CReATION: Banner ads focus less on campaigns

<p>Following an analysis of advertising on the major portals in Hong </p><p>Kong, mainland China, Singapore and Taiwan, a report has found 85 per </p><p>cent of online campaigns were heavily weighted to branding messages as </p><p>opposed to specific promotions or offers that would invite click </p><p>throughs. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>While most banner ads aim to increase click-through rates to websites, </p><p>the majority of banner ads are actually "branding ads", according to a </p><p>recent study by AdXplorer. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The report also compared the effectiveness of email marketing with </p><p>traditional direct marketing and found email marketing campaign response </p><p>rates in Asia averaged between eight to 12 per cent, while direct </p><p>marketing recorded a two to three per cent response rate. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It added that email marketing campaigns not only recorded more than four </p><p>times better response than DM, but "that email marketing campaigns costs </p><p>less than half a direct mail campaign to reach a respondent". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>AdXplorer CEO Antony Young said the majority of online advertisers, </p><p>excluding dotcoms, were telecom and mobile companies at 34 per cent, </p><p>followed by IT firms at 27 per cent and ebusinesses at 16 per cent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He also said we would see an increase in online advertising as budgets </p><p>of dotcoms shifted away from offline ad channels towards online </p><p>advertising. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The survey predicted Internet advertising in Asia would increase </p><p>eight-fold over the next three years by 910 per cent, while the US </p><p>market would grow 332 per cent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This would be driven in part by an increase in the number of traditional </p><p>marketers incorporating the Internet as a standard component of their </p><p>marketing plans. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The doubling of Internet users to 180 million in the region would also </p><p>push more advertisers online. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Young added Asia would lead the world in wireless advertising, with </p><p>Japan and China being the two largest markets for third generation (3G) </p><p>phone penetration. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He encouraged agencies and advertisers to utilise new channels, such as </p><p>wireless devices, for "impact advertising". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"My advice to clients is to be innovative. There is a clear advantage in </p><p>coming in early. If you execute a creative, innovative campaign through </p><p>advanced technology, people will remember it ... Today, 95 per cent of </p><p>the ads look and feel the same. You don't need to wait for 3G, just </p><p>consider the technology available today and turn it into an effective </p><p>marketing campaign," Mr Young said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He added the Internet in Asia was still in its "early days", with big </p><p>portals such as Yahoo and Netvigator leading in online advertising. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>When it came to online shopping, the survey found Internet users in Hong </p><p>Kong, Singapore and Taiwan were divided when asked if they would buy a </p><p>product online if it was slightly cheaper on the Internet. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Meanwhile, 28 per cent of users in China said they would consider buying </p><p>online, with only five per cent having actually bought goods on the Web, </p><p>citing difficulties in payment and delivery as the main hurdles to </p><p>buying on the 'Net. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The study comprised data published by CNNIC, Forrester, IAB, IDC, </p><p>iamasia and ACNielsen, as well as studies and interviews with industry </p><p>heads by AdXplorer. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>