IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) released the “IAB Cross-Media Ad Effectiveness Study,” research which proves that media plans that include mobile and desktop advertising executed simultaneously with traditional offline media consistently drive greater lift across brand impact metrics than traditional offline media alone.
The research examined major brands’ live campaigns, as they ran, in five verticals—Automotive, CPG, Retail, Finance, and Media—revealing that mobile web, mobile app, and desktop advertising are all effective drivers of brand impact. The study further demonstrates that while digital advertising alone is effective for some brand metrics, when combined with other media it becomes a critical part of a mix that can be used to reinforce messages seen offline. For example, analysis of a campaign advertising the launch of a new auto model showed that the inclusion of mobile web ads combined with any other media lifted brand familiarity by 19 percent.
The best channel combinations typically include at least one of these digital options—mobile web, mobile app, and desktop—and TV. For instance, a new auto model campaign showed that the combination of desktop plus mobile web plus TV resulted in a 211 percent lift in unaided brand awareness. This same powerful combination was also responsible for 47 percent of the total campaign lift in purchase intent in a campaign for a well-known CPG food brand.
“The findings from this study confirm to marketers the tremendous impact of the addition of digital to brand marketing campaigns,” said Anna Bager, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mobile and Video, IAB. “As interactive screens take an even more central role in our lives, they need to become a fixture in the media mix. Digital is crucial, if brands want to get the most out of any advertising investment.”