• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, December 5, 2011

Seeking to persuade more networks to sign up for its request-for-information product, Canoe Ventures has released data showing the effectiveness of RFI campaigns. Canoe argues that the interactive TV ads help in both the direct-response and brand-building arenas. 

Its research shows that an RFI ad brought a 28% increase in viewer purchase intent over a traditional spot, while there was a 26% hike in unaided ad awareness and 23% increase in unaided brand awareness. Research was a joint effort between Canoe and E-Poll Market Research.

Canoe said last week at a Broadcasting & Cable event it is delivering the RFI ads into 25 million homes for AMC, Style and E! and into fewer homes for four other channels. The ads are served up by multiple cable operators, as Canoe -- which is owned by the six largest cable operators -- is trying to stitch together a national footprint for iTV advertising. 

The company's white paper says while reactions vary based on advertising category, type of programming and offer, as well as other factors, the RFI ads generating the greatest amount of interaction have about 1% of viewers taking advantage. Canoe says that is “on par” with “Internet-based interaction advertising” and other direct marketing vehicles.” 

However, from a branding perspective, if a viewer did or did not interact with an RFI ad, the nature of the spot “gets viewers to feel more positive about the brand and potentially increases word-of-mouth socialization.” The research respondents who had seen an RFI ad were 9% more likely to “post a note about the brand on a social networking site.”

(RFI ads allow a viewer to use the remote control and request a product sample or additional information be sent in the mail.)

The new research comes after Canoe and the Association of National Advertisers released some results in a joint study of advanced advertising opportunities using an online panel of 4,200. That one used ads from Fidelity, Honda and State Farm and found that RFI ads brought increased unaided brand awareness and purchase intent numbers.