Harris Interactive recently released the results of a poll that asked Americans what media they found most helpful in guiding their purchase decisions. I take the numbers with a grain of salt, but one particular result got me thinking.
“Almost half of Americans (46%) say they tend to ignore Internet banner ads. Much further down the list are Internet search engine ads (17% of people ignore), television ads (13%), radio ads (9%), and newspaper ads (6%).”
Aren’t we all supposed to be watching TV, surfing the internet, streaming radio , and flipping through the newspaper simultaneously now? Do only 13% of us ignore TV ads? Are banners that ignored? I think there may be some truth to the numbers on this one - to what degree I can’t say – and my argument is based on flow within a medium.
Information flow. With TV, it’s one-way and easy to follow. With the Internet we don’t know whether we’re coming or going. We have 10 websites open at the same time and 10 different flows of information. There’s more information overload within the medium of the Internet, thus we are more apt to tune out what doesn’t really resonate with us. Of course it’s easy to ignore a static banner or irrelevant search engine ad; why should we pay any attention to the sparkler when there is a fireworks show going on? In order for an ad to grab our attention on the Internet, it has to work hard, much harder than an ad that has less immediate competition.
This doesn’t mean that banners don’t work, or that TV is more effective. It is simply something to consider when crafting a message and figuring out how to deliver it. How much flows exists within the medium, and will your message cut through?
