Interactive TV Advertising Increases In Importance
Interactive TV advertising is becoming increasingly important for branding campaigns, with research carried out by IDS claiming that dedicated advertiser locations (DALs) are the most popular format, with 29% of respondents saying that DALs achieved the best results.
Most respondents claimed to have used impulse response ads, with 49% saying they used DALs and 48% mini-DALs. A quarter of all respondents has used mircosites before, while 18% used banners and 11% had been a content partner.
The study revealed that advertisers found DALs to be the most effective form of interactive television advertising, saying that they offered better brand experience, the ability to showcase the product, more creativity and achieve better response rates and measurements.
Interactive advertising seems to be rising in popularity within the advertising market, with 75% of respondents saying they will use the medium again, compared to 61% last year. Only 2% said they would not use interactive advertising again and another 2% said they don’t know.
This represents a 23% increase in the ‘yes’ category and indicates that since last year, more agencies and advertisers have been convinced by the success of their interactive TV advertising campaigns and realise that it is a viable part of the advertising media mix.
IDS found that respondents considered the main drawbacks of interactive advertising to be centred on the medium. A lack of education in the market place was also believed to be hindering the channel growth, along with campaign development being too complicated.
When questioned about the main benefits of interactive TV advertising the top three responses concerned the ability to offer a new advertising channel to the market, increasing sales and explaining a product/service concept.
Looking into the future, the study found that 64% of respondents believe interactive television will become mainstream once the technology improves, with 37% claiming it will become a great advertising medium.
A small number felt that interactive TV will work for programming but it is not right for advertising, with 4% predicting it will die out as viewers are not interested in using it.
Research published last month from interactive specialists, Zip TV, claims that 30% of potential advertising interactors, dubbed ‘Unimpressed Pragmatists,’ are not pressing the red button because there are too few incentives (see Advertisers Urged To Engage Interactive Audiences).
According to the study, a further 22%, referred to as ‘Apprehensive Stargazers’, are too daunted by the prospect to interact with an ad.
The findings, ZipTV claims, highlight an opportunity for broadcasters to entice potential users of interactive content to use their red buttons and increase interactive TV’s return on investment (ROI).
The Zip TV study is the first in three stages of extensive research into interactive advertising, involving the BBC, advertisers and fieldwork by Continental Research.