New Research Set To Revolutionise Online Ad Planning
New research from the Online Publishers Association (OPA) could dramatically change the way media planners approach online advertising, by suggesting they target specific consumers by day-part.
Until now internet ad planning has been characterised by overall site reach, demographics and content affinity, without any particular regard for how audience dynamics change by time of day.
According to the OPA, media planners can improve the efficiency of their online advertising by using day-parts to add an additional targeting dimension to their campaigns.
The study, entitled The Existence And Characteristics Of Day-parts On The Internet, uses data collected by Nielsen//NetRatings. It concludes that the five day-parts exist for internet use: early morning (6am to 8am), daytime (8am to 5pm), evening (5pm to 11pm), late night (11pm to 6am), and weekends.
The research also reveals that affluent, working people between the ages of 25 and 54 make up a larger share of the 8am to 5pm audience than any other day-part, while users under the age of 18 are three times more likely to be reached during the evening and weekend day-parts.
According to the study, certain demographics are easier to reach via particular types of sites, during specific day-parts. For example, during the early morning, 51% of usage of news and information sites is generated males, aged between 25 and 54, though the demographic represents only 41% of total usage for the day-part.
Charles Buchwalter, vice president of client analytics at Nielsen//NetRatings, commented: “Understanding internet day-parts completes one more piece of the puzzle, as marketers increasingly demand apples-to-apples comparisons between offline and online media. This information will help planners more effectively carve out media buys to match a desired audience when and where they are online.”
The push to categorise internet advertising into day-parts, similar to those used by TV planners is part of an ongoing push to integrate internet planning into traditional planning systems. The concept of day-parts utilises a simple language which is well-understood by advertisers and agencies used to working in the traditional media environment.
Andy Jonesco, vice president of interactive marketing at AOL, recently criticised the complicated language of new media, saying: “There has been a lot of confusion and jargon surrounding the medium, we need to facilitate a greater clarity and understanding of the benefits of online advertising.” (see IAB Plans To Double Internet Ad Spend In Two Years)
In the US, leading online news sites, including the New York Times, are already using day-parts to market their online advertising and many commentators have suggested it is only a matter of time before the concept takes off in the UK.
Recent research by MSN and the Internet Advertising Bureau gave a boost to the online advertising industry by revealing that three quarters of marketers will increase or maintain their online advertising budgets during the next six months (see Research Reflects Strength Of Online Advertising).
The Online Publishers Association www.online-publishers.org
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