Hit and miss rules when it comes to digital ads

In the digital world it has always been the case that we are free to choose what we want to see and check out.

Eventually, it can be ads. Banners flying everywhere can be quite irritating, but they are the means for the platforms that carry them to make some income. But is it?

Some are not so sure. After about two years spent tracking web ads as part of its ‘Validated Campaign Essentials’ service, ComScore found that 46 per cent of online ads are not even seen by users.

Among clients of this service, ComScore counts 22 of the top 25 biggest US advertisers, such as Procter & Gamble and Kellogg Company.

According to Gian Fulgoni, chairman and founder of ComScore, there are a variety of reasons for the lack of viewability; for example ads are displayed below the screen view and viewers don’t scroll down far enough on a page to see it.

But how important is viewability for sales? According to Aaron Fetters, director of insights and analytics, Solutions Centre at Kellogg Co., a 40 per cent improvement in viewable ads for a campaign resulted in a 75 per cent upturn in sales life from digital advertising.

ComScore counts an online ad as viewable if at least 50 per cent of pixels are in view for at least half a second for a site visitor.

What ad men should have

Advertising legend and the original “Mad Man” David Ogilvy is also a consummate list-maker.

In one of his usual eloquent speeches to his staff, he made a list of ten qualities that he looks for in creative leaders, in addition to traits such as “high standards of personal ethics”. He had also included more under-rated ones such as the individual’s need to have “a sense of humour”.