Online Branding Tactics

Besides presenting an engaging consumer offer, what tactical steps can marketers take to increase the effectiveness of online branding campaigns?

Leverage large, interactive ad formats – Several studies sponsored by various organizations (including the IAB, Dynamic Logic, and DoubleClick) all conclude that larger ad sizes can significantly enhance online branding effectiveness.

The new 468X60 ad banners, for example, increased key branding metrics by an average of 40% across three different studies.6 The Dynamic Logic Study conducted on behalf of the IAB found that skyscraper and large rectangular ads were three to six times more effective in increasing brand awareness and message association than standard banners.

Also, Double Click research confirmed that interactive rich media improves branding effectiveness. Double Click’s study tested various rich media formats, revealing that Flash was the most effective in boosting brand measures (71% lift), followed by Audio (14%), video (9%), and finally GIF ad formats (4%).8

Develop clean, uncluttered creative with large logos – A study, conducted jointly by Dynamic Logic, 24-7 Media, and Ad Relevence, sheds some light on the specific creative attributes that contribute to an effective branding campaign. Too many creative elements in a banner, the study concludes, detract from the overall awareness and recall potential of ads. Designers should include no more than 15 different creative elements in a given banner and develop short, straightforward messaging. The study also suggests that including large logos (at least 14 percent of the banner size) and human faces in the creative positively influences online branding.

Additionally, it has proven successful to extend the look and feel of offline creative to online campaigns-an example being Lipton’s highly-regarded campaign on AOL. This is particularly important for programs seeking to leverage the Internet to reinforce messages delivered offline.

Ensure sufficient ad frequency – Several studies also show that increased ad exposure generates a higher impact on key brand metrics. While the optimal number of exposures for any given campaign vary with the creative, ad format, and type of product offered, it’s clear that more than one exposure is beneficial. The Dynamic Logic/24-7 Media/ Ad Relevence study concludes that marketers can double brand awareness by increasing the number of exposures per consumer from one to four or more. Similarly, Lipton’s AOL campaign logged dramatic improvements in purchase intent with increased ad frequency.7 While consumers’ intent to purchase Lipton rose by only .07 percent with 1.6 exposures per user, it shifted by a remarkable 8.6 percent when the average exposure per user increased to 6.7.

Incorporate consumer behavior trends into marketing strategy – Popsicle’s campaign on AOL demonstrates the importance of synchronizing marketing tactics with the goals and motivations consumers have for spending time online. Popsicle played off of children’s desire to have fun online, by running colorful banners in the AOL Kids Only channel and promoting online games, contests, and scavenger hunts. The result was a 423 percent increase in site traffic and a 42 percent increase in purchase intent among the core audience (kids 6-11).