Renaissance
in “Webvertising”
Paul J. Gibler
Although click-thru-rates for traditional banner ads continue
to decline, the world of online advertising or “webvertising”,
has a bright future due to the growth in the number of
people online; arrival of new ad formats and
technologies; and the increased understanding of digital
marketing by traditional marketers.
These factors are leading to a renaissance in
this briefly stalled media.
In fact, industry analysts at Forrester Research
are projecting that internet advertising expenditures
will grow to $42 billion by 2005.
The President of the Interactive
Advertising Bureau (IAB), stated in a recent webcast,
that online advertising is the first new ad medium in 40
years that offers the advantage of combining the
benefits of print – providing information; TV
– brand building; radio – frequency
and direct marketing – targeting; all in one
powerful medium. The
greatest challenge, he feels, is getting marketers and
agencies to understand how to optimize their use of this
medium.
Online advertising has been moving from the limited brand
building objectives served by traditional banner ads
into new business models supported by new technology and
formats. These
changes are increasing the marketing effectiveness and
return on investment from web advertising.
Among these models are new sizes, shapes and
placement options for traditional banner ads;
interactive banner ads; rich media ads; out-of-banner
ads; pop-up ads; new messaging units; branded toolbars;
superstitials and interstitials (see figure).
These new options are attracting greater viewer
interest, generating interaction and resulting in the
capture of e-mail addresses, delivery of information,
generation of print offers (coupons, specification
sheets) and completion of online orders.
The future looks promising for the interactive media
industry and for those advertisers stepping up to the
challenge of these new marketing options.
Re-printed
from the March 2001 Madison Ad Fed Newsletter
Re-published at B2BInteractive.org.
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