MIX07: Great User Experiences for Ad-Supported Content

by May 3, 2007

The Great User Experiences for Ad-Supported Content panel at MIX07 -which featured panelists from Coca-Cola, ABC, and SanDisk- discussed how advertising and content could work together to create engaging user experiences. Check out the full session video on the MIX07 site or my condensed notes below:

  • What viewers want from an ad experience: relevancy, unobtrusiveness
  • What advertisers want from an ad experience: broad reach, effectiveness
  • There’s an opportunity to let consumers have fun with brand in the participatory culture online. When advertisers let people engage with a brand –that’s great advertising.
  • Text-based ads don’t engage users in a creative way.
  • Coke rep: we blew it with Diet Coke/Mentos viral video. Brand management did not approve of how the reflection on Diet Coke they video provided (fun). But the brand awareness impact of the video was bigger than the Grammy’s and multiple other advertising initiatives.
  • Lots of digital medium experiences can run disruptive experiences in order to forces users to see an ad, but that doesn’t mean they should.
  • Brands measure ad performance differently for awareness campaign then engagement campaigns.
  • Awareness campaign: reach & frequency will pay on CPM per thousand (cost per impressions). Advertisers are buying impressions for awareness.
  • Engagement campaign: time on site, video views, rich media. Used to drive brand health (positive or negative feeling toward brand) and purchasing intent. If you engage with brand you are more likely to have a feeling about it.
  • Incremental volume: are we driving more sales as a result of messaging online. Map consumer behavior before and after online interaction.
  • Nielsen ratings are a less then perfect solution. Producers don’t want lower numbers. Advertisers don’t want higher numbers. So both leave the status quo.
  • Free ad supported content is much more popular then pay per download content.
  • Common interface to content online is Google. Parallel to a common interface within the TV world (guide).
  • Need to get people to what they want fast, then we can provide a relevant content experience.
  • Content publishers will never standardize on experience solutions because it is the publisher’s job to be better then their competitors. As a result, consumers get better experiences over time.
  • When too many ad formats, advertisers can’t afford to create too many variations. As a result, will not work with sites not using standards.
  • 90% of music downloads are illegal. Coke bought rights to comeback tour of Jay-Z. Put video on peer-to-peer sharing with very light branding. Did what consumers were doing and got 3-4 million impressions.
  • Future of advertising: Look at what consumers want to do. Figure out how can we play in that area.
  • Doesn’t behoove Madison Ave to come up with some of these new models because they will not make money off of them. If funds go directly from advertiser to content producer and bypass ad agency.