Advertisers need to reconsider the use of traditional media such as newspapers, magazines or cinema, rather than chase the short turn metrics of social media and online ‘shares’, ’likes’ and ‘clicks’.
A report commissioned from Bournemouth University and PHD Media, by Magnetic, concludes that advertisers and agencies must reappraise the value of legacy media and should not be distracted by the metrics that online generates. Algorithms used by the advertising industry to assess the impact and value of ad spend have been skewed towards the instant gratification of online and away from the traditional print led media.
Advertisers need to differentiate between quality and interruptive attention. Interviewed in the latest issue of the Print Power magazine, Janice Denegri-Knott, lead academic in consumer culture and behaviour at Bournemouth University, says that this attention should be earned to be effective.
“In marketing, attention grabbing strategies negatively impact the consumer’s ability to attain their own goals,” she says. “Some forms of attention actively distract from the desired outcome.”
For example, Coca Cola amassed millions of social media reactions on Facebook, but these did not push the associated website into the top 10,000 websites worldwide. Research using eye tracking technology found only 12% of people look at online advertising and of these, only 9% dwell on the ad for more than one second.
The attention that results from online banners and similar ads detract from the reader’s experience. And she points out that algorithms have promised precise targeting and the ability to deliver so called relevant messages to consumers.
In contrast, more quality attention is given to ads in newspapers, magazines and cinema for example. This is because when consuming these medias, consumers are in a more responsive state of mind. Context is about the consumer’s state of mind as much as it is about the selected media, Denegri-Knott explains.
The findings come as many consumer brands are reappraising the way they use digital and online channels, led by Proctor & Gamble, which has withdrawn a $200 million digital spend and found an increase in reach as a result.
This is not a call to move all advertising from online, but for brands and agencies to understand that the message is more important than the media. She says: “Advertising must deliver higher quality content that is not media biased. And attention must be ‘won’ and ‘cultivated’ over time by addressing and responding to personal goals.
“Advertisers should start by understanding the attention potential of each media channel. Some media may provide an environment that fosters more attention; similarly, better content may drive more attention.”
Advertising in traditional media like newspapers, magazines and cinema, can have more positive impact than online banners, even though the latter may collect millions of supposed interactions. The context of the person consuming the brand content is as important as the context of the chosen media.
