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Steve Nash, director, product, ad products and tools, GumGum
Digital advertising now relies on science more than ever. The measurement metrics and precision targeting have evolved significantly, but the ad creative can feel like an afterthought and stuck in the past.
Advertising is now measured using a multitude of KPIs. Specific audiences can now be isolated by performing matches between massive data sets. Marketers also optimize with insights from highly sophisticated attribution models. Yet for an industry that’s data-obsessed, the ads themselves are often standard-sized and static. For many consumers, ads look largely the same from one to the next.
This one-size-fits-all approach misses the mark in a world where engagement is the true measure of success. Marketers can no longer rely on small, generic display images and videos to achieve results.
As new media channels proliferate, the battle for consumer attention is intensifying. To gain a competitive edge, it’s important for advertisers to rethink how they use creative to engage audiences. In other words, it’s time for the art to catch up with the science.
A moment of inflection for ad creative
Digital advertising has reached an important level of sophistication that makes choosing the right creative all the more significant. This is thanks to two relatively recent developments: a sizeable stable of powerful, interactive ad formats — each designed to accomplish specific marketing objectives; and mature contextual advertising models capable of delivering the right ad format — along with a great ad — at the most relevant moment based on a person’s purchase and browsing history and/or current mindset.
This is good news because creative isn’t just a nice to have, it’s vital. Studies have shown that creative is the single most important driver of brand impact, accounting for about 50% of campaign effectiveness. Ignoring creative is a huge missed opportunity for an industry focused on maximizing engagement.
A study led by IPG analyzed more than 2,000 digital campaigns across European audiences and found that high-impact desktop ads achieved six times the uplift of the industry standard. And the inclusion of advanced multimedia features further drove a 9.9% increase in click-through rates.
The value of fitting the format to the function
Multimedia formats like large-scale mobile skins, gamification or product carousels create highly engaging ad environments. These formats are naturally primed to capture attention and foster brand familiarity. When used strategically, immersive ads can generate significant uplifts across metrics like CTR and brand recall, enabling a dynamic connection that static ads struggle to match.
Experience has shown that oversized, immersive ads — such as product 360s or animations — are most effective for building awareness at the top of the funnel. Meanwhile, gamified ads help lead people through their mid-funnel journeys.
At the lower funnel, a new breed of interactive product carousels and chatbots are connecting with consumers as they approach a conversion or even a purchase. Advertising can deliver on that long-touted concept: that a sequential series of ads can guide people along the entire purchase path.
How attention metrics are equal parts art and science
Brands like Domino’s have shown how a data-driven creative approach can yield massive results. By analyzing which contextual environments generated the most engagement, Domino’s was able to adjust ad placements on the fly, seeing major boosts in CTR and an impressive ROAS of up to 398%. This attention-driven creative approach turned a single campaign into a dynamic strategy that delivered results well above initial KPIs.
It’s not just about format. Ads need to be engaging, regardless of when they show up or what template they employ. At its core, attention is the metric that binds creativity and data, turning strategic artistry into high-impact advertising. With modern tools, attention insights can be used to craft ad creatives that resonate deeper, capture user interest longer and ultimately drive stronger outcomes.
Tying all of these new tactics together will bring digital advertising to its full potential and advertisers will finally reap the full benefits of their creative investments.
Sponsored by GumGum
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