Why Display Advertising Is Underrated

Display advertising gets a bad rap. Critics suggest that consumers are sick of display ads or simply don’t click on them. According to Zenith’s 2017 Advertising Expenditure Forecasts, the spend on social and video continues to go up, while the spend on traditional display advertising is trending downwards and is expecting to shrink by 3.1%.

So, does that mean that display advertising is dead? In a word, no.

What we’re seeing instead is the start of a new era for display advertising. With consumers glued to their Smartphones, mobile ads are taking off. Retargeting has unlocked opportunities to follow your consumer wherever they go. Ads are getting more creative and more relevant. In fact the opportunities in display advertising are growing.

Here are four reasons why we think display advertising is still a vital ingredient in any brand’s advertising strategy.

Achieves better brand exposure

In such a saturated market, brand exposure and brand recognition are increasingly important measures in relation to customer growth and retention. Display advertising can help brands reach a larger audience in comparison to many other advertising mediums. Display advertising provides the potential of reaching over 90% of all internet users. With the right creative and an effective targeting strategy in place, a brand can reach and cut through with their ideal audience.

Offers a clear return on investment

Unlike many offline and some other online forms of advertising, display advertising provides a very clear return on investment. Results are measured according to ad impressions and clicks in relation to a brand’s specific ad objectives. The definitive nature of display advertising results makes the method a relatively low risk form of advertising. Of course that doesn’t mean that display advertising hasn’t faced scrutiny over its value. Critics often turn to display advertising’s lower click through rates as evidence that it isn’t as effective as other channels. In reality, there’s no point comparing apples to oranges. Display advertising serves a different purpose, and should be judged accordingly.

Unlocks a cost effective way of advertising

Hiring ad space on a billboard can cost thousands of dollars per month and offers an uncertain return on investment. With the average person spending up to 10 hours a day looking at laptop, mobile and tablet screens, display advertising is a cost effective way of advertising where your target audience spend so much of their time.

Enables the ability to reach a highly targeted audience

Why spend the money on advertising to people who are unlikely to convert? Display advertising allows brands to target a specific audience with ads that are meaningful to them. Display advertisements can be geo-targeted and targeted according to your audience’s interests. This means that brands reach only the most valuable audience, the audience that is most likely to convert. For example, a travel destination seeking Australian tourists may choose to advertise on Australian travel websites. They may also integrate remarketing to re-engage previous website visitors.

If your brand is looking to build brand exposure, boost brand recognition and drive conversions, display advertising is a strong, cost effective medium with very clear results.