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| | [[Category:Glossary]] | | [[Category:Glossary]] |
| − | Ad banners (also known as '''banner ads''') are one of the most dominant forms of advertising on the internet. Banner ads are a form of display advertising that can range from a static graphic to full motion video.
| + | A graphic image or other media object used as an advertisement. [http://www.iab.net/iab_products_and_industry_services/1421/1443/1452 See the IAB's Ad Unit Guidelines] for voluntary guidelines for banner ads. |
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| − | ==History==
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| − | HotWire ran the first banner ad on [http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first66.html October 24, 1994]. The banner ad was for AT&T's "You Will" campaign, and was created by [http://commercial-archive.com/node/114815 TANGENT communications of Westport, Conn.]
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| − | [[Image:banner.JPG]]
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| − | Although this ad has [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_banner become known] as the first banner ad, TANGENT Executive Producer Otto Timmons says:
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| − | ''"There were at least five or six other banner ads that launched at the same time and they too should get credit for being "first". I can remember Club Med, AT&T, ZIMA. Last but not least, O'Reilly's Global Network Navigator, GNN, started accepting paid advertising at the same time (one banner ad on the home page, as I recall)."''
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| − | ==Present day outlook==
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| − | As of Tuesday, December 23, banner advertising is poised for [http://www.nypost.com/seven/10312008/business/the_world_weep_web_136178.htm flat growth in 2009], after years of double-digit growth. This plays in concert with weak estimates for all forms of advertising -- both online and offline.
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| − | Despite a gloomy outlook in the short term, display advertising is projected to account for over [http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/11/bullish-emarketer-chops-online-ad-forecast-still-too-bullish $12.3 billion in 2009].
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| − | ==IAB Guidelines==
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| − | Banner ads today can of a variety of file formats. From static [[JPEG]] and [[GIF]] banners to [[In-Banner Video Ads]] and [[rich media]] units.
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| − | The IAB frequently updates their ad guidelines in order to assist creators and buyers of banner ads. [http://www.iab.net/iab_products_and_industry_services/1421/1443/1452 See the IAB's Ad Unit Guidelines] for voluntary guidelines for banner ads.
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| − | By far, the most standard banner ad sizes are (by pixel dimension):
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| − | ;[http://www.iab.net/wiki/index.php/Image:300x250.jpg 300x250]
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| − | :Also known as a super-square, tile or big box. Best practice is to refer to the ad by its pixel dimensions, 300x250, to avoid ambiguity.
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| − | ;[http://www.iab.net/wiki/index.php/Image:728x90.jpg 728x90]
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| − | :Also known as a billboard, banner or super-banner. Best practice is to refer to the ad by its pixel dimensions, 728x90, to avoid ambiguity.
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| − | ;[http://www.iab.net/wiki/index.php/Image:160x600.jpg 160x600]
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| − | :Also known as a skyscraper. Best practice is to refer to the ad by its pixel dimensions, 160x600, to avoid ambiguity.
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| − | ==Media planning and buying==
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| − | Compared to offline forms of display advertising, banner ads allow for several enhanced types of targeting. Including geo-targeting, dayparting, and various types of [[Behavioral Targeting]].
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| − | Media planners are able to use these types of targeting to better reach their desired audiences. Traditional demographic is important as well.
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| − | Buying banner ads is most often, and almost exclusively, done on a [[CPM]] basis. CPMs for banner ads can range from less than $1 to upwards of $100 or more. CPMs depend on the level targeting detail, and the perceived value of the audience.
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| − | ==Measurement and tracking==
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| − | In addition to enhanced targeting possibilities, banner ads -- like all digital advertising -- allow for detailed measurement and tracking. Below are some of the measurements used with banners:
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| − | ;Impressions
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| − | :Each banner ad impression -- measured as a load in a web user's browser -- is tracked. Advertisers are sure that their ad has loaded; whether that correlates [http://www.useit.com/alertbox/banner-blindness.html into a "real" impression is up for debate].
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| − | ;[[Click rate]] or '''click-through rate'''
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| − | :The click-through rate is the most-often used ''metric for success'' in online advertising. As banner ads are both clickable ''and'' branding units, there is [http://creativezone.eyeblaster.com/Blog/index.php/2008/10/21/its-time-we-ended-our-obsession-with-clickthrough-rates/ discussion as to whether this is the best success metric] for banner ads.
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| − | ;Conversions
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| − | :More important than click-throughs are conversions, which gauge whether a web user has taken the actions defined as a success for each campaign. Conversions can include: signing up for an email list, watching a branded video, downloading a coupon, or purchasing a product or service.
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| − | ;Interaction rate
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| − | :As banner ads have become more interactive and engaging, advertisers have used [[rich media]] to interact with web users instead of simply asking them to click-through to another website.
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