Amazingly, Condé Nast and CBS Vision got together on a research study to explore the relative effectiveness of ads on television, in magazines, and on the Internet. The study was conducted in a lab setting with matched groups of respondents and employed eye-tracking software to determine whether – and under what circumstances – Internet ads were actually seen by respondents. The work was conducted in CBS Vision’s state-of-the-art Television City facilities at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Bottom line, the Internet banner ads got whacked. Internet video ads did better, but not much. Compared to a TV commercial, the banner ads were 16% as effective in terms of the measurements used in the study. A 4 color magazine page was found to be 83% as effective as a :30 commercial.

Now, before the wailing and gnashing of teeth begins, let’s back up. First of all, there is no mention in this article or on the research company’s website about the size of the study sample. Rebecca McPheters, CEO of McPheters & Company, did state “…sample sizes were not significantly robust to release results…,) which sounds like saying this is interesting stuff, but don’t go diving out a window just yet. Second, this was done in a lab. We can applaud them for attempting to exercise control and uniformity in gathering the data. However, I wonder if the results would be the same if respondents were tested in real-life settings, using the media as they normally do on a daily basis.

Still, it makes you wonder…and is indicative of the crying need for authentic, valid research, not the ersatz stuff we’ve seen that’s used to gain self-aggrandizing blurbs in trade magazines.

By John Maher

Executive Vice President, Director of Planning (West Hollywood)

To review the study, published in Research Brief, April 7, 2009 (Center for Media Research), click the link below:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=103502&passFuseAction=PublicationsSearch.showSearchReslts&art_searched=for%20better%20or%20for%20worse%3B%20magazines%20vs%20TV%20vs%2E%20the%20web&page_number=0