Gross stands out - but how?
The new "Messaging Plus" banner format promises to bring more attention back to online advertising
The new banner format Messaging Plus promises online advertising more attention againBy MaTthias Zehnder and Clemens HörlerAdvertising banners are vying for attention with ever new forms and formats. The Messaging Plus, which can already be seen on American sites, catches the eye primarily because of its size and dominant placement.
Anyone who has visited the American news service CNET or ZDNet in recent weeks must have stumbled across it: huge rich media banners with a whopping 360 by 300 pixels, which do not eke out a marginal existence but are placed in the middle of the text as if they were illustrating it. This distinguishes the Messaging Plus banner from the vertical Skyskraper banner, which takes up a similarly large area but is more clearly separated from the editorial content.
The reasons for the new banner formats are obvious: Many experienced Internet users no longer even pay attention to the top half of the screen, where full and half banners are normally placed. New forms and placements outside this blind zone are intended to bring more attention back to online advertising and help platform operators win the favor of advertisers in the fiercely competitive online market.
However, reactions to the new banner in the U.S. so far have not been entirely positive: users complain that the banners appear too dominant. Many web publishers are afraid of annoying visitors in this way and want to continue to clearly separate advertising and editorial content. The format-related weight apparently does not play a major role in the discussion.
Swiss website operators show openness to new things
The Messaging Plus banner is not yet to be found on Swiss websites, but many website operators are open to the new format. "Such an advertising space could certainly sell well," says André Amsler, Product Manager and Customer Advisor at eBund. "However, such a placement would have to be clarified with the editorial team."
Andi Maerz, Head of E-Content at Ringier, also emphasizes that Ringier is basically open to new forms of advertising, unless they would influence the overallspeed of the site. However, Maerz also points out the need to clearly distinguish between advertising and editorial content.
Martin Radelfinger, CEO of AdLink Switzerland and President of the Swiss Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), defends the dominance of the new format: "An Internet service that finances itself with advertising has no reason to be ashamed of placing banners that are also noticed." Peter Strassmann, managing director of ActiveAgent Switzerland, emphasizes that while any new advertising format brings massively higher attention ratings, such a dominant format should only be used selectively so as not to annoy users.
Anyone who has visited the American news service CNET or ZDNet in recent weeks must have stumbled across it: huge rich media banners with a whopping 360 by 300 pixels, which do not eke out a marginal existence but are placed in the middle of the text as if they were illustrating it. This distinguishes the Messaging Plus banner from the vertical Skyskraper banner, which takes up a similarly large area but is more clearly separated from the editorial content.
The reasons for the new banner formats are obvious: Many experienced Internet users no longer even pay attention to the top half of the screen, where full and half banners are normally placed. New forms and placements outside this blind zone are intended to bring more attention back to online advertising and help platform operators win the favor of advertisers in the fiercely competitive online market.
However, reactions to the new banner in the U.S. so far have not been entirely positive: users complain that the banners appear too dominant. Many web publishers are afraid of annoying visitors in this way and want to continue to clearly separate advertising and editorial content. The format-related weight apparently does not play a major role in the discussion.
Swiss website operators show openness to new things
The Messaging Plus banner is not yet to be found on Swiss websites, but many website operators are open to the new format. "Such an advertising space could certainly sell well," says André Amsler, Product Manager and Customer Advisor at eBund. "However, such a placement would have to be clarified with the editorial team."
Andi Maerz, Head of E-Content at Ringier, also emphasizes that Ringier is basically open to new forms of advertising, unless they would influence the overallspeed of the site. However, Maerz also points out the need to clearly distinguish between advertising and editorial content.
Martin Radelfinger, CEO of AdLink Switzerland and President of the Swiss Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), defends the dominance of the new format: "An Internet service that finances itself with advertising has no reason to be ashamed of placing banners that are also noticed." Peter Strassmann, managing director of ActiveAgent Switzerland, emphasizes that while any new advertising format brings massively higher attention ratings, such a dominant format should only be used selectively so as not to annoy users.
