Ad formats and how to use them

Written by Laura Chaibi, Media Research Manager, Orange

MPU, skyscraper, or supersize banner – which format is best? Do people respond differently to ad formats depending on their mindset and the online environments they are in (i.e. shopping, travel, news etc...)?

Extensive research has been done to answer these exact questions, and this research is used within this chapter to offer you an insight into the best formats for you.

Impact vs. intrusion

Chart 1 outlines what UK users think of different ad formats comparing how much impact ads have against how intrusive audiences find them.

UK ad formats impact vs. intrusion

Top left: low impact / high intrusion, ads can be irritating when the user has no control; formats in this quadrant are best used in entertainment environments or a homepage (before users start their online journey).

Top right: high impact / high intrusion, these formats can get your message across; great for campaigns needing cut through and attention.

Bottom right: high impact / low intrusion, the best quadrant for ad formats; formats are not too intrusive and perceived as part of the online environment. Creative may heighten the effect of the formats impact.

Bottom left: low impact / low intrusion, ads that are smaller and
usually built into the page design. Creative will need to work harder to get the cut through on the page. Users like these formats when looking at editorial content (news, sports etc...) as they are less disruptive.

Acceptability

Impact – intrusion = acceptability

Some ad formats are simply more acceptable to users than others. Taking the net difference between impact – intrusion, chart 2 highlights how the skyscraper is the most acceptable ad format as it is high on impact with a low intrusion score while the video MPU performs just as well as margins (skyscrapers on both sides of the page).

Negative impact scores mean you need to consider the ad format, the advertiser brand and your objectives. Responsible media owners cap the frequency of these ads and try to match ads with content as well as audiences. These formats can be really effective when used properly.

More intrusive ads tend to be better favoured amongst youth and in entertainment environments, for example overlays have a positive acceptability score of 7 for men under age 35 in entertainment environments.

Acceptability Rank UK

Top formats by gender and age

Men under 35

• video MPU
• skyscraper
• supersize banner
• expandable data capture banner
• banner

Men over 35

• banner
• video MPU
• expandable data capture banner
• skyscraper
• supersize banner

Women under 35

• skyscraper
• video MPU
• expandable data capture banner
• banner to overlay banner
• supersize banner

Women over 35

• skyscraper
• expandable data capture banner
• video MPU
• masthead
• expandable banner

How to use ads properly

Control is important to audiences and one of the most irritating things is not being able to find the close button on an ad. Encouragingly, interactive ads are well liked particularly when users can choose when and when not to interact. 2 in 3 people like push downs ads when they control the interaction. Push down ads expand pushing content down and can take up as much as half a page; giving brands
the attention and engagement they are seeking from audiences.


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