Dubai: Be careful where your ad shows up. Nearly 60 per cent of the Gulf’s online users are more likely to “trust” a brand advertised on a premium website. And 52 per cent believe they will make a purchase of a product shown on such platforms, according to a survey.

“The results confirm that getting the audience attention is not enough, the environment in which you reach your audience — premium and clean vs social and cluttered — is equally important,” said Jerome Mouthon, chairman of Buzzeff MEA.

“Brands in the region are becoming more aware of this reality especially with the critical brand safety issues faced by the industry since 2017. Digital advertising can put the brand equity at stake, marketers should be vigilant and require from their partners premium, viewable and safe advertising.”

In the UAE, In the UAE, 65 per cent of respondents said they are more likely to watch advertisements that do not interfere with their online experience, and 76 per cent claimed they are more likely to watch an advertisement that is relevant to the content or article that they are reading online.

“The results highlight the importance of user-friendly advertising and contextual advertising relevancy,” said Mouthon.

“A type of advertising that has been known for its user-friendly formats is viewable outstream advertising. It consists of advertisements appearing within the heart of the editorial content, and only playing when in view of the user. This way, brands know that they are not only reaching their target audience in a seamless way, but their content is being organically viewed by an engaged audience.”