Campaigns that perform best are designed to use the full power of video, rich media and interactivity together to accomplish specific objectives. That's why we go beyond simple branding and direct response categories to break campaign objectives down into four specific areas:
1. Ad / Brand Impact & Awareness
2. Brand Interaction, Education & Favorability
3. Direct Response & Acquisition
4. Brand Endorsement
These individual or combined campaign objectives are best achieved when they are aligned with rich media and video ad formats, features and expertise to drive very specific audience actions. Make sure you partner with a rich media vendor that actively consults with you to put the best rich media products together for each and every one of your unique campaigns. Do that, and your rich media campaigns will dramatically outperform not only your other online ads but your offline advertising as well!
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Jason Scheidt is Director of Marketing at EyeWonder, a leading provider of Rich Media and online video advertising products and services. You may contact EyeWonder at (415) 692-5690 or by emailing: jtokar@eyewonder.com
local stories
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A Hard Rock Cafe print ad, "Fork," by independent agency Duncan/Channon won best of show at the 2006 San Francisco Bay Area Addy awards competition last week. Duncan/Channon executive creative director Robert Duncan said his San Rafael, Calif., agency beat work from San Francisco shops such as Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Publicis & Hal Riney, Venables, Bell & Partners, McCann Erickson and Grey. Other divisional winners were: consumer magazines, Venables, Bell & Partners, "Oz Sticker Insert" for HBO Home Video; elements of advertising, McCann Erickson, "Secret ID" for Microsoft Windows XP; public service, DDB San Francisco, "Children of Shelters" for Children of Shelters; radio, Hub Strategy, for Sling Media; and television, McCann, "Jump Rope," for Microsoft Xbox 360.
Aiming to boost attendance at 81 home games this season, Swirl has created a multimedia campaign for the San Francisco Giants, with television, radio and online ads breaking in the next few weeks, the agency said. Martin Lauber, creative director at the independent San Francisco shop, said none of the people in the TV spots are actors. Print ads show action shots of players such as Barry Bonds and Noah Lowry superimposed over a bright blue sky and the San Francisco cityscape.
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Heard About Town
McCann Erickson has joined the Hewlett-Packard roster, winning business from the client's personal systems group (PSG) in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Africa, HP confirmed. That business had previously been handled by Publicis Worldwide, the client said. Sources said McCann picks up an estimated $200 million in HP billings. HP spends upwards of $1 billion annually on global advertising efforts.
McCann here and in London will provide advertising and marketing for the HP PSG's "Intel-Inside" supported programs for its personal computers, hand-held communications devices and plasma TVs in the regions. The win for the Interpublic Group agency came after a review in which incumbent Publicis Worldwide in London and another roster shop, Omnicom Group's Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, also participated, sources said.
In a statement, the client said McCann was tapped for "select PSG assignments," but stressed that Goodby remains "lead creative agency worldwide" on HP's brand advertising. Zenith Optimedia continues as HP's agency for media planning and placement worldwide. Publicis continues to execute advertising services for the Asia Pacific region, Japan, Canada and Latin America.
Book Recommendation
A new full-colour edition of the world's most highly regarded book on print advertising. Following the success of the first edition, Cutting Edge Advertising II has become the standard global text on print creativity for professionals, marketers and students.
Dozens of new cutting edge print advertisements have been included from the US, UK, Australia and Asia. But that's not all. For the first time, readers will get to see the latest work from the Philippines, South Africa, China and Eastern Europe. The ads are bigger, clearer and bolder. Virtually every ad is shown on a page of its own, making the text easier to read. In addition, new creative voices have been added to the main text.
Reprinted ten times in four years and now revised and updated, this classic book is still the definitive step-by-step guide to creating cutting edge print ads. It covers everything from how advertising works, how brand-building methodologies are changing, how to get an idea, and how copy and art should be crafted.
For more information, please click here
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Correction
Last month's editorial by Andrea Castro of the Latino Agency ran under the title "It's Not About Culture: It's About Language." The title ought to have read "It's Not About Language: It's About Culture." We regret this oversight.
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