All businesses must advertise to survive and those
that do it effectively are likely to draw more business. Building a brand image
and getting the biggest bang for your buck can be difficult in the online world
where millions of companies are competing for similar markets. However, by
engaging in contextual advertising it is possible to raise brand image and
purchase rates through pre-selecting candidates that are already interested in
your product or service (Chung, et. al. 2014).
Contextual advertising uses content matched with an
advertising display such as a banner ad, video, music, etc… to attract
visitors. It is most commonly offered through companies like Google AdSense,
Amazon, and others that provide contextual advertising on web pages. Those who
are reading a page exposed to similar advertisements that are more likely to
draw their interest.
The authors found that there are two factors in
successful contextual advertising. The contextual prime and stimulus as well
as the complexity of the advertisement have an impact on the ad’s success. In
other words, the placement of the advertisement in a context of language and
using appropriate display technology for the audience can improve consumer
interest.
Think of contextual prime and stimulus as something
that prepares you to be aware of something later. For example, the contextual
information primes the advertisements contain on the page. As a visitor reads
about outdoor fishing (prime) and then offered advertising displays on fishing
trips or fishing equipment they are more receptive to such information. They have
been primed and selected based upon their interest.
The complexity of the advertisement should also be
considered. Complexity can be seen as the amount of pictures, video, sounds,
etc… that attracts attention to an advertisement. Sometimes more is not
necessarily better. There is a U type relationship where simplicity or
complexity should be based on the target audience. Try not to stick too much
into one advertisement.
Creating brand image online is not easy. Some programs
work well and others flop in our faces. Research helps us weed through all of
the claims these advertisers make. Contextual ads appear to help online
branding and overall sales. Advertisements should be placed well within the
contextual information and have an appropriate use of technology that is not
too high or too little for the target population.
Chung, K., et. al. (2014). Are contextual advertisements
effective? International Journal of
Advertising, 33 (2).
