Yahoo study connects relevance to advertising

We all know that targeting ads to specific consumers is a better option than randomly buying a run-of-network media purchase from an online publisher or video website. But if you think all targeting methods are equal, think again. Consumers are reacting more emotionally to two types of targeting, and a more emotional response means better connection and engagement.

by Kristina Knight

New research out from Yahoo and Innerscope Research, contextual and behavioral targeting are getting bigger responses from consumers in the online realm.

Researchers believe that contextual and behavioral targeting get a bigger emotional response from consumers, making those ads more engaging. They studied how consumers reacted to differently targeted ads based on pupil dilation, heart rate, skin conductance and respiration among other factors to determine how consumers were emotionally responding.

According to the report:

• Personally relevant (behaviorally targeted) ads are 25% more attractive than non-relevant
• Consumers' pupils dilated 27% more when seeing personally relevant ads
• Contextually relevant/targeted ads increased 'first fixation' by 15%
• Consumers responded more emotionally to contextually relevant ads

The big jumps in engagement happen when both personally and contextually relevant targeting methods are used. According to the report pupil dilation increased by 40% when both contextual and behavioral targeting were used.

Other studies have shown how either behaviorally or contextually targeted ads engage consumers; in most studies researchers have found that either behavioral or contextual targeting is a better option. This is one of the first studies to show how the two targeting options might work together.

Tags: behavioral targeting, contextual targeting, Innerscope Research, online advertising, targeted advertising, Yahoo