The agency's role
In custom advertising of this nature, the client's interactive agency is usually tasked with development duties -- and that applies both to negotiating the placement itself and creating the necessary assets. Expect to spend a lot of time on the phone with your site rep, as custom placements generally require a lengthy planning process. It's also prudent to warn clients of additional development costs. As most custom placements involve a number of assets of varying sizes and types, creative costs often exceed that of a traditional banner ad campaign.
Placement pricing can also be relatively high, as advertisers are purchasing far more than a one-time ad. That said, pricing can vary drastically by site and placement type, and it is generally very scalable. Shop around and keep in mind that such placements might be priced at least partially on a flat-fee basis, so learning as much about the site's traffic and audience profile as possible is critical to success.
Additionally, in relation to a single banner campaign that might run for 30 days and disappear, custom placements like microsites and videos often stay live for months in order to recoup the time, effort and money that were invested. This ongoing presence bodes well for advertisers, as it lends itself well to word-of-mouth exposure and, consequently, increased page views. It also influences the type of campaign for which custom placements are best suited -- because of their long life span, custom placements of this nature are best used for long-term promotions or branding efforts that aren't expected to change suddenly. Limited time promotions don't generally offer the lead time necessary to develop a custom campaign, and hard stops on offers can reduce the potential effectiveness.
When it comes time to measure a custom campaign's success, the same rules for a typical banner initiative will apply. Agencies should look to such tangible and action-based metrics as impressions, unique visitors reached, frequency of visits and cost per visit, despite any unconventional flat-fee pricing structures.
Perhaps most important of all, though, is to manage the client's expectations. These campaigns aren't just about numbers, but about branding and making a powerful statement in a contextually relevant space. The influence they have on consumers can sometimes be a tough read in traditional terms, revealing their effects over time instead of being available on demand. Ad effectiveness studies conducted in collaboration with such companies as Insight Express can be helpful in determining the results, but be prepared to face challenges; if a custom campaign is too short-lived or doesn't attract enough visitors, a user survey like this might not be able to deliver the information you and your client seek.
Conclusions
As a result of their own experience surfing the web, consumers increasingly expect to see custom content. Custom ad placements may be designed primarily to benefit advertisers, but their unique and informational nature also makes them appealing to consumers searching for personal relevance online. You can expect to see a lot more customization in ad placements in the months to come, as publishers and their clients go beyond the media kit to make an impact in a cluttered space.
John Gray is VP of interactive media at Enlighten. Read full bio.