Premium Publishers Best Sites For Brand Marketing

• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, November 8, 2012

Premium content publishers are the best media for brand-focused advertising campaigns -- even better than social sites like Facebook. Some 63% of marketers believe premium content publishers do a better job of reaching brand goals, compared with 27% on social media, according to a new study by the Online Publishers Association (OPA).

The "Branding on Display" study reveals how marketers view premium content publishers by reviewing the role that branding plays in online advertising. It analyzes agency and marketing priorities and goals, determining how brand advertisers perceive the effectiveness of different media types against these goals on publisher sites and social networks.

The findings: 79% of marketers believe publishers do a better job of increasing consideration for branding goals versus 55% for social sites. Increasing brand preference received 84% versus 54%; improving brand favorability, 81% versus 54%; and increasing purchase intent, 78% versus 50%, respectively.

Agencies and marketers report higher levels of satisfaction with campaigns running on premium content publisher sites at 78%, compared with Facebook at 51%. The OPA study provides insight into the role that branding plays in online advertising, as well as preferences of agency and marketer professionals when it comes to achieving objectives.

The ability to measure ROI and brand recognition also ranked higher on premium content publisher sites, compared with campaigns running on Facebook. Some 55% of marketers said it is easier to measure the ROI of brand campaigns on premium content publisher sites, compared with 27% on Facebook. Brand lift measured 55% and 30%, respectively.

The study shows that marketers believe premium content publishers are the best media for brand-focused advertising. Some 73% cite that it delivers the best target audience; 63% say it achieves the best branding objectives; and 61% say it provides the best media brand quality/image.