| French
New Wave cinema legend François Truffaut's called
the film director “the engineer of the audiences'
emotions.” Since the 1930s visuals and sound have
been used simultaneously to solicit emotions, create illusions
and manipulate audiences. Developers creating multimedia
would naturally like to use sound as well as sight to drive
a message and influence users' behavior. However, current
web pages are mostly silent. As sound is introduced into
the medium, developers must take existing user expectations
into account.
Surprisingly, publishers are leading the way. Fueled by
the need to prove positive return on investment to skeptical
advertisers in the face of an online advertising recession,
publishers have recently expanded their rich media guidelines.
Publishers are now accepting more media types, allotting
more bandwidth and allowing more layout intrusion to improve
ad revenues.
For web professionals, the shift in publishers' attitudes
is an opportunity to shine! Create more effective online
ad campaigns by appealing to the all-powerful second sense:
hearing.
Using Audio in Rich Media Ads
The goal of advertising is to convert the general public
into brand consumers. Audio can improve just about every
success metric by enhancing brand messaging and triggering
calls to action. When considering enabling rich media ads
with audio, the user experience is paramount. To promote
a positive experience we must consider the ad within the
context of a web page. Rich media ads primarily fall into
two broad categories: in page ads, standard ad unit sizes
such as banners, rectangles and skyscraper ads, or out of
page ads (floating ads or pop-up ads). Examples of these
two types of ads are provided below—along with tips
for producing effective audio-enhanced rich media ads.
Using Audio in Out-of-Page Ads
A new type of rich media ads are gaining popularity. These
ads appear outside of a standard web page, such as floating
ads, page overlays, pop-ups,
and transitional ads. Floating ads, such as Eyeblaster
ads or United Virtualities Shoshkeles, can float over a
web page's main content, take over the entire web page,
or cover a portion of a web page with a fixed point that
is a standard in-page ad unit. Transitional ads, such as
Unicast Superstitials,
are similar to TV commercials because they are displayed
in between page loads. Similar to the TV and radio experience,
audio is an integral part of these ads. If desired, the
audio can start as soon as the unit appears. Some developers
use auto-start audio in their out-of-page ads, to achieve
the tactical goals of complimenting and enhancing the visual,
promoting brand awareness and calling users to action. A
best practice, however, is to always provide a sound on/off
button, giving the user the option to turn off the sound
in the ad. Figure 1 is an example of an audio-enabled floating
ad.
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Figure 1. Talking virtual host ad
Figure 1 illustrates an ad deployed by Coca-Cola on AOL's
AIM startup page. The goal of the ad was to promote click-through
to CokeMusic.com.
This was produced by Studiocom.
Using Audio in Standard In-Page Ads
Banners, skyscrapers, and other ads that do not obscure
the web page's main content, but are placed in a complimentary
position are examples of standard, in-page ads. When developers
are considering enabling these units with sound, it is recommended
that they design the interface so that the users trigger
the audio, as well as disable it. The sound of unsolicited
audio from an in-page ad may unnerve and surprise the users,
achieving a negative, rather than positive effect. Additionally,
Interactive Advertising Bureau guidelines (see below) do
not recommend using audio that is not triggered by a user.
Figure 2 is an example of a standard banner ad.
Figure 2. A phone tie-in ad
Users can record, visualize, and share their voice by calling
in to the banner ad, as shown in Figure 2. This was deployed
by Hewlett-Packard
on multiple portals. The goal of this ad was to promote
brand awareness and word of mouth. This was produced by
Goodby,
Silverstein & Partners.
Interactive Advertising Bureau Rich Media Guidelines
The Interactive
Advertising Bureau (IAB) publishes voluntary standards
that are generally followed by publishers, creative professionals,
and advertisers. The IAB guidelines allow for incorporation
of audio into rich media ads following an interaction by
the user. These guidelines should be followed with regards
to standard IAB rich media ad units, primarily in-page ads.
When it comes to out-of-page rich media ads, creative professionals
have discretion as to when to start the audio. Most publishers
accept audio auto-start on out-of-page ads (like floating
or transitional ads) even if their official guidelines prohibit
auto-start audio. It is recommended however, that the client's
media buyer is informed about any ads that contain auto-start
audio.
The benefits of audio-enhanced rich media include:
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Generating
higher click-through rates |
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Enhancing
brand interaction |
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Propelling
brand awareness |
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Calling users
to action |
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Providing
insightful brand information |
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Utilizing
another powerful channel—sound |
| · |
Communicating
effectively in a very limited time |
Technical Tips on Using Audio in Rich Media Ads
When it comes to integrating audio into an ad, optimization
and user experience are paramount to ensure a positive experience
to the widest audience as possible.
Be sure to follow these guidelines:
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Compress
the audio to 16 Bit 22KHz |
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· |
Compress
the dialogue to 8 Bit 11KHz |
|
· |
If background
music is included, loop a short audio sample |
|
· |
Pre-load
as much of the audio into the unit as possible |
|
· |
Provide a
button to allow viewers to turn off the sound |
|
· |
Respect the
size limit imposed by the publisher (but always fight
for more) |
Audio Commentary by the Author
Click
here to view and hear the audio commentary.
Advertisers are looking to us, the developers, to really
make a difference in their next ad campaign. The good news
is that Macromedia Flash has established itself as the standard
for rich media advertising, the publishers' infrastructure
is ready, and consumers have all but stopped clicking on
the traditional, silent online ad. The use of audio in rich
media ads represents enormous benefits to the advertiser.
Tackle the medium with vigor. Approached accordingly, advertisers
can provide consumers with a rich, informative, and compelling
experience—providing web users with TV-like content
that drives deeper interaction with a brand—by appealing
to two of the audiences' senses, rather than one. |
