Multi-Platform Ads Boost Effectiveness Of Campaigns: Study

Impact Extends Beyond Reach To Customer Behavior

By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 6/24/2008 10:12:00 AM

Advertising on multiple platforms results in a significant increase in a campaign's conversion rate, namely the percentage of consumers exposed to ads who actually purchase the product or service being advertised, according to a study released Tuesday by Integrated Media Measurement.

Integrated Media issued the study results at the Advertising Research Foundation's Audience Measurement 3.0 conference in New York City.

The 35-page white paper, titled "Understanding The True Value Of Multi-Platform Advertising," uses ad campaigns for TV shows and theatrical releases as examples of how advertising that spans multiple-media platforms drives conversion well beyond the effects of increased frequency, recentness and targeting.

"Until now, the value of a multi-platform advertising campaign was thought to be just an increase in reach," Integrated Media’s head of research Amanda Welsh said in a prepared statement. "This new data shows the increase in reach is real, but the impact of advertising on multiple platforms on conversion and getting consumers to engage in the target behavior is potentially more important."

Highlights from the white paper show that:

A close examination of 18 TV shows, five movies and a DVD release all show that exposure to television ads results in a much lower conversion rate than exposure to ads on television plus one additional media platform.

-- The value of multiple platform campaigns goes significantly beyond maximizing reach.

-- Six TV programs ran significant television and radio campaigns before their season premieres. For each show, the conversion rates were consistently higher among consumers exposed to ads on a combination of platforms than among those exposed to one platform alone.

-- Consumers exposed to TV ads for the four cable shows tracked had an average conversion rate of 4.35%; consumers exposed to ads on television plus at least one other platform had an average conversion rate of 12.38%, representing a 285% increase in conversion.

-- Consumers exposed to television ads for the five movies tracked had an average conversion rate of 5.52 %; consumers exposed to ads on television plus at least one other platform had an average conversion rate of 13.52 %, representing a 245% increase in conversion.

Recognizing that consumers exposed to ads on more than one platform are generally exposed to more ads than individuals without multiple platform exposure, Integrated Media compared data for consumers exposed to the same number of ads on single and multiple platforms. The results clearly showed the effects of increased frequency are not responsible for the increased conversion rates for multiple platform ad exposure.

While previous studies have examined the impact of advertising on multiple platforms, the data contained in those studies has relied on self-reported awareness and intent-to-purchase rather than using real measures of consumer behavior. The Integrated Media data is based on actual consumer behavior.