I’ve meaning to get to this post for a while now.  My interest in the way we behave online has been growing over the last few years, and ever since the first iAd pop up in my mobile RSS, I’ve been anxious to approach the topic of online advertising and how I think it’s changing.

People, in general, aren’t as affected by advertising as they have been in the past.  Not very often do you find someone who’s actually anxious to see an online banner ad.  I know firsthand that this is the case.  On a movie review site where I act as an editor, Popcorn Jury, I picked up a few banner ads and placed them front and center in highly visible locations.  Their message was tailored to the content (Netflix, Groupon, and Movie Trailer ads) and traffic is always pretty steady.  So how many clicks do I get on an average day?  I’d say a good estimate would be 1-2.  The content just isn’t compelling.

I decided to take things a step further and test a social theory.  I would use social media to ask people to click my banner ads.  Could a personal outcry to fans and followers truly encourage uninterested individuals to click on an advertisement?  You bet it can.  I made $13.00 that day (as opposed to the usual .32 cents).

What does this prove?  It proves that people, not the medium, are the true platforms. 

Before I get myself into trouble, please note that I’m not discounting the advertising industry or promoting PR.  Quite frankly, I don’t think PR is doing anything out of the ordinary right now either.  People aren’t watching PSA’s, people care little about what they see on the news, and editorial content is getting lost with the declining readership of each and every issue.  What I’m stating is this: we need to make advertising engaging for people who don’t necessarily want to be engaged.

One thing that I believe to be a game changer is the use of new platforms like the iAd network.  These ads aren’t just clickable; they are highly interactive and offer an experience to a consumer, not just a premeditated message.  Take for instance the Nissan Leaf ad below.  I’m not interested in a car, most definitely not an electric one, and I would never click on a banner ad promoting one.  However, when you see something like “meet the future” and the minute it opens up you're treated to an interactive, cinematic story, you can’t help but become interested in what the product has to offer and encouraged to click around.

Looking at another example, the True Blood takeover that took place on the Variety.com iPhone app.  For people that clicked on the entertainment section of the app, they were treated to a nice surprise when their fingertips smeared blood on the screen of their mobile.  Next, blood begins to drip down the device.  Sure, it’s disruptive, but it’s functional and innovative, and consumers accepted it with open arms rather than getting angry.  What’s even better?  Once clicked, the trailer loads immediately in Quicktime, not requiring an open browser, more clicks, or a website redirect that takes time and energy away from the consumer experience.

Don’t think that this engagement is constricted to mobile alone. Take the AT&T Augmented Reality head ball banner ad that allows users to put their face in the game and swivel their head for a quick score. It’s this type of engagement that gets consumers talking, sharing, socializing, and spreading the word about a brand. The click-through rates on these ads alone are worth the price of admission.

Don’t get me wrong; none of these examples truly solve the problem that marketers are always inherently asked, “Does this drive sales, increase market share, etc?” But if you’re going to spend money on banner advertising as a medium, you need to do something engaging, entertaining, and out of the box. People aren’t clicking on the promotion; they’re waiting for the experience. It’s up to advertisers to provide it.

Right now, there’s no clear structure as to what online advertising does and how we’re supposed to react. We aren’t sure what to do, so 99% of the time we don’t click. If the site is trusted, we feel more comfortable, but at the same time, rarely do we react. It’d be great if we could just click on an ad coupon on the side of the webpage, and instead of taking us to a whole new site in a whole new window, we’d just be prompted to print. Make is simple, make it safe, and make it secure, but most importantly, make it something we want to click on.

Pt. 2 of this post coming Wednesday.