Online Advertising Effectiveness Depends on Time of Day - Advertising Age - Digital

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Online Ad Effectiveness Depends on Time of Day

Study: Consumers More Likely to Pay Attention to Marketers at Night

LONDON (AdAge.com) -- While TV advertising has always been structured around times and dates, digital marketers are just waking up to the possibilities of how time targeting in the digital space can maximize the effectiveness of their messages.

A study by the U.K. Internet Advertising Bureau with Lightspeed Research found that online consumers of all ages believe they are more likely to pay attention to ads from the early evening onward. Younger audiences in particular showed more interest in commercial messages as the day progressed, while older age groups had distinct peaks in attention between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Only 4.6% of consumers say they're likely to pay attention before 9 a.m., but after 6 p.m. the figure climbs to 51.6% and, for 35- to 44-year-olds, as high as 59%. In the 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. lunchtime slot, consumers have other things on their mind and an average of only 11% pay attention to ads.

Worst times to interrupt

"Knowing when surfers are more receptive to advertising messages allows marketers to target their campaigns more closely and get the most from their online advertising budget," said David Day, CEO of Lightspeed Research Europe. "With so many different activities being carried out by the online population, knowing when to get your message across can be the difference between success or failure for an online campaign."

The ability to target ads by time of day is fairly common on the web; but marketers and agencies that buy that way are not.

The research also showed that the best way to reach consumers is during e-commerce activity, when 65% say they're likely to look ...

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