As content and commerce become ever more intrinsically linked, more than ever advertisers are seeking ways for their creative output to exist naturally alongside editorial content – with the holy grail being – the ability to create a -seamless flow between the two.
Until now the primary way that online ads exist has remained fairly static, ever since they first burst onto our screens in the 90s. The humble banner ad evolved to incorporate video and various calls to action, yet we’ve remained confined by a set of formats that feel idiosyncratic in this new, multi-device world that we live in. The ad has been considered an invasive, extra layer of ‘content’ tacked on top of whatever editorial is sitting on the page. It’s perhaps surprising to think that considering how quickly digital as an industry has evolved in the past ten years, at how relatively primitive digital advertising has remained in comparison
High impact screen takeovers are often seen as equally irritating by the consumer – so bombarded are we now with online messages that advertising this disruptive has quite simply become an annoyance that many of us automatically bat away. No consumer wants the screen to collapse into an ad when they’re half way through a piece of editorial! Increasingly though, disruptive ads are not only irritatingly swept aside by consumers – they often appear, to the trained eye at least, to be little more than attempts to cover up poor creative. Don’t do this to your brand!
But now a new, exciting era is beginning to emerge in the digital advertising space. Ads are starting to exist more naturally alongside editorial content, moving out of their standardised boxes. At Say Media we recently debuted a brand new ad experience on ReadWrite, one of our key tech properties. It’s the first site to ever feature Adaptive Ads (pictured), which are responsive designs that exist within the flow of content.
The future of online advertising is ads that exist in a very natural state next to the content. Like flipping the page in a print magazine, they become a part of the reading experience, adapting to mouse or touch controls to feel native to whichever device they’re experienced on. In this way ads become content in their own right and automatically webpage appears cleaner, thus delivering a more aesthetically pleasing experience for the user.
In digital, we are increasingly taking our cues from print magazine when it comes to the placing of ads on the webpage. When we read magazines we indulge in a linear experience. Ads flow naturally alongside content and somehow feel more personal – yet we can flick past them if we want to. And if an ad is great then generally we take the time to immerse ourselves in it. In July’s edition of Vanity Fair, Rolex ran a stunning 16-page ad featuring various icons wearing its pieces. The ad was clean, simple, and had flow to it. Its placement within the magazine had been carefully thought about. One peer who had seen the ad said impact actually rendered her speechless.
When content and advertising co-exist like this, it allows for the design to go in interesting directions. On ReadWrite and with Adaptive Ads, we’ve reduced the amount of interface you see on screen. We embrace scrolling, instead of working around it. Less competition for the user’s attention means that content can take centre stage. The mythical “above the fold” area in your browser is no longer the only thing that matters.
Adaptive Ads are a bold experiment and we hope they will inspire others to start thinking beyond the banner. For us, this is also a way to infuse some magic into the content experience – to not only bring back some of the beauty of print but truly create something that feels digitally native. To an extent of course, all advertising is by its very nature disruptive, but to date, we know that the majority of online consumers do not welcome the distractions on offer. This much more intuitive and sensitive way of enticing the user to immerse themselves in the brand experience could just be the way in which to regain the trust that years of static and the more recent disruptive forms of advertising have eroded.
Paps Shaikh is European General Manager at Say Media.
Originally Posted July 3, The Wall