Digital display advertising is going through a seismic change. Reaching consumers with relevant advertising is becoming increasingly difficult. New opportunities are increasingly being built around two of the most disruptive elements in advertising today – content marketing and native advertising – yet the level of insight as to how consumers are responding to them is relatively low. For this reason Yahoo! and Facit Digital examined the way native ads work with respect to visibility, their ability to convey content, user preferences and the impact on the perception of brands. The study was awarded the Best Practice Award 2015 of the German Society of Online Research.

1. Native Ads
Ad Content in Context
General Online Research Conference, March 2015

2. Reaching consumers with relevant advertising
is becoming increasingly difficult
Classic display ad

3. Native is disrupting the advertising landscape
Native ad

4. Sponsored
content
Content marketing is about a deeper
engagement with users
Content marketing
native ad

5. Visibility
Ability to convey content
User preferences
Impact on the perception of the brand
But how do native ads work?

6. Quite a methodological
challenge…

7. #1
“I don’t care about
advertising anyway”

8. Experimental, monadic approach
Quant-qual combination
National online survey User experience lab
Hard currency
(recall, recognition,…)
In-depth analysis of spontaneous reactions
and acceptance
Advertising effect Preferences –
do’s & don’ts for advertisers
4,014 respondents 40 respondents

9. Non-reactive attention
measurement via eye-tracking

10. #2
How do we build a valid
usage scenario?

11. Realistic mock-up campaigns,
interactive clickable formats

12. Desktop environments
H o m e M a i l M a g a z i n e
Display
DisplayNative
Native
Native

13. Mobile environments
Display
Native
Native
Native
H o m e M a i l M a g a z i n e
Display

14. Usage of appropriate devices for both
stimuli and survey
This survey must be
completed with a
regular desktop or
laptop computer.
It appears that you
are using a
smartphone.
Please start again
with a desktop or
laptop computer.
next >
This survey must be completed with a
smartphone.
It appears that you are using a regular
computer.
Please start again with a smartphone.
next >

15. Content-oriented
recall task instead of
mere exploration
On the next page you
will see a travel
magazine from Yahoo.
Please explore all
contents closely.
We will ask you which
of them you remember
afterwards.
You are forwarded
automatically after
60 seconds.
next >
Topic recognition
rather than ad
recognition
Target
native ad
Distractors
Which of these
contents do you
remember?
 Fuerteventura’s best
beaches
 Best restaurants at
lake Garda
 Hiking in the Allgäu
 Photo: Golf course
 Photo: London
telephone box
 Overcome fear of
flying
 None
next >

16. #3
How do we consider the challenge
of measuring content marketing?

17. Brand vs. content campaigns
Brand/
product
Content
marketing

18. Post click destinations
B r a n d p a g e Y a h o o c o n t e n t Y a h o o v i d e o c o n t e n t

19. A complex framework allowing for
multiple outputs
Device Format Environment Campaign type Brand
Desktop
Native
Yahoo Homepage
Brand Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Yahoo Mail
Brand Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Yahoo Magazine
Brand Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Display
Yahoo Home Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Yahoo Mail Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Mobile
Native
Yahoo Home
Brand Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Yahoo Mail
Brand Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Yahoo Magazine
Brand Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Display
Yahoo Home Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook
Yahoo Mail Product Weight Watchers Thomas Cook

20. Impact

21. 93%see the native ad
on a desktop
High visibility with native ads
Source: Yahoo study “Native Advertising“, Germany, 2014; Basis: eye-tracking 30 users (desktop: n = 20, mobile: n = 10)
85%see the native ad
on a smartphone
21%
higher visibility
than mobile
display
advertising

22. Native ad reception pattern is equal to
content reception pattern
0 - 1 0 s 1 0 - 2 0 s 2 0 - 3 0 s
Source: Yahoo study “Native Advertising“, Germany, 2014; Basis: eye-tracking 30 users (desktop: n = 20, mobile: n = 10)

23. Native ads lead to better recall
of specific content
Following contact with a native ad
the ad‘s specific content is recalled
+13% on desktop
than display advertising content
Native ad+19% on mobile
Native
Ad
Native ad
Source: Yahoo study “Native Advertising“, Germany, 2014; Basis: n = 4014 users

24. Tips and tricks to increase relevance
and user engagement
Native ad
Native ad
is relevant+18% +14%
content is remembered+26% +72%
encourages click through+36% +9%
Source: Yahoo study “Native Advertising“, Germany, 2014; Basis: n = 4014 users

25. Essential for the landing page to deliver
the content that the native ad promises
Content on
Yahoo
Content on
brand websites
The brand
website home
page
“Here, I don‘t have to try to find my way
around again. Instead I can simply stay on
the page that I‘m already used to."
“That‘s what I was expecting. I get straight to
the article that was indicated and afterwards I
have lots of possibilities to find out more."
“That doesn‘t fit with what‘s in the ad and now
I‘ve got to start all over again looking for the
content I‘m interested in."
Users do not have to
adapt a different layout
Gives relevant
information and the
opportunity to find out
more about the brand
The content‘s connection
to the campaign may get
lost on the home page
Source: Yahoo study “Native Advertising“, Germany, 2014; Basis: n = 4014 users; Basis statements: individual interviews

26. Greatest impact is seen with Magazines,
native ads gain as much attention as content
Focus on article
headline
Same attention rate
between native ad and
content
0 - 6 0 s e c o n d s
90%
see the native ad
on a desktop
95%
see the native ad
on a smartphone
Source: Yahoo study “Native Advertising“, Germany, 2015; Basis: eye-tracking 30 users (desktop: n = 20, mobile: n = 10)

27. The content relation is showing more impact
on interaction than in-stream native ads
+116% encourages click through
+100% is relevant
+83% is appealing
+27% less obstrusive
Native ad
Native ads in Magazines compared to native ads in-stream (desktop)
Source: Yahoo study “Native Advertising“, Germany, 2015; Basis: n = 4014 users; Basis statements: individual interviews

28. Thanks!
Please contact us:
Michael Wörmann
m.woermann@facit-digital.com @wrombel
Eva Herzog
herzog@yahoo-inc.com @pikattun