Study Finds Rich Media and Video Improves Digital Ad Engagement [DG MediaMind]

DG MediaMind released the 2012 Global Benchmarks Report, an analysis of more than 600 billion display ad impressions in 2012 from standard banners, rich media and video.

The study showed that engagement improved with the inclusion of rich media and interactive video elements in ads. Globally in-stream video ads grew, and video ads met the threshold to be included in the benchmarks for 23 countries versus just 16 previously.

Here is a breakdown of CTR in North America by ad type:

• 0.10% Standard Banner
• 0.14% Rich Media
• 0.16% Expandable Banners
• 0.85% In-Stream Video
• 1.92% Interactive In-Stream Video

The report offers detailed geographic benchmarks by industry vertical and ad format including video play metrics. You can download the full report here.

Viewability

DG Media also addresses the industry movement away from the click as a performance metric and served impressions as a pricing and performance benchmark and moving instead to the “viewable impression” as the new standard. Rather than paying for an ad impression that shows out of view of the user, advertisers would pay when their ads are “displayed within the viewable screen and for a visually relevant amount of time”.  The company started using viewable impression in December 2012. After excluding unseen impressions, the study shows display campaigns had higher engagement rates and conversion rates as a result of the new viewability measurement. It makes sense, unseen ads drag down the performance data of the overall campaign.

There are several barriers to moving to a viewable impression standard beyond the lack of standardized measurement. Impediments include certain ad formats, browsers that block javascript and, most significantly, iFrames which many publishers use to host ad content.