Cable ISP @Home Network said the final results of its Rich Media ad study confirm that broadband advertising significantly increases brand recall, provides more effective branding, engages viewers longer and offers lower cost-per-branding impression (CPB).
The study was a five-month broadband advertising research project co-developed by Redwood City, CA-based @Home and Intel Corp. and administered by market research firm IPSOS-ASI.
The study was developed to determine the effectiveness of rich media advertisements in a broadband environment compared to narrowband (dial-up) ads. It measured ad effectiveness on brand recall, interaction within the ad, comprehension and likability.
The company said the ads tested on @Home outperformed narrowband advertising in all areas. Recall percentages tested 34 percent higher than IPSOS-ASI’s average for narrowband ads, comprehension and shift in brand imagery improved over narrowband benchmark statistics by 30 percent, and on average, consumers who chose to click spent between 30 seconds and five minutes interacting with the ads.
“This program provided us with an excellent opportunity to put broadband and rich media advertising to the test,” said Deb Kimball, general manager of Toysrus.com, a participant in the program. “Our goal was to raise awareness of Toysrus.com and specifically to drive online sales. We extended our electronic storefront and simulated the experience of interacting with select toys. Broadband delivery speeds and multimedia intensive ads generated positive sales results during our peak season and achieved over 50 percent brand recall.”
AT&T, Bank of America, First USA, Intel Corp., Johnson & Johnson and Levi Strauss & Co. also participated in the program.
@Home said the study results show that broadband rich media “offers the entertainment of television, the copy detail of print and the targeting and call to action of direct mail, in one highly engaging interactive ad.”
@Home said Ford, IBM, Lexus, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble and Showtime Networks Inc. are joining in the Rich Media II Advertising Program, a new study designed establish best-practices for effective advertising in the broadband environment and will examine how advertisers can best use their production resources in the creative process and development of ad models.