Industry Survey Feedback Supports Four Large Ad Sizes
New York, NY – April 28, 2003 –Today, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced the new Universal Ad Package (UAP), a creative suite of four ad sizes that will enable advertisers to reach the majority of each online publisher’s audience. Designed in response to advertiser demand for more standard online advertising guidelines, this creative suite will ensure a greater consistency with online ads regardless of where they are published on the Web. The UAP is intended to improve the efficiency and ease to planning, buying and creating online media. The UAP has the support of the American Association of Advertising Agencies(AAAA).
The Universal Ad Package interactive units (IU) include:
IU 728 x 90
IU 300 x 250
IU 160 x 600
IU 180 x 150
If a publisher is UAP compliant, an advertiser can buy, plan and create around four units knowing they can reach the majority (51%) of that publisher’s audience. Buyers can identify IAB member UAP compliant sites by the UAP Compliance Seal (attached).
“The UAP offers a win-win for agencies and their clients. Now, as with a :30 second spot for TV, agencies can plan against a standard set of ad units The UAP affords a simpler approach to interactive media planning without impacting flexibility for advertisers to execute compelling, unique online advertising campaigns,” said Jonathan Adams, Senior Partner, Group Media Director, mOne Worldwide (Chairman, AAAA, Eastern Interactive Marketing and New Media Committee).
In December 2002, the IAB Ad Sizes Task Force recommended the four interactive UAP ad sizes and solicited feedback on the proposed units from industry stakeholders including agencies, advertisers and online publishers. The results of this survey confirmed that the chosen sizes recognized and conformed to the needs of the media buying community. The initial four sizes were chosen based on customer feedback, extensive usability studies and brand and traditional click performance tests.
The current IAB member companies that are currently, or plan to be compliant in the next 12-18 months, include: 24/7 Real Media Inc., About, Inc., America Online, Inc., CBS SportsLine.com, Classmates Online, Inc., CNET Networks, CondeNet, Edmunds.com, Inc., The Excite Network, Forbes.com, Inc., iVillage Inc., MarketWatch.com, Inc., Meredith Corporation, MSN, New York Times Digital, Terra Lycos, Univision Online, USAToday.com, Wall Street Journal Online, The Walt Disney Internet Group, Washingtonpost/Newsweek Interactive, The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc. and Yahoo!.
“The buying community implored publishers to simplify the planning process for interactive media, and we did just that. We listened and are reshaping our sites to accommodate these needs. This industry is determined to prove our commitment to our advertising clients. We are set to take the industry to a new level that offers advertisers best practices and leads to equal or greater results than other media vehicles such as TV and print,” said Joanne Bradford, MSN vice president and chief media revenue officer. “MSN is firmly committed to making online a better environment for advertisers to reach consumers and interact in a meaningful way.”
“From an agency perspective, the UAP exploits the best aspects of interactive advertising but doesn’t impact flexibility and creative option. With the UAP, an advertiser retains the ability to develop an ad in any size, shape or form they wish, whether it be a half-page or otherwise, and at the same time, they have the reassurance that they can create against the UAP and reach their desired audience,” said Matt Freeman, CEO, Worldwide, Tribal DDB.
“In less than 9 months, the IAB Ad Sizes Task Force has delivered a program that will ultimately result in one of the most meaningful changes in this industry to date. The UAP presents a uniform platform against which advertisers and agencies can develop campaigns with maximum efficiency thus reducing the barriers to entry for the media buying community,” said Adam Gelles, Director, Industry Initiatives, IAB.
“At long last, this medium is using ad units that are the size people have come to expect in offline media. For that reason, I think they will generate attention and response,” said Mike Donahue, Executive Vice President, AAAA.
IAB
Founded in 1996, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is the leading interactive advertising association and represents companies responsible for selling over 75% of online advertising in the United States, including; AOL, CNET, MSN, Overture Services, Walt Disney Internet Group, Yahoo, and over 100 others. Its activities include evaluating and recommending standards and practices, fielding research to document the effectiveness of the interactive medium and educating the advertising industry about the use of interactive advertising. Membership includes companies that are actively engaged in, and support the sale of interactive advertising. For more information please visit the IAB web site at www.iab.net.