• by March 5, 2001

The Advertising Council, the nation's leading provider of public service advertisements (PSAs), and PhaseOne Communications, an advertising and marketing communications researcher, will tomorrow officially release the results of their joint study, "Secrets of Highly Clickable Banners."

The study, which will be presented at the Advertising Research Foundation's 47th Annual Convention and Research Infoplex 2001, defines several important guidelines for increasing Web banner click-through rates.

PhaseOne conducted the study pro-bono, to assist in the development of guidelines that could be used by the Ad Council in the production of new Web banner public service advertisements (PSAs). Many of the guidelines can be applied effectively to all banner ads across all product categories. In conducting the study, PhaseOne analyzed 93 Ad Council Web banners using their proprietary methodology designed to measure the factors that influence a user to click on a banner advertisement.

The results of the research yielded a four-component pyramid model, which provides a set of standards and effective practices for the design of banner advertisements. According to the study, a banner ad that adheres to four significant components -- drawing the eye, engaging the mind, creating a desire for more and facilitating action -- will experience a much higher incidence of user click-through.

According to the study, in order to encourage a viewer to click on an ad banner it must draw the viewer's eyes away from the Web page and to the banner itself. PhaseOne found numerous ways in which this can be achieved, but the most effective method is the utilization of motion or animation. Of the 93 Web banners analyzed, only one in the top click-through group was static. In comparison, 35 percent of the least clicked group were motionless.

The study also found that relevance is an important component of creating a successful Web banner. Results indicate that as many as 82 percent of ads that receive high levels of click-through promise a relevant benefit. In contrast, less than half of the ads with the lowest level of click-through, offer a benefit.

The joint study, which is the first to examine what drives click-through rates, is the latest in PhaseOne's 15-year research program designed to define what makes marketing communications effective in media.

"Considering the Ad Council's place as a frequent Internet Top 20 advertiser, Phase One's study stands to add substantial value to our Web presence," said Peggy Colon, Ad Council President and CEO. "The Ad Council has made tremendous strides in effecting positive change thanks to the volunteer efforts of the advertising and media communities. We are delighted to have worked with Phase One on this important research, and are confident that with additional support from the research community that we can continue to improve the quality of our important messages."

"The results from this study represe