X.Feng

A report by Adage mentions, “A Nielsen study shows iPhone users are paying attention, while TV viewers not so much”. It said viewers were two times as likely to recall seeing the ad, three times as likely to remember the ad message and five times as likely to remember the brand as compared to viewers who saw the ad on TV.

This claim certainly caught my attention. The study, which was apparently commissioned by Apple and Campbell’s Soups, might have gotten people thinking that iAds are overtaking traditional advertising in terms of effectiveness or capture rate.

However, it is probably wiser to take this with  a pinch of salt. iAds may be more attention-grabbing now because people may click on these ads out of curiosity, given that such advertising techniques are still pretty uncommon and novel.

To add on, the target audience may be another point of inconsistency in the study. We have one group – the iPhone, iTouch or iPad users versus another group – TV ad viewers, or just anyone. Apple users, being drawn to the functionality of their gadgets, may pay more attention to what they are viewing on them. On the contrary, TV viewers are more likely to see a TV ad as just another ad that flashes by, devoting less attention to it.

A side point on iAds: It is no doubt a creative way of modern advertising. I guess being able to make ads more interactive through Apps would better justify why marketers are already pumping money into creating their own iAds. Redefining the experience consumers get while viewing ads probably makes them more effective.