number of debates about the future of Internet advertising are circulating throughout the advertising community, and it is these debates that are spawning the predominant trends and models for this medium. For this medium to reach its potential, one must remember that the Internet is unique and that applying traditional ways of thinking about media to the Internet only hinders its development.
Debate #1: What is the model for Internet advertising?
Trend #1: Those who see the Internet as another mass medium want audience data that is directly comparable to the data of other media. Those who see the Internet as a marketing tool (much like direct mail) are interested in measuring results from click-throughs to sales.
Debate #2: How effective are advertising banners?
Trend #2: The effectiveness of advertising banners, the most prominent form of advertising on the Internet, is still questionable. As a result, advertisers have developed and are continuing to develop innovative forms of advertising. For more information on current forms of advertising on the Internet, go to Ad Types. A number of companies are researching how to create effective banners. DoubleClick has published their results online. (Look at the four links under Research Findings.)
Debate #3: How does an advertiser produce the most credible measurement data?
Trend #3: Advertisers should be critical of the measurement and auditing of Internet data. Unlike other forms of medium, a common measurement system and auditing service has failed to emerge for the Internet. As a result, measurement data is circumspect. The future should see an independent third-party leader emerge in these two areas and the use of data only from this source. For more information on measurement tools, go to Tools and for more information about industry standards, go to Standards.
Debate #4: How can advertisers maximize the potential of this medium?
Trend #4: Advertisers want to learn about you, and your behavior on the Internet. New ways of thinking about ad delivery will emerge from this debate. For example, if an advertiser can understand your behavior through smart agents, this may be a key to "smart advertising." Advertising could be specifically targeted to the user on the basis of Internet interests and demographics.
For more information about the future of web measurement, take a look at:
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