Consumers visually engage with native ads 52% more frequently than with traditional banner ads, according to a new study from Sharethrough and the IPG Media Lab.
The study, titled Benchmarking the Effectiveness of Native Ads, used surveys and eye-tracking technology to measure ad impact for major brands.
Among the key findings of the study, which reports the results of both a survey and an eye-tracking study:
- Native ads registered an 18% higher lift for purchase intent, and 9% higher lift for brand affinity, than banner ads.
- Consumers looked at in-feed native ad placements 25% more than banner ad units.
- 32% of respondents said a native ad "is an ad I would share with a friend or family member" versus just 19% for banner ads.
- 71% of consumers viewing native ads who had previously bought a product from an advertiser said the brand was one they "personally identify with," compared with just 50% for banner ads.
Also, consumers viewed native ad units and original editorial content nearly identically. In fact, a slightly higher percentage of people tracked looked at native ads (26%) versus editorial content (24%).
For more, check out the following infographic:
About the research: The study surveyed 4,770 people and used eye-tracking technology to assess the visual attention of 200 consumers. The effectiveness of native ads vs. editorial content was measured by putting both in the exact same placement on a webpage and measuring respective engagement.
