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subject: Break Through The Clutter With Streaming Audio Banners. [print this page]

"A horse is a horse, of course, of course, his name is

Mister Ed!" Do any of you remember that silly jingle

from the television show?

That's not really important anyway. What IS important

is that Ed, the talking horse, was quite a phenomenon

back in the 60's. Ed talked, reasoned and displayed

traits unlike any of his animal brethren.

There is a lesson here, of course. Millions of people

watched Mr. Ed every week just because he WAS

different. And that leads us right smack-dab into a

discussion about your banner advertising campaigns.

Those poor maligned banners. Once the darlings of

Internet advertisers, they've really been getting

bad-rapped lately due to their failure to lure web

surfers into clicking-thru and creating sales. But is

it the fault of the banners or have they become so

ubiquitous that the surfer hardly notices them? Why

don't we make those banners so inviting and

entertaining that users won't be able to click fast

enough?

I think that content providers are too focused on

consumers as "sets of eyeballs." We need to look at

these people first as users and, secondly, as members

of our online audience. And audiences have come to

expect advertising wrapped in a very entertaining

package. An essential part of that package is

streaming audio.

Streaming audio has become a whole new industry for

the Web. As more and more people listen to music

online and web-based radio, advertisers are taking

notice. These listeners, fondly called "streamies,"

are devoted Internet users and active online

shoppers. They are a valuable audience as they're 70

percent more likely to have made an online purchase

than a non-streamie. Arbitron Internet Information

Services says that streamies are quite ready to accept

web advertising in exchange for free programming, and

they're more receptive and influential targets.

How can we begin to use these statistics to leverage

the effectiveness of banner ads?

Java based audio presentations can be fully integrated

into your banner advertising. Why Java based, you

ask? Most important is the fact that no plug-in or

complicated player installation is required on the

part of the viewer. (The "impulse to click" is not

thwarted by the user having to take additional

actions.) The size of Java files are relatively small

as well thereby minimizing the page load issue. And,

because Java is cross platform, you can be comfortable

knowing that the majority of visitors will be able to

enjoy the presentation. Java is versatile and works

well with almost any application.

What can be done with these banners? Audio can be

synchronized with your banner images and text to

deliver eye and ear pleasing messages. Slide shows

can be placed within the banner. Relevant product

information can be imparted quickly and effectively

before the visitor is ever asked to click through to

the web site. Special offers and promotions can be

referenced to entice the shopper. No longer are

viewers merely spectators; they are active

participants.

Interactive audio banners provide the consumer with

the ability to listen to more detailed information and

even to initiate the buying function directly from the

banner itself. This really helps to capture that

"impulse" buyer right at the time he's most anxious to

buy. Because it's interactive, a web visitor can

directly respond to it.

The power of audio should not be underestimated.

People would still rather hear about something than

spend time reading or sorting out passing images.

Keep in mind that museums and other institutions have

offered tours for years that are accompanied by audio

scripts designed to educate the visitor yet allowing

the eye to roam freely and absorb the creative on an

individual basis.

Audio banners can also add a personal appeal to the

visitor. Use the banner to tell a story about the

product or service that invokes an emotional

response. Talk about the product's benefits to the

consumer and how the product will improve his

life/work/relationships. Use the banner to whet

people's appetites for additional information. Never

lose sight of the fact that people make buying

decisions based on emotional reasons and design your

banner presentation accordingly.

It is far too early for any of us to dismiss the

banner ad as an idea whose time has past. We have to

step back, take an objective view, and start thinking

about how we can make them more than just billboards.

As the Internet leaves its infancy and enters the

"toddler" stage, we need to remind ourselves that

we're still dealing with a new medium. And that this

new medium is still largely unexplored.

by: tilakraj

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