A Closer Look at Ad Networks 

for Branding Campaigns

Michele Madansky

Oct 8, 2009

1
What You Will See

• Industry normative data that proves that ad networks can
be effective for online branding

• Examples of best practices for branding on ad networks

2
What You Will See

• Industry normative data that proves that ad networks can
be effective for online branding

• Examples of best practices for branding on ad networks

What You Will Not See

• Price/value analysis for ad networks versus publisher sites

3
Ad Networks Rival Portals in Online Reach, 
and Far Exceed Vertical Publishers’ Reach

Top 10 Ad Networks
Major Publisher Sites

% Reach
% Reach

Platform-A
91.5%
Google
77.0%

Yahoo! Network
86.7%
Yahoo!
76.4%

Google Ad Network
85.3%
MSN-Windows Live
58.0%

ValueClick Networks
83.1%
AOL LLC
55.7%

Specific Media
YOUTUBE.COM
46.5%

81.9%

FOX Audience Network
MYSPACE.COM*
36.8%

77.4%

76.6%
FACEBOOK.COM
35.0%

24/7 Real Media

CNN
18.1%

Traffic Marketplace
74.4%

ESPN
11.1%

Microsoft Media Network US
72.4%

NYTIMES.COM
5.5%

Tribal Fusion
71.7%

Source: comScore Media Metrix, US, June 2009

InsightNorms: Ad Networks Have Positive Brand Impact

InsightNorms: Ad Networks Data Control
Brand Metrics; Dec 2003-Aug 2009
n=31,357

100%
Exposed
n=123,117

80%

59.2%
61.8%

60%

41.8%

37.7%

40%
32.1%
34.1%

24.0%

20.1%
Delta: 
20%
11.7%
13.0%
Exposed
1.3%
2.6%
3.9%
4.1%
2.0%
- Control

0%

Unaided Aided Online Ad Brand Purchase
Awareness
Awareness
Awareness
Favorability
Intent

Sample sizes vary across different measures. Min sample sizes are :
Control N= 31.357, Exposed N= 123,117

5
For Select Metrics, Ad Networks Outperform 
Campaign Norms

80%

70%
65.0%
67.0%
control
exposed

59.2%
61.8%

60%

50%
41.8%
44.0%
45.0%

37.7%

40%

30%

20%
2.6%
2.0%
4.1%
1.0%

10%

0%

Aided Awareness - Ad Aided Awareness - Brand Favorability - Brand Favorability -
Network
Total
Ad Network
Total

6
Dynamic Logic Normative Data Shows That Ad
Networks Impact is Slightly Below Campaign Average

• Purchase Intent more positively impacted by ad networks

MarketNorms Average Compared to Ad Networks Average

MarketNorms Average
Average Ad Networks

5%
4.6%

Percent Impacted

4%
3.6%

3%
2.4%

2.2%

1.8%

2%
1.5%

1.2%
1.2%

1%
0.7%

0.2%

0%

Aided Brand Online Ad Message Brand Purchase/
Awareness
Awareness
Association
Favorability
Behavior Intent

Source: MarketNorms: Last 3 Years, Q2/2009, N=2,371, n=3,718,839 

Ad Networks: Last 3 Years, Q2/2009, N=439, n=187,614

 However, Top 20% of Campaigns on Ad
Networks Far Surpassed Industry Average

Best/Worst Performers on Ad Networks

MarketNorms Average
Top 20% Ad Networks
Average Ad Networks

16.0%
15.0%

14.0%

Percent Impacted

12.0%
10.0%
9.9%

10.0%
9.1%
9.2%

8.0%

3.6%

6.0%
4.6%
4.0%
2.2% 1.2%
2.4% 1.8%
1.5% 1.2%
2.0%
0.7%
0.2%

0.0%

Aided Brand Online Ad Message Brand Purchase/
Awareness
Awareness
Association
Favorability
Behavior Intent

Source: MarketNorms: Last 3 Years, Q2/2009, N=2,371, n=3,718,839 

Ad Networks: Last 3 Years, Q2/2009, N=439, n=187,614

 While Bottom 20% Actually Harm Brands

Best/Worst Performers on Ad Networks

MarketNorms Average
Top 20% Ad Networks
Average Ad Networks
Bottom 20% Ad Networks

20.0%

15.0%

15.0%

10.0%
9.9%

Percent Impacted

9.1%
9.2%

10.0%

4.6%
3.6%

5.0%
2.2%
1.2%
2.4%
1.8%
1.5%
0.7%
1.2%
0.2%

0.0%

-5.0%
-4.3%

-6.7%
-6.0%

-10.0%
-8.7%
-9.2%

Aided Brand Online Ad Message Brand Purchase/
Awareness
Awareness
Association
Favorability
Behavior Intent

Source: MarketNorms: Last 3 Years, Q2/2009, N=2,371, n=3,718,839 

Ad Networks: Last 3 Years, Q2/2009, N=439, n=187,614

Case Study: Compared to Publisher sites, Ad Network sites drove
action, lift message recall and association and recommendation intent 

Ad Network Sites
Publisher Sites

Control
Exposed
Impact
Control
Exposed
Impact

Sample Size:
X
X
X
X

Unaided Message Recall: XXXX
0%
13%
+12.9
15%
16%
+1.3

Message Association: XXXX
3%
8%
+4.9
7%
7%
+0.9

Message Association: XXXX
4%
8%
+4.1
9%
9%
0.0

Online advertising recall
21%
31%
+9.7
34%
39%
+4.7

Purchase Intent
42%
53%
+10.8
39%
45%
+5.8

Recommendation Intent
8%
21%
+13.6
13%
15%
+1.4

Actions Taken

Consider purchase
12%
24%
+11.4
15%
15%
+0.3

Download free trial
10%
20%
+9.9
11%
12%
+0.9

Visit website
11%
25%
+14.2
19%
21%
+2.0

Gather more info
15%
22%
+7.1
17%
19%
+1.7

T2 Box: Overall Opinion of Brand
48%
56%
+7.8
43%
50%
+6.9

Brand Opinions (Top Box)

Is high quality
26%
29%
+2.7
19%
24%
+4.9

Always up-to-date
24%
29%
+4.2
22%
25%
+3.1

Is best in the category
16%
18%
+2.3
10%
14%
+3.9

Has improved their product
15%
17%
+1.6
8%
11%
+3.4

Sig @ 90%

What are Factors That Help Branding On Ad Networks?

•  Context/Targeting

•  Great creative unit

•  Emerging media

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What are Factors That Help Branding On Ad Networks?

•  Context/Targeting

•  Great creative unit

•  Emerging media

•  Let’s look at a few of those top 20% campaigns

12
Puma Women’s Soccer Campaign

Puma Women’s Soccer Campaign

•  Contextually relevant
placements generated CTRs
over 20x average

 Forgetting Sara Marshall:
4Info Text Network

Campaign Objectives

•  Engage male users ages 18-34

•  Increase awareness of the upcoming
film release

•  Drive trailer views

•  Drive theater visits

Campaign

•  Integrated media campaign:

•  SMS ads placed on multiple 4INFO
channels
NBA Forgetting
•  Branded facebook widget for mobile CHI:126 MIL:
121 F 3/4
Sarah
Marshall in
sports content
*Been
theaters
4/18. Check
•  Mobile video trailers
dumped?
Reply
it out: www.
4info.net/ix/1

•  Goal: Drive trailer views + increase SARAH

movie audience.

Text Campaign Significantly Drove
Viewership Intent

Brand Metrics

100%
88.1%

90%
80.7%

80%
68.4%

70%
65.5%

59.4%

60%

50%
43.9%

40%
27.8%

30%

20%
13.4%

19.7%
20.6%
14.4%

21.3%

10%

0%

Aided Brand Recommendation Plan to See
Viewed the Trailer

Awareness
Intent

control
exposed

*Statistically significant difference between control and exposed group at a 95% confidence level. Results significant at 95% confidence
17
Videoegg Creative Far Exceeded
Ad Network Norms

Delta Aided Brand Purchase Sponsorship
between Brand Favorability
Intent
Ass’n

control and Awareness

exposed

Marketnorms
4.5%
2.3%
2.0%
8.1%

Brand 1
10.7%
13.3%
4.9%
-

Brand 2
-
-
7.1%
10.1%

Ad Networks Can be Effective (and Efficient) for Brand
Advertisers

•  Advertiser Considerations:

• Great creative

• Appropriate contextual environment

• Smart Geo/Demo/Psychographic/Behavioral Targeting

• New Platforms

19
Ad Networks Can be Effective (and Efficient) for Brand
Advertisers

•  Ad Network Considerations:

• Great creative (or non-horrible creative)

• Contextual environment that lets the ad “breathe”

• Prove that you can work for branding campaigns

20
Thanks!

•  Special thanks to Dynamic Logic, Insight Express and comScore

•  michele@michelemadansky.com

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