The next frontier for digital ad formats lies in ads that keep users on a publisher's site rather than letting them click away, says David Payne, Senior VP and Chief Digital Officer with the Gannett Company, in this on-stage dialogue with Ashley Swartz, CEO and Founder of Furious Minds at the recent Beet.TV executive retreat.
"We need some kind of indication on an ad that when you click that you'll stay within the format rather than clicking away," he says. "I'd love to see a universal icon that says 'if you click, thou shall stay,'" he says. Technology firms have an opportunity to breakout by developing formats that can signal to users that ads will keep a visitor on the page, Payne adds.
The more integrated the ad feels to the site, the more successful a publisher will be in drawing visitors to engage with the ads, he says. For now, though, most of the digital ecosystem consists of high-volume display ads that are measured on a click-through basis, but in time he wants to see ads that are more engaging and interactive.
Joining in the conversation is Jun Group CEO Mitchell Reichgut and Tal Chalozin, co-founder and CTO of Innovid.
Daisy Whitney
