Rumours of the Banner Ad’s Death are Greatly Exaggerated

I was chatting with a business associate the other day when I brought up the topic of using banner ads. He looked at me as if I had lost my mind, then said, "Banner ads?!?! Do those still work?"

Well, yes, they do.

While I am all in favour of new and innovative online marketing techniques, it’s a tad premature to be retiring banner ads to the online marketing graveyard.

Here’s why...

1. Those ‘plain old’ banner ads are sometimes the only means, or the fastest means, to integrate an advertiser’s message into a desired media property (Website or email newsletter).
2. Banner ads have been around for over a decade now, so all the stakeholders (advertisers, publishers, and consumers) are familiar with how they work.
3. There are now well-established design principles and best practices for banner ads so that creating an effective banner ad is no longer guesswork.
4. Unlike most online marketing tactics, there are actually commonly accepted industry standards for banner ads. Perhaps a few too many standards, but I digress...
5. Static or animated GIF banner ads are easy to test, simple to traffic, and rarely malfunction.
6. In addition to their ability to be a direct-response vehicle, banner ads can have a positive impact on an advertiser’s brand. Studies have proven this.

So, at the risk of sounding like a neo-Luddite, don’t forget the ‘plain old’ banner ad. They may not be appropriate for every campaign you work on, but make sure you always put them on your “to be considered” list.