Halo effect reveals importance of mobile ads in high quality environments

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How does the environment in which an advert resides influence its performance? According to a new report from Integral Ad Science (IAS), adverts viewed in high quality mobile web environments were perceived significantly better than those in lower-grade versions.

The study, titled 'The Halo Effect: Ad Environment & Receptivity', observed 50 participants and their reactions to articles and creative content across 30 minutes. 

The report found three quarters (74%) of participants perceived ads more favourably in higher quality mobile web environments. Content generated in these environments can generate up to 20% higher engagement and up to 30% greater memorability among consumers.

Adverts seen on higher quality sites garnered a positive reaction from users, while the same adverts were 'actively disliked' on lower quality equivalents, as determined by IAS proprietary risk scoring. This finding subsequently meant a 'halo' effect was established as consumer response peaked when looking at the entire context of an ad placement.

Consumers were also found to be three times less willing to associate with brands which ran adverts alongside unsavoury content. 

"This biometric research demonstrates that the quality of an ad's environment has a dramatic impact on how people react to that ad," said Tony Marlow, IAS chief marketing officer. "People respond to the entire context of an ad impression rather than just a single component of it, and this generates a very strong and positive halo effect for ads that are seen in high quality environments."

Interested in hearing leading global brands discuss subjects like this in person?

Find out more about Digital Marketing World Forum (#DMWF) Europe, London, North America, and Singapore.  

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