Or that is at least the conclusion of the new Eyeblaster Research study: Global Benchmarks. With publishers pushing bigger and bigger ad sizes on their websites, we at Eyeblaster Research wanted to examine if size can actually assist advertisers to reach consumers more effectively.   This is a topic that involves industry heavy-weights such as IAB, that has added a new giant ad—720×300—its largest so far, and The Online Publishers Association (OPA) that has also introduced new giant sizes:  The 336×700 (Fixed Panel), 468×648 (XXL Box) and 970×418 (Pushdown).

It actually sounds intuitive:  As in a museum, the bigger canvases are harder to miss.  Our study shows that this makes sense for Standard Banners, where height and width are the only two major variables of visibility.  The analysis shows that on average, larger Standard Banners perform better than smaller ones in terms of CTR, the only applicable metric that measures this format.

However, the story is not as simple for Rich Media—where there is more to attract the eye than just size.  The study found no link between size and performance in Rich Media both when measured in Dwell metrics and when measured in CTR.

This makes sense—Expandable Banners, for example, inflate their size when a user rolls over his mouse or clicks on them; once a user has engaged with them, the original size is no longer relevant.  The human eye’s tendency to be attracted to movement makes lavish flash and video attract the eye more than size.  Our research confirms that adding video increases effectiveness measured in Total Dwell more than switching to a larger size.

This study is one of the most comprehensive of its kind, comprising more than a quarter of a million ads worldwide.  Ads participating in this analysis are from all sizes, formats and markets, and were served between Q3 ’08 and Q2 ’09. 

This research accompanies the new edition of the Eyeblaster Benchmarks, and is a part of our commitment to transform the data gathered by Eyeblaster to industry knowledge.  In addition to providing insights, this new format of the Eyeblaster Benchmarks covers more markets and countries; breaks-down formats to unit sizes, and provides more comprehensive definitions for the verticals and metrics.

Click here to download the Eyeblaster Global Benchmarks 2009 research.


Ariel Geifman | Research Analyst