• by Masha Geller , April 20, 2001

I don't give our readers enough credit for the daily inspiration I receive with the feedback to this column. My inbox is full of responses to yesterday's Minute, so I thought I'd share some of them with you.

On the topic of bigger banners being more effective (based on CTRs), Jim Meskauskas, Chief Internet Strategist at Mediasmith, wrote: "All of this is to say that the larger, newer and thus more novel ad units elicit greater response. That is no surprise. But this entire issue is predicated on the belief that click-through rates are the end-all/be-all of online advertising. Though the press treats it as such, CTR is NOT the measure of advertising's success."

Jim added, "In the good old days of traditional advertising, folks used to talk about things like 'ad effectiveness.' Certainly, CTRs will fall to ultimately reflect what response rates are in other media. But that should be no reason to discount the effects advertising on the web may have despite it's not resulting in an impulse transaction. Interactive advertising needs to be treated like advertising."

Eric A. Sutcliffe, Media Director at tmp.worldwide, echoed Jim's thoughts: "Why do we continue to base 'success' on click-thrus? And why, even within medialand, do we continue to report on it? If snowball would report on the relevance of click through on this campaign - then I'd pay attention. Conversion? Awareness? Branding? You're going to have to use other metrics besides click-thrus to convince me of the big banner 'success' within any of these categories."

CTRs aside, Sandra Kinsler, Editor of CyberAd Media, Inc., said, "We've found that it is possible to reach over a 3% CTR with a properly targeted (and non-contest involved) 468x60. If you pick a site with the right demographic, after that it's all in the targeting of the creative. Something so many advertisers ignore."

How's that for expert advice? Unfortunately, I only have a minute, otherwise I'd share more of these real insights I find more valuable than any research study could hope to be. Nevertheless, please keep 'em coming!