A new report from Tobii Pro highlights simple ads which show a deal or saving are good attention grabbers, while informational ads and video ads without a quick call-to-action prove less useful.
30-second summary:
This year Cyber Monday falls on 2nd December. As we edge closer to that date, marketers and businesses around the globe will be strategizing how best to catch consumer attention online, and how best to turn that attention into conversions.
How to Catch the Eye of the Cyber Monday Shopper released this month by Tobii Pro compares how well different types of online ads are able to grab attention and hold it.
It highlights that retailers in the US alone will be spending $6b on digital ads between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But while dynamic and video ads may be the most successful at grabbing attention – static ads may well be more likely to result in a click during this vital, competitive weekend.
Let’s dive into their recommendations.
By using webcam eye tracking technology, Tobii Pro found that ‘named sale’ ads are noticed by a higher majority of people compared to other types such as video and static celebrity endorsements.
Their ‘CYBER MONDAY – 30% OFF’ ad was noticed by 66% of users, exemplifying a good balance of brevity and information.
‘When shoppers are on the hunt for deals,’ the report states, ‘prominent pricing and text indicating that the product is on sale are good visual hooks.’
According to the report, simplicity is key in the context of static ads. The more information that is crammed into a text ad, the less attention it will receive.
Drawing out the data for comparison across static advertisements, informational ads are noticed by 12% fewer consumers than the average of the others tested. 64% of users in the study noticed the ‘simple’ ad – second only to the ‘cyber Monday sale’ ad.
Fast attention grabbing ads are not necessarily better according to the eye tracker data.
‘Compared with a static image ad, the video ad tested in the study captured the eye of the consumer 21% faster,’ the report states. ‘However, that early attention did not translate to sustained attention, as consumers looked at the video ad for about 5X less total time.’
The recommendation is that if advertisers want to capture attention fast and see a click/conversion, video ads need to include branding and a call to action as early as possible. Best practice would suggest that this information should ideally be visible from the outset and for the duration of the entire video ad.
We’ve already seen how the ‘CYBER MONDAY – 30% OFF’ ad works well at grabbing attention. Tobii Pro also found that this approach delivered the highest number of clicks.
Users are prompted to click through if a specific deal or price in relation to Cyber Monday is immediately clear and visible.
‘If you have a great Cyber Monday deal, be loud about it,’ the report states.
The final recommendation from How to Catch the Eye of the Cyber Monday Shopper highlights the importance of the unfamiliar in the online ad context.
‘Don’t be afraid to be bold, to be different, to try something totally new,’ the report concludes. ‘The best way to grab the attention of your customer is to show them something they’ve never seen before.’
Simple ads that show a deal or a saving and prompt the user to click quickly are clearly the best practice approach to grabbing attention and ensuring a greater proportion of customers do make the most of these seasonal deals.
But there needs to be some creativity at play as well. After all, too much of the same type of ad – for many consumers – can start looking like promotional noise.
