• by Masha Geller , March 26, 2001

I promise this will be the last time I talk about this topic until something truly significant happens, but to dot all the i's and to confirm the online advertising industry's critical reactions to the IAB's big banner standards, this report deserves a mention. Jupiter Media Metrix today reported that although 25% of ad-supported websites host large banner ads, less than 5% run formats that comply with new standards. New research from JMM's AdRelevance division reveals that the number of ads exactly matching the new standards did increase by 50% during each week in February, yet they accounted for less than 1% of all ads created since the new IAB specifications were launched on February 26.

"The new IAB online ad standards are nowhere near achieving a high level of acceptance from Web sites," said Charlie Buchwalter, VP of media research for Jupiter Media Metrix. "There has been an increase in the number of ads matching the standards, but not enough to make a dent in the overall market."

According to AdRelevance data, 9% of websites experimented with a new banner size prior to the official launch of the IAB specifications. However, less than 40% of those sites utilized an exact IAB-specified ad format during February.

"Some sites have become flexible to the idea of larger formats, however, it will take time for others to code their sites to accommodate larger formats. Even when a site does work giant ads into its content, like CNET, it often uses a size that differs from IAB standards," Buchwalter said.