The Online Advertising Playbook: Proven Strategies and Tested Tactics from The Advertising Research Foundation

Creative Factors That Influence Display Advertising Effectiveness

Which creative elements communicate the message and work to engage the consumer? Several studies of this question explored branding impacts (awareness, knowledge, persuasion) across a variety of aggregated campaigns or case studies. Their results showed that, yes, creative factors affect branding measures. No surprise there. But which ones do?

Uncluttered banners raise brand awareness and recall. Large logos, or repeated logos, clarify the message and offering. Large banners clarify the message, too. They and the presence of a human face increase consumer desire to learn more about the advertised product or service. Online, a clear, visible, rapidly comprehended message with human interest works (Nielsen//NetRatings 2006a).

What factors make consumers sit up and take an interest in online ads, and are they similar to those for branding?

CNET Networks looked into this question They sought and entered into a partnership with venerable copy-testing firm Starch to adapt Starch’s industry-standard print readership technique for the web. CNET Networks sponsored studies across three of its properties, each having a different audience: CNET, a consumer-oriented technology site; GameSpot, an online gaming site; and ZDNet, a technology site oriented to IT professionals (CNET Networks 2006).

Overall, the study included about 17,000 participants and analyzed more than 200 ads of different ad types, messaging, and creative elements. ...