Member Article

How is Flash banner advertising evolving?

As a successful online banner advertising producer, Kino Creative have commissioned a series of articles on the future of display advertising, summarised here for Bdaily by Ann Winter.

How is Flash banner advertising adapting to survive in the constantly evolving web ecology?

2011 was another golden year for Flash banners. Display advertising sales in the US doubled in the first quarter of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. Predictably, Facebook lead the online display ad publishers’ market with 31.2% of impressions; leaving its nearest competitor – Yahoo! – in the dust with
10.1%. [Source](http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2011/5/ U.S._Online_Display_Advertising_Market_Delivers_1.1_Trillion_Impressions_in_Q1_20 11 retrieved 29FEB12).

Is there a “but“…?

In a brilliant display of virtual Machiavellianism, web pundits immediately sounded the death knell for online display advertising. According to Mashable business editor Todd Wasserman, quoting a survey of 100 banner advertising agencies, click through rates were stalling at one in 1,000. Google’s 2010 US survey showed a 0.1% fall in CTR from 2009. Snap conclusion - banner advertising isn’t working. [Source](http:// mashable.com/2011/06/22/banner-ads-success/ retrieved 29FEB12).

Flash banners adapt to survive

But doesn’t everybody hate clicking banners? And doesn’t that make CTR data invalid? Leading marketing strategists are well aware of this. Google report a 53 % rise in GIF/JPG impressions in display ads over January – August 2011, which was the fastest growing display ad format followed by rich media at 41.2%. Simple Flash impressions grew 25%.

Flash banners are not only adapting to Web 2.0, they’re a vital part of the ecology. They’re achieving this in two ways: they’re getting bigger, and they’re getting friendlier.

Size matters

Google’s latest report for DoubleClick shows once again that bigger ads perform better. [Source](http://adwordsagency.blogspot.com/2011/08/latest-display-benchmarks-now- available.html retrieved 29FEB2012). Half-page ad units with Flash - 300x600 – have the highest interaction rate and expansion rate. Display ads are getting bigger and more sophisticated, embedding video and games to initiate and enhance a brand’s relationship with its market.

Relationship is all

Socially-published or socially-enabled creative accounted for nearly one third of all US display advertising spend in the first half of 2011, and the trend is growing. During that period, a whopping great 32% of all display ad impressions came from socially-published ads. [Source](http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Presentations_Whitepapers/2011/ Measuring_the_Social_Side_of_Display_Advertising retrieved 29FEB2012).

SMEs make it work for them

Social sharing for business is revolutionising marketing in line with web 2.0 technologies and our growing online communities. The great news for SMEs is it’s also the most cost-effective form of advertising, building a customer base who directly or indirectly, identify personally with your product. For best results, maximum exposure and guaranteed regular updates, outsource your social sharing for business to a professional copywriter and take the pressure off your shoulders.

What’s next?

Read our next post, on whether diplay advertising has finally grown up. We’ll be raising our banners high and proclaiming – there’s “probably an app for” the kitchen sink, but there’ll always be a web for everything.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ann Winter .