Who won the Metro?

Have you ever wondered which ads placed in the national newspapers are the most effective at engaging readers? Newsline has partnered with Lumen Research to find out.

Have you ever noticed that the heat-map for Who won the Metro? articles looks like a giant explosion of bacteria? I know – mind blown. Or should I say, nose blown?

Terrible puns aside (sort of), this week Metro readers sneezed all over O2’s ad for the iPhone 5C to make it the most successful in this week’s paper.

97% of readers’ lovely germs – I mean eyes – lingered for a total of 4.5 seconds, exceeding the expected engagement rate by 1.6 seconds.

According to Lumen, a combination of rich, colourful, high contrast images helped to drive standout, while a high-end item with a good deal – which involves the people looking at the ad – helped to drive engagement.

The advert’s positioning, appealing colour contrast and striking the balance between useful information and simplicity in design also helped to ensure that it was a success.

“To have a full page ad on page two of the Metro wouldn’t be the cheapest option, but for O2 it paid off,” said Lumen.

“Attention is at its highest at the start of the paper and progressively drops off the further people read – this goes for both ads and stories – so placing a full page ad on page two guarantees a lot of attention.”

The research also captures the pathway of the eyes, with readers first drawn to the central image of the ad, then the headline, then the deal.

“Short, easy to read sentences mean that people are happy to read the copy,” said Lumen, “and with reasonable attention to each of the features people are really engaging with the ad.”