• by Mark Walsh , November 4, 2013

Does branding on the Web actually work? The question is still relevant when the share of direct response advertising online continues to grow at the expense of brand advertising. A panel of creative execs at OMMA Premium addressing the question seems to point to content marketing as the best way to pursue brand advertising online. Doug Rozen of Meredith’s MXM unit talked about creating “experiences” that don’t necessarily fit into IAB-standard boxes.

Ryan McLaughlin, chief strategy officer, U.S. Tribal Worldwide agreed, pointing to platforms like Tumblr for posting content people like that can be distributed in an ad-like way. Like a series of GIFs of a favorite band. Matt Ian, executive creative director, TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, said digital isn’t a medium for interruptive messages. “I can’t remember the last pre-roll I didn’t mute,” he said.

Corey Gehrt, Strategy Director, Code and Theory, however, pointed out that native ad units, like those in Twitter or Pinterest, can be effective at actually driving business and traffic, while avoiding the interruptive model of traditional advertising.