Looking at some webvertising stats recently I realized that in over 10 years of intensive web browsing I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve clicked on an ad. Less than 5 in over thousands of hours of browsing. And as far as branding effectiveness is concerned, I can’t remember a recent online ad that, well, that I remember. I’m sure I’m an unusual browser – but I wonder just how atypical I really am. Update: Hmmm – could this have anything to do with why online advertising seems to register less with my sample of – ahem – one? Update 2: Dane Carlson is reading my mind.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I tend not to click on the ads either, but I think the real test is how effective they are compared to, for example, magazine ads or TV ads.
We don’t pay a lot of attention to most of those either, but I’ll bet they do have some effect on us.
Perhaps this is a question for Steve Rubel?
Well, it’s an interesting question, David. I can rhyme off several TV and magazine ads – even from years ago (please God, make them stop (!)), but darned if I can remember a single online ad. My gut tells me the former is dramatically more effective both at directly inducing a purchase, and at penetrating the limbic.
this comment is around 4 years late :)nevertheless, I have been trying to find an answer to this for a long time now. what i have figured is that on line banners generally tend to be very small ,on the borders and a lot in number…this trains our eyes over time to just neglect it. magazine and TV ads on the other hand tend to take the whole “media space” for most of the time. something like one whole page….with larger pictures, more professional work in general..On line ads are always by default assumed to be ‘fishy’ by nature(virus scares) and people just avoid it altogether. Personally i believe on line advertisements are not very productive, at least they need to rethink their strategy…but they tend to be a lot more cheaper and companies use it generously, whether it works or not.They hope we see it and buy stuff, but nobody does. For us, the consumers, it means just free service,paid by ads, on websites..i wouldn’t mind that :)