Interactive advertising

Interactive advertising uses online or offline interactive media to communicate with consumers and to promote products, brands, services, and public service announcements, corporate or political groups.

In the inaugural issue of the Journal of Interactive Advertising, editors Li and Leckenby (2000) defined Interactive Advertising as the "paid and unpaid presentation and promotion of products, services and ideas by an identified sponsor through mediated means involving mutual action between consumers and producers." This is most commonly performed through the Internet as a medium.

Interactive advertising objectives

It is these mutual actions or interactions that enhance what Interactive Advertising is trying to achieve. But to understand how these help we must study the objectives of Interactive Advertising. The goals of interactive advertising are usually akin to the traditional objectives of advertising. This in turn means that many of the traditional elements of advertising impact and effectiveness remain relevant, even within the scope of interactive media. However, according to the "Journal of Interactive Advertising" 2001, interactive advertising also has some properties that expand the range of potential objectives and that facilitate the acquisition of traditional measures of advertising effectiveness. Interactive advertising also has the potential to lessen the consequential losses associated with poorly coordinated advertising, to reduce the difficulties commonly encountered in clearly communicating an advertising message and to help overcome new product hurdles, such as a consumer rejection.

Elements of interactive advertising

There are many different facets to Interactive Advertising, including varying methods and types. Using many different types of cognitive tools and advert presentations, organizations can enhance the impact of their campaigns with this type of advertising. According to Thorson (1996), all advertisements can be classified into one of five basic categories, including: product/service, public service announcement, issue, corporate and political. Advert types also interact with the user's motives to influence outcomes, or consumer responses, reinforcing the need for Interactive Advertising as a means of persuading potential consumers and target audiences.

Using the Internet as the main medium for Interactive Advertising to study the methods, types and outcomes, we can then sound out the different user or advertiser controlled aspects.

User generated/controlled aspects

Functions, Internet motives and mode are the main factors of user controlled aspects. In fact, a number of researchers and practitioners argue that consumers have more control on the Internet than do advertisers (Roehm & Haugtvedt, 1999). Some have gone so far as to argue that interactive marketing and advertising techniques will not work unless practitioners "step into the shoes" of and approach the Internet from the consumer's vantage point (Cross & Smith, 1997).

Advertiser controlled aspects

Internet aspects that are under the control of the advertiser. Most of these variables include structural elements, such as ad types, formats and features. This does not mean that consumers never control the structure of the interactive ads. Banner Ads, pop-up ads, sponsorship, hyperlinks and non-carrier websites are examples of Advertiser controlled Interactive Advertising.

References

* Li, Hairong; Leckenby, John D. 2004. Internet Advertising Formats and Effectiveness. Center for Interactive Advertising. [http://ciadvertising.org/studies/reports/measurement/ad_format_print.pdf] (accessed 03/09/2008)
* Flew, T. 3rd edition. 2008. New Media: an introduction Melbourne: Oxford.
* Thorson (Eds.), Advertising and the World Wide Web (pp. 99-117). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
* Roehm, H. A., & Haugtvedt, C. P. (1999). Understanding interactivity of cyberspace advertising. In D. W. Schumann & E. Thorson (Eds.), Advertising and the World Wide Web (pp. 27-39). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
* Cross, R., & Smith, J. (1997). Customer-focused strategies and tactics. In R. Brady, E. Forrest, & R. Mizerski (Eds.), Cybermarketing: Your Interactive Marketing Consultant (pp. 55-78). Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Business Books.
* Rodgers, S. 2001. The Interactive Advertising Model: 
How Users Perceive and Process Online Ads. JIAD. http://jiad.org/article5 (accessed 03/09/2008)