For a more effective advertising campaign, bet on innovative advertising formats with original content

We can safely say that of all digital advertising formats, programmatic gives the greatest opportunity for creativity. It is becoming more and more difficult to capture the attention of consumers in our world where advertising white noise is constantly growing, and attention spans are progressively decreasing. This is where programmatic advertising can come to the rescue, because it offers a variety of advertising formats from which each brand can choose the most suitable one for reaching its target audience. Therefore, let’s look at the main programmatic formats and talk about how to choose the most suitable one in order to implement the most effective advertising campaign possible.

But first let’s clarify what a programmatic is.

Programmatic advertising is a digital marketing tool through which advertisers and publishers can buy and sell ad positions in real time through software platforms such as DSPs and SSPs.

We at DMG have been offering successful programmatic solutions since 2015, so you can trust us to achieve your advertising goals with them. See more about what we can offer you and how programmatic advertising works here!

Why is it so important to choose the most appropriate ad format?

As already mentioned, consumers are bombarded with thousands of advertisements daily and the only way to not only stand out from the competition, but also trigger action from your potential customers is by selecting the right ad format. In general, video ads have a higher engagement rate than static images because you can tell a story and convey more information through them. At the same time, you have the space and time to showcase more elements of your brand. Finally, you need to know which advertising formats are successful in different media and, accordingly, in which of them, what target audience you can reach. The result you should aim for is a higher click-through rate. Increasingly, most consumers are using search tools before making a purchase, which means it’s imperative for marketers to evolve their advertising approach to take advantage of this change in behaviour.

Basic programmatic formats

Display advertising

By display ads we mean almost all visual ads on websites, social media, mobile apps, and other digital channels. Within programmatic, display ads are those that appear in the header, footer, or sidebar. Here we can talk about image ads, video, or interactive multimedia content. To place display ads, you can be guided by demographics, behavior and interests, location, etc.

Types of display advertising

Static and animated ads

Advertisers typically use static display ads to provide more information about their products and services. These ads can be displayed in a variety of sizes and shapes, such as square banners or a billboard. In animated display ads, as the name suggests, you can see animation (moving images, transitions, other elements). These can be GIFs, videos or HTML5 ads.

Dynamic ads

Dynamic ads can automatically change content based on selected criteria and API integrations. The aim is to increase the relevance of the advertisement. When the user meets certain conditions, according to the pre-established criteria, he is provided with the most suitable option. For example, weather ads allow promotions of relevant products based on the weather forecast in certain locations. The simplest example is if it’s raining in your city, ads for umbrellas or raincoats will appear on your screen. However, keep in mind that if your business is just starting out and you don’t have a large advertising budget, dynamic ads may not be the best choice for you.

Rich media

Rich media ads contain multiple multimedia elements intended to increase user engagement with the ad content. In this format, users can tap, drag, pull, scratch, rotate the ad images or even play a game. Therefore, this type of advertisement is more interesting from a consumer point of view. Additionally, studies show that recently 50% of clicks on static banner ads are accidental, with only about 4 out of 1,000 users taking action that benefits the company. Through rich media advertising, you can enrich the user’s experience in the digital environment and, accordingly, get them to engage more with your brand, including making a purchase. ‍‍

Sticky ads

Sticky ads or so-called Sticky ads are the kind of ads that seem to stick to the page while the user is browsing the content. Most often they are only horizontal or vertical, but they can be a combination of both. Their advantage is that due to their insistent presence, the user cannot miss them. Through them, you deal with the new digital disease that all companies are afraid of – banner blindness. Users increasingly simply do not see the ads, but not if they are sticky ads.

Floating ads

Floating ads, as their title suggests, hover over content and remain in a fixed position on the page as users scroll down. They can be images or videos. They can be easily closed, however, because they have an obvious button to close and thus do not irritate. Like sticky ads, floating ads are designed to maximize visibility, therefore helping to increase brand awareness and recall. It’s also easier to grab users’ attention with floating ads and encourage engagement with the creative.

Native ads

Native ads are designed to look like a natural part of the site’s content. Their goal is to be more unobtrusive, so as not to annoy, but more engaging the attention of users, providing them with a better user experience. Because they are integrated into the content, it makes them harder to skip or ignore. One of the smartest ways to advertise, and highly effective. Native ads have 53% more views than display ads, and 71% of consumers say they identify with brands that use native ads. The click-through rate of native ads is 40 times higher than that of display ads.

High Impact ads

High Impact ads are non-standard solutions that effectively attract the attention of users and leave a lasting impression on them. They are hard to miss or ignore because they float, or fill the screen, or appear in an unexpected and noticeable way on them. Some of them allow users to modify their content. One of the most famous examples is the Avis ad, which features a small red car moving across the screen. If caught with the mouse, an advertising video takes over the entire screen, and if clicked anywhere on the ad, you are automatically taken to the company’s page.

Video ads

Video ads can appear on different platforms and channels, such as embedded in games or on CTV (connected television), can be outbound (shown outside of traditional video players) and inbound (interrupts current video content). They are one of the most engaging and eye-catching forms of digital advertising. They are an effective way to reach a wide audience and can work with different targeting options.

There are several main types of video ads: VAST video – video displayed on the company’s page in a video player; IBV – HTML5 banner that is placed in banner slots and is one of the standard banner sizes; Rich media with video – static or multimedia banners in video format; click-to-action ads – a unique and very clear format that calls users to take action by clicking on a website link, some card, sending an SMS, calling, etc. These ads are not a separate format, they can be static, floating or Rich Media with the difference being in the ad settings.

Audio ads

On public transport, everyone has headphones on – whatever they’re listening to, they can also hear your ad amongst their chosen content to start or end the day. Audio ads can be included in streaming music, podcasts, online radio, and the like, as well as in video games. What is more specific about them is that you can set, for example, specific options such as music genre. With audio ads, you can target personalized messages to highly engaged audiences in a less intrusive way. Also, unlike television, where both the cost of making an ad and broadcasting is high, with audio ads you will reach your consumers with much less money due to the simplicity of the video production and the incomparably lower prices for advertising space.

CTV commercials

CTV advertising is targeted ads to people who watch streaming content through internet-connected devices such as smart TVs, game consoles, or streaming boxes/sticks (Roku, Chromecast, etc.). The number of households with CTV continues to grow, so you can use these ads effectively. They can appear in a variety of formats, such as in-stream video ads (pre-, mid-, post-video), interactive video ads, or display ads. Some of the biggest benefits of CTV ads include better control over who sees your ads, reaching engaged viewers where they are, and being able to measure campaign results and gain valuable insights as it includes all standard and video indicators.

DOOH

The DOOH (Digital Out-Of-Home) advertising format allows the display of advertisements on digital screens such as billboards, digital signs, and other screens in public places such as airports, railway stations, malls, various institutions, etc. Through them you can reach your potential customers while they are on the move. Also, due to their nature, through these ads you can reach a huge audience gathered in one place, like a sports stadium, for example. Among the disadvantages of DOOH is the higher price you must pay, but in combination with other advertising formats it can be extremely effective.

In-game ads

You can purchase ad placement in video games that seamlessly blends into the game’s storyline and is part of the experience itself. This way, advertisers can reach a diverse and highly engaged audience without spoiling their enjoyment of the game itself. These ads can be created in two formats – display ad (JPG, GIF, standard media) or video (VAST). This is a very original way, and your target audience can also be diverse, since a lot of games are no longer aimed only at a youth audience.

We can also quickly mention: calculator ads, which are calculators embedded in advertising messages (operating on the basis of the data provided and helping to improve user engagement); data collection banners by which users are invited to fill in some fields in the creative (this way you can get information thanks to which you can understand what you need to generate leads or get a deeper insight into the behavior of users) etc.

What format will you choose for your next ad campaign?

Programmatic advertising is preferred by companies that want to advertise in a more effective way. Aside from basics like ad targeting and ad content itself, choosing the right programmatic ad format is critical to achieving your campaign goals. It’s good to be aware of how each ad format can help you achieve the results you want so you can start tailoring your ads to perform best on the specific channels where your ad messages will appear most effectively. And we at DMG are here to help you do it in the most optimal way possible for your company.