Online users in the UK and Italy were found to be easily impressed and drawn in by adverts containing video and flash features. The real winners are adverts that stand out from the crowd and offer something slightly different for entertainment purposes. The savvy searcher expects the same high standards of advertising online as one would expect to be broadcast on the television - after all, many prefer to spend hours on their PC at night surfing the web instead of flicking the remote control through countless channels of nonsense and repeats.
Conversely, research from the Netherlands has proven to be somewhat different. The Dutch are seemingly irritated by adverts with flash format and videos that take a while to load. Where people in the UK and Italy may find full on advertising enjoyable, the Dutch are unimpressed by advertising in general while the French are found to be somewhere in the middle, not overly impressed nor offended. In contrast, the Spanish are seemingly passionate about online advertising in general, the size or impact being relatively insignificant.
Such research raises significant issues about online advertising as a whole across Europe. Clever marketeers should acknowledge that although politically Europe is being brought closer together, cultural diversities will always exist. Therefore when it comes to advertising there is no set rule. Careful consideration of the target market to gauge which level of online advertising should be executed is key. It will be interesting to see if companies who have the budget to run larger online advertising campaigns take these findings on board. If this is the case searchers in the UK and Italy are in for an interesting ride. So watch this space people!
