The internet has a greater effect on brand engagement than any other medium, according to new research from IAB and Carat Insight.
The study, which concentrated on advertising campaigns from the automotive sector, found that brand engagement is determined by different factors depending on the audience and product category.
It added that for this audience the most important contributors to brand engagement were identified as a sense of style and fun.
Overall, the study showed that a brand’s own advertising contributed 15% to brand engagement. In addition, it showed that the internet contributed an average of 39.8% of the advertising effect, but as much as 64.7% in the case of one manufacturers campaign.
Press advertising has the second greatest influence, contributing 36.7% of total consumer engagement, followed by TV with 17.6% and outdoor with 4.1%.
Direct experience of a brand was shown to hold considerable influence over a consumer’s engagement with a car brand, although indirect experiences, such as reading reviews, also play an important role.
Of these indirect experiences, online contributed 27.5% of the effect on engagement, whilst offline experiences, such as reading magazines, contributed 19%.
The study used focus groups and online questionnaires to study the opinions of 1000 female internet users with children under 16. The IAB and Carat said that this ‘non-techie’ audience was selected because of its importance to advertisers and its influence over household spending.
The results show that online is now as effective at reaching women with children as traditional media. The online campaigns study recorded an average recognition level of 23%, which compares more than well with outdoor, at 18%, press at 25% and TV at 44%.
Guy Phillipson, chief executive of the Internet Advertising Bureau said: “Broadband has turned the internet into a highly engaging two-way entertainment medium. This important cross-media study of the car market shows how online drives brand engagement more than any other medium, not just through rich media advertising, but because consumers go on to seek product and information and reviews, too.
“This study will go a long way to help brand marketers understand how well online performs in the media mix.”
A recent report from ZenithOptimedia said that internet advertising will take a double-digit share of total advertising expenditure in two countries in 2006, and in eight countries by 2008 (see Internet Ad Share To Break Double Digit Barrier).
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