G+J e|MS Advertising impact study 2018

The study is about the impact of the digital advertisement formats Display, Ad Specials, Native, Influencers as well as about the use of Data and editorial environment. The results demonstrate the strengths of the separate formats for specific impact dimensions and show, which communication options should be used for which goal.

When you want to impress your consumers and affect them sustainably you have to use on appropriate communication strategies and formats. Which digital advertisement format is the right one? And which impacts can be achieved? G+J e|MS has dealt with these and questions in their latest study.

Frank Vogel, speaker of the G+J e|MS management said: ”It is a fact that the digital channel is established as an advertisement format. You’re doing much right, if you focus on digital – but you can do much wrong at the same time, because not all digital is alike. The digital brand communication is becoming more divers, the number of advertising opportunities is infinitely. Our study creates transparency and orientation by showing the interdependency of the different “funnels” and demonstrates specificly, which format should be used at what time.

Transparency in the “impact funnel”

The advertisement “impact funnel” is the centre of the G+J e|MS study – starting with Ad Awareness up to Ad Recognition, Brand Awareness, Brand Sympathy to Intention-to-Buy and Actions taken. Based on accompanying advertising studies of different campaigns, the results were compared and classified in the impact “funnel”. This is possible because of the calculation of the Ad Impact Scores for all advertising impact indicators.

The results show the complex impact interaction and provide specific usage-guidelines for the targeted use of different formats in the terms of an integrated and positive costumer experience:

• AD SPECIALS: Particular attention effects by surprising accents
  Ad Specials are, because of their varied technical and visual integration in the content, connected with intelligent functional mechanisms, a real awareness turbo and thus ideal to get attention of the consumer. They especially stimulate Ad Awareness, Ad Recognition and Brand Awareness.
• NATIVE ADVERTISING: Most extensive impact by high content value
  Once you have aroused the interest of the user, it is the ideal moment for more content – but not in the form of simple product communication, but rather with content and service, which are relevant for the user. By Native Advertising there could be a story told appropriate to the brand, which fits on all impact dimensions, especially on Ad Recognition, Brand Awareness, Brand Sympathy as well as Intention-to-Buy.
• INFLUENCER = Radiance for the brand and setting strong action impulses
  The activation of the user is the defining moment at the end of the impact “funnel” – this is where Influencers can be effective impulse-givers. Besides ensuring strong Ad Awareness, they provide sympathy and action impulses - from the intention to talk with others about the brand, over to the intention to visit the brand’s website up to the planned product purchasing.
• DISPLAY = The learned classics for the background noise
  For the Ad Specials, Native and Influencer to develop their special radiance, it needs a solid base in form of a continuous addressing of the user – and this is where the display formats come in: They produce attention and strengthen the Ad Awareness, Ad Recognition and the Brand image.
• DATA = Address the user depending on their current needs
  The usage of data has  a strong effect on Ad Awareness and Ad Recognition thanks to an adjustment to the current usage situation. Advertising for products, which are relevant for the user in the current situation, makes the products especially likeable.
• ENVIRONMENT = The thematic context of a site preheats the users
  The users of an editorial environment and the motivation of usage create the framework for the impact. The fit of the advertiser and the thematic environment builds the foundation for a significant growth of the Brand Awareness. Furthermore, the format supports the Intention-to-Buy and gets the users to interact with the brand.

Frank Vogel summarises the results: “Just as the targeted use of the various instruments in an orchestra ensure for a unique sound experience, an intelligent interaction of the various digital formats also creates a great sound for a campaign, whereby - depending on specific goals of the campaign – certain dimensions of effect can be pushed specially.”

Study profile

The basis for the G+J e|MS study “From Native over Digital AdSpecials to Influencers and Data – What works how?” is a fundamental study within the G+J media trend (n=1,002), in which the users are asked about their assessment of the advertising formats  Display, AdSpecials, Native Advertising, Influencers, as well as editorial Environment and Data. Furthermore, 13 campaigns got examined with accompanying impact studies (n=3,220 survey participants in live-operation). The result is an implicit, as well as explicit impact study. The large-scaled study covered an investigation period of 14 months (May 2017 – July 2018).