Media Trials

December 11, 2024

The Intersection of Audience Data + Creative Optimization: How to drive action on streaming TV

MAGNA, the media intelligence and investment unit within IPG Mediabrands, and Nexxen, a global, flexible advertising technology platform with deep expertise in data and advanced TV, explored how audience data can make ads more relevant and inspire action. The research tested content from brand advertisers across multiple industry verticals including ecommerce, apparel and entertainment.

November 21, 2024

How To Be In Podcasts: ‘Must Knows’ For Effective Advertising

The MAGNA Media Trials study, in partnership with Spotify, highlights that podcasts have highly engaged, lean-forward audiences, with 62% of listeners actively engaged with content and paying close attention and 66% expressing strong passion for their favorite podcasts two significant factors marketers should leverage. The study was conducted in Brazil using ‘test ads’ to analyze four strategies for ads: ad length, music, voiceover tone, and contextual alignment. The research findings show that all forementioned strategies play a part in how listeners react to podcast ads.

November 13, 2024

Reddit for Real: Unlocking the True Potential of Reddit for Brands

In today’s crowded, fast-moving media landscape, MAGNA Media Trials and Reddit reveal how to cut through the noise and drive real commerce in their new study, Reddit for Real: Unlocking the True Potential of Reddit for Brands. The data-backed study shows how brands can leverage Reddit’s unique community to build lasting relationships and drive trust—even in the age of AI and manipulated media.

October 29, 2024

Catching the Professional Eye: How B2B Marketers can Reach Decision Makers with CTV

MAGNA Media Trials collaborates with LinkedIn to explore Connected TV (CTV) ad effectiveness in reaching B2B audiences. The study illustrates that going beyond traditional business channels such as broadcast cable/satellite, blogs or news websites, and podcasts could expand the marketing mix and reach new audiences for advertisers.

October 10, 2024

Beyond the Prescription: Exploring the Full Impact of Pharma Ads

MAGNA Media Trials,  in partnership with DeepIntent, the health advertising platform, explore the impact of pharmaceutical advertising beyond its traditional role of promoting medications. The MAGNA Media Trials study – “Beyond the Prescription” – reveals how pharma ads influence patient behavior, improve health management, and offer untapped opportunities for brands.

October 2, 2024

How To Be In Podcasts: ‘Must Knows’ For Effective Advertising

MAGNA Media Trials in collaboration with Spotify explore preferences and how podcast listeners consume content. The study, titled “How to be in Podcasts,” offers a playbook on how brands can maximize their impact in the podcast realm.

August 14, 2024

The B2B Renaissance: Drivers of B2B Ad Effectiveness

MAGNA Media Trials and LinkedIn explore how B2B ads are evolving to emphasize emotional connection and storytelling. The study shows business decision makers feel that current B2B ads lack humor, emotional appeal, and creativity. It’s clear that more creative ads have the power to drive interest and action among B2B decision makers.

June 12, 2024

Inside a Rideshare: The Tablet Ad Opportunity

MAGNA Media Trials and Uber explore how advertisers can leverage tablet ads in their latest study, “Inside a Rideshare: The Tablet Ads Opportunity.” According to the study, many riders see ads as an enhancement to their ride, making the overall ride more entertaining and enjoyable! From personal tasks to leisure travel, ads in a rideshare resonate with all riders.

June 11, 2024

Brand Trust Dimensions: Growing Stronger Brands Across Inclusive Audiences

The study by MAGNA Media Trials, Initiative, and Vevo revealed that brand trust significantly impacts the bottom line across various industries. The study identifies reliability, respect, ethics, authenticity, and relatability as the top drivers of trust. Interestingly, the research also highlights the critical role of brand trust in purchases across diverse audiences, emphasizing the importance of inclusiveness.

June 10, 2024

The Scoop on Newsletter Advertising

MAGNA Media Trials and Sherwood’s newest study prove newsletters to be the go-to news source for readers and an integral part of most’s daily routines. It’s shown that Newsletters help readers feel more prepared and equipped to tackle their day, and with 88% of readers being receptive to information in newsletters, they’re the perfect platform for brand messages.

June 6, 2024

From ‘Power On’ to ‘Power Off’ – Understanding the Streaming TV Experience

New research from MAGNA Media Trials and Roku Advertising delves into the streaming TV experience, exploring the moods, motivations, and challenges of streamers. The study reveals that 73% of streamers start their journey in a positive mood, driven primarily by entertainment. However, what happens when the browsing journey commences? Explore further insights into content navigation, ad receptivity, and how to enhance the streaming TV experience in the study, “From ‘Power On’ to ‘Power Off.”

April 19, 2024

Ads In Misinformation: The Climate Edition

With sustainability top-of-mind for brands and consumers, “The Climate Edition” of the MAGNA Media Trials and Zefr “Ads in Misinformation” study dives deeper into ad effectiveness for standard content versus climate and environmental misinformation. This additional report highlights challenges with navigating and identifying this trickiest misinformation and the ultimate impact on brands.

April 17, 2024

Ads In Misinformation: An Ad Effectiveness Experiment

MAGNA Media Trials and Zefr study, “Ads in Misinformation,” sheds light on crucial aspects for brands navigating the digital landscape. Around half of the participants feel a brand’s integrity suffers when its ads are seen next to misinformation.

March 7, 2024

Data Fueled Creative: Leveraging Advanced Data for Media + Creative

MAGNA Media Trials and Google study, “Data Fueled Creative: Leveraging Advanced Data for Media + Creative,” explores how using advanced data in creative and media strategies can make a difference. Our findings demonstrate that investing in advanced data to develop creative content and audiences’ strategies helps brands establish stronger connections and reach growth audiences more efficiently

February 22, 2024

Unleashing Influence: A Marketer’s Guide To Influencers’ Success

MAGNA Media Trials and Snap study, “Unleashing Influence: A Marketer’s Guide To Influencer Success,” explored users’ perceptions and preferences across five countries including Australia, France, Saudi Arabia (KSA), The United States of America (USA), and​ the​ United Kingdom (UK). The inclusive group of participants in the study, from different generations and diverse demographics, shared thoughts on influencers and how they feel about brands sponsoring influencer content on social media.

February 15, 2024

Pharma Messaging Effectiveness: Cross-Channel Analysis

MAGNA Media Trials and PatientPoint research report, “Pharma Messaging Effectiveness: Cross-Channel Analysis,” explores the impact of prescription drug advertising across various media channels and resources. According to the report, ads served in a healthcare provider’s office outperformed all other channels as the most trusted source of health information, regardless of respondents’ age. The study found that ads displayed in an HCP office earned up to 16% higher trust than ads on websites and online health portals, the second most trusted communication channel. This study emphasizes the significance of utilizing the most effective communication channels to reach and engage patients with relevant information.

January 24, 2024

Eyes On Screen

MAGNA Media Trials and Screenvision, “Eyes On Screen: Measuring Ad Attention In Cinema Versus at Home,” delves into the level of attention audiences dedicate to in-cinema ads. The report explores audience mindset and receptivity to ads in a cinema setting, providing valuable insights into ad engagement.

January 9, 2024

The Trouble with Keyword Exclusions

MAGNA Media Trials and Integral Ad Science recent study, “The Rise of Responsible Media,” explores how the collaboration among parents, advertisers, and publishers can foster a safer and more ethical online environment for consumers and their families. Given that the internet can be an uncertain place, advertisers recognize the importance of data-driven guidance in navigating the unpredictability of online spaces.

January 8, 2024

Revisiting the Inner Workings of Digital Video

The study, “Revisiting the Inner Workings of Digital Video,” by MAGNA Media Trials x TikTok, investigated the type of content that captivates and keeps viewers engaged. The study also highlighted the importance of brands placing ads on mobile entertainment apps alongside such content and enabling viewers to make informed decisions.

January 8, 2024

Matched Audiences For Unmatched Audio Performance

MAGNA Media Trials and the SiriusXM Streaming Network (part of SXM Media) explore reaching the right people the right people through digital audio ads in study, “Matched Audiences for Unmatched Audio Performance.” According to the findings, brands miss the mark when they stick to demographics alone for audio ad delivery. On the other hand, using advanced data for digital audio listeners boosts ad efficiency and cost-effectiveness in driving purchase intent.

November 14, 2023

Data Pitfall to Avoid: The Digital Advertisers’ Guide on What ‘Not’ to Do

MAGNA Media Trials and Acxiom explores what not to do when using first, and third-party data types to reach your audience. The guide recommends using controlled ad effectiveness testing to measure the impact of your data. A combination of first- and third-party data is more cost-effective and yields better results for improving brand favorability (+11%) and purchase intent (14%).

November 2, 2023

Capturing the Attention of Our Youngest Generationgs

MAGNA Media Trials and Samsung Ads study explores the ideal conditions for grabbing both Gen Z and Millennials’ focus on Connected TV (CTV). According to the study, 15-second ads offer the best value for capturing viewers’ attention.

October 13, 2023

Beyond Influence: Unraveling the Power of Connection with Livestreaming Creators

MAGNA Media Trials and Twitch Ads study explores the connection between livestreaming viewers and their favorite streamers. For this audience, it’s not just about watching content – it’s about feeling like you’re a part of a community. According to the survey, livestreaming viewers are 73% more likely to stick around for the community and 57% more likely to tune in for the connection to streamers.

October 6, 2023

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Frequency: A TV Streaming Meta-Analysis

A recent study by MAGNA Media Trials, in partnership with Roku, provides insight into the key factors to take into account when planning your frequency strategy for streaming TV campaigns. The media trial “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Frequency” finds that in planning frequency, brands should start with their audience strategy, while also taking into consideration other factors such as brand maturity, vertical, and more.

October 6, 2023

Sustainability Speaks: Breaking the Barrier of Climate Communication

In an effort to understand the reasons behind the insufficient adoption of sustainable practices by both businesses and individuals, MAGNA Media Trials and Teads conducted the study “Sustainability Speaks.” The study also evaluated how successful brands are in implementing their sustainability goals and demonstrated how communicating climate action can drive brand growth.

July 19, 2023

The Attention Advantage: Using Deep Learning To Boost Ad Performance

The study by MAGNA Media Trials in partnership with the global media-tech company, Adlook, shows when advertisers optimize before they bid, they can gain significant improvements across a range of mandatory metrics. The Attention Advantage – Using Deep Learning to Boost Ad Performance reveals a 65% increase in attention, based on Adelaide’s Attention Unit (AU) scores, when a video advertisement was optimized pre-bid.

July 12, 2023

It’s All in the Delivery: How Repeating Ads Affect CTV viewers, brands & platforms

MAGNA’s Media Trials unit in partnership with Nexxen, a global, unified advertising technology platform with a specialization in video and Connected TV (“CTV”), leveraged controlled ad effectiveness testing with 1,246 streaming viewers to learn how they felt about repetitive advertising, which is an outlay of programmatic delivery systems and a focused pool of advertisers.

June 20, 2023

Attention x Sustainability: The Benefits Of A Smaller Carbon Footprint in Media

MAGNA’s Media Trials in conjunction with Oracle and using Scope3 emissions data, found that the longer an ad was viewed on a page, the lower the carbon emissions. The study analyzed over one billion impressions across 55 countries through live campaign tracking and further stress-tested findings by using AI-based, predictive eye tracking on approximately 350 display ads that appeared on 100 U.S. websites. The resulting analysis proved that a spot that was in view for 10 seconds produced 64 percent less carbon emissions than a spot with a five-second, in-view time.

May 10, 2023

A New Era of Influence: Podcasters’ Emergence as One of Today’s Most Influential Figures in Media

MAGNA’s Media Trials unit joined forces with Vox Media to explore this emerging phenomenon; in particular, what is it about podcasts that resonates with people and how. A New Era of Influence reveals that podcasters are so influential in the lives of their listeners, that 75% of listeners say they value podcasters’ influence more than they value the influence of social media influencers (15%) and TV/movie celebrities (10%) – meaning that podcasters have effectively de-throned the original influencers.

April 26, 2023

What Does The Future of Social Commerce Entail?

MAGNA Media Trials, Reprise Commerce, and Snap set out to establish what consumers want today while shopping online and explore new ways of guiding the purchase journey. What Does the Future of Social Commerce Entail? found consumers wanting simpler paths to purchase, with GenZ respondents agreeing that the traditional shopping journey is almost twice as complicated as social shopping, which takes one click to go from post to product page.

April 18, 2023

Creative, The Performance Powerhouse

MAGNA Media Trials and Yahoo set out to understand the role that creative quality plays in ad effectiveness, and the elements that contribute to quality creative. Creative, the Performance Powerhouse found that while media placement helps marketers find consumers where they are, creative quality was responsible for 56% of purchase intent, illustrating the strong performance of both tactics as they work together.

April 17, 2023

Aligning with Rituals: The Contextual Foundation of Audio

The study by MAGNA Media Trials and Audacy explore listening rituals and how audio advertisers can improve engagement and purchase intent by complementing daily routines. The study found that advertisers who aligned with listeners’ rituals saw a greater lift in brand excitement (+10%) and brand relevance (+8%).

March 30, 2023

The Togetherness Effect: Why Brands Should Be Paying Attention to Co-Listening

MAGNA Media Trials and Spotify Advertising uncover what marketers need to know about co-listening (the act of sharing digital audio experiences with one or more people) in study, The Togetherness Effect: Why Brands Should Be Paying Attention to Co-Listening.

March 20, 2023

Reaching & Influencing Ad-Filtering Users

MAGNA Media Trials and eyeo examine the effectiveness of hosting an ad on an uncluttered webpage in the latest study, “Reaching and Influencing Ad-Filtering Users.” The study takes a deep dive into the impactful and emerging audience of ad-filtering users.

January 23, 2023

The Art of Alignment

The “The Art of Alignment” study explores the nuances in video types, and how they relate to consumers’ perceptions of the brand that is advertising against this content. The study by MAGNA Media Trials, in partnership with Channel Factory, points out that brands are held accountable for the content they appear next to, which was clear in all three markets studied.

January 19, 2023

Beyond the :30 On Streaming TV

The “Beyond the :30 On Streaming TV” examines how marketers can make streaming TV ad experiences more engaging than traditional TV ads. Ninety-four percent of participants indicated that new ad formats can improve the ad experience.

December 19, 2022

Challenging the “One & Done” Approach

The “Challenging the ‘One & Done’ Approach” study reveals how critical it is for brands to invest in digital audio creative that culturally connects with multicultural audiences to drive growth. The study also highlights what levers brands should pull or avoid to connect with diverse audiences more authentically

November 15, 2022

Voices On Misinformation

The “Voices on Misinformation” study, by MAGNA Media Trials and Zefr, found that consumers continue to be exposed to a high-volume of misinformation, and a majority view this as increasing over time (82%). Approximately 7 out of 10 people agree that misinformation is “an issue” and that it is also getting “out of control.”

November 2, 2022

Ad Mix Synergy: Myth or Reality?

The “Ad Mix Synergy: Myth or Reality?,” study explored the impact of advertising when viewed across single or multiple media screens, testing combinations of linear TV, CTV, and mobile for recall, retention, search intent and purchase intent. The study found that not only does a multiscreen approach increase ad attention and retention, it also increases purchase intent. Also, the order in which the various screens are employed also impacts ad effectiveness. For example, leading with linear TV on a cross-platform campaign lifted purchase intent by 25%, with streaming first and mobile hitting 14% and 4%, respectively.

August 10, 2022

Understand the Strengths of TikTok Ads

The study “Understanding the Strengths of TikTok Ads” by MAGNA Media Trials, in partnership with TikTok, determined that both native TikTok ads (videos custom-created for the platform) and repurposed ads (ads that are made for broadcast or streaming services but are repurposed for TikTok) drive positive brand favorability (8%), purchase intent (6%) and search intent (7%).

July 26, 2022

The Converging Worlds Of Content & Commerce

MAGNA Media Trials, in collaboration with Amazon Ads and Mediabrands Content Studio, recently revealed a new study examining the strong potential of brand-funded entertainment. The Converging Worlds of Content + Commerce explores the emerging realm of brand-funded entertainment, and how this unique format can work in sync with various shopping options to optimize the consumer shopping experience. The study proves that content is supreme when it comes to TV show viewership, and that brands should not feel held back by their category when exploring the domain of brand-funded entertainment.

July 12, 2022

The Person Behind the Data

The way that companies handle personal data is a hot-button issue among consumers, according to a new study by MAGNA Media Trials, MAGNA’s industry-leading proprietary research offering, and Ketch, a privacy and data governance platform. The study, “The Person Behind the Data,” found increase in purchase intent of 23% for brands and companies with responsible data practices. Further, the study found that data privacy is a top priority to 74% of respondents.

JUNE 16, 2022

cultural relevance drivers

“Cultural Relevance Drivers: Understanding the Building Blocks of Brand Relevance,” a MAGNA media trial in partnership with Twitter, reveals that brands clearly benefit from cultural involvement even to the extent of people willing to invest more in those that are perceived as more culturally relevant. The study found that people are no longer satisfied that brands “talk the talk;” they must also “walk the walk.” While there are many types of actions brands can take to ensure cultural relevance, accountability is now table stakes in the minds of consumers.

June 6, 2022

The Augmented Reality Playbook

In collaboration with Snap, Inc., MAGNA Media Trials, MAGNA’s industry-leading proprietary research offering, today announced a new study, “The Augmented Reality Playbook: Understanding the Role of AR in the Purchase Journey.” The study aimed to uncover the true capabilities of AR ads (Lenses), as well as understand the role of AR ads in the consumer purchase journey.

May 3, 2022

Breaking THROUGH

A study in partnership with Gum Gum, “Breaking Through: Moving Beyond the Commercial Break on CTV” finds that brands should consider leveraging overlay ads as an additional touchpoint when advertising on CTV. Overlay ads appear within the video content itself opposed to the typical ad experience where the ad is placed during a break in content.

February 28, 2022

Reinventing TV Ads

MAGNA and Origin set out to try to understand if consumers are really processing the information they are given when served an ad, if they are engaged in the experience, what emotions they are feeling, and whether they are distracted or focused.

November 17, 2021

Mindset Matters

This study by MAGNA, in partnership with GumGum, the leader in contextual intelligence technology, finds that contextual targeting can achieve what other audience targeting solutions can’t: the ability to harness the consumer mindset to drive impact. The report found that reaching people when they are in a relevant mindset is the driving force behind advertising effectiveness. The study also found that ads that are delivered within contextually relevant environments are more positive for people and work harder for brands.

November 3, 2021

No News Is Bad News

“No News Is Bad News: Ads In News & Other Types of Content,” a media trial by MAGNA in partnership with Disney Advertising Sales, reveals that the news source a brand is featured in matters more than the surrounding content. The study also found that having a presence in reliable news sources drives better ad effectiveness.

September 28, 2021

The Proximity Effect

Research conducted by MAGNA Media Trials in partnership with Channel Factory explores the layers of content suitability and how it can affect brands’ advertising efforts. The study examines what brands need to know about misaligned content in different ad environments, as well as the role proximity plays when it comes to misaligned content.

July 21, 2021

Delivering Ad Experiences People Want

A study by MAGNA and privacy browser Brave, “Delivering Ad Experiences People Want: Challenging the ‘Status Quo’ Ad Value Exchange,” explored how people really feel about the “status quo” ad value exchange, where people receive free content in exchange for being served ads, along with traditional ad tracking. The study found that most people (80%) feel the trade-off is a one-way street.

June 7, 2021

Peak Openness – Canada

It’s clear that digital audio consumption is on the rise. While traditional radio has recently declined, other forms of audio, such as podcast listening, and streaming audio have increased since March 2020. This study revealed the growth of digital audio was accelerated in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a majority of people reporting screen fatigue, and many citing this fatigue as the primary reason why they’re listening to more digital audio. This report, in partnership with Spotify, looks at trends in Canada.

June 4, 2021

Digital Audio Expansiveness

Spotify and MAGNA released a study, “Digital Audio Expansiveness: Growing Landscape & Opportunities,” showing how closely podcast listening mirrors television viewing habits in the US. The growth of digital audio was accelerated in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a majority of people (72 percent) reporting screen fatigue and 42 percent citing this as the primary factor in listening to more digital audio content.

June 4, 2021

Peak Openness – UK

Spotify and MAGNA, IPG’s global media investment and intelligence company, released a study showcasing how closely podcast listening mirrors television viewing habits. The UK study showed that the growth of digital audio was accelerated in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also found that the multi-tasking, friendly nature of digital audio leads to greater openness, attention and ad interaction.

May 19, 2021

Deconstructing Diversity Today

MAGNA, NBCUniversal and Identity conducted a study to learn more about diversity, beyond traditional paradigms. To truly connect with people on a cultural level, we need to understand identity and diversity among a broader audience. We also wanted to understand what role, if any, brands should play in culture.

April 26, 2021

Digital Inclusion

People with disabilities represent 15 percent of the global population, with the collective buying power of $8 trillion. These audiences regularly consume all types of content, but are they able to fully access that content comfortably? MAGNA partnered with Current Global on a new media trial, “Digital Accessibility: The Necessity of Inclusion,” to find out.

April 12, 2021

The Interactive Effect

Since March 2020, the ways in which consumers engage with brands has changed dramatically, including the rise of e-commerce sales. This underscores a critical need for brands to also evolve the way they engage with consumers. A new media trial by MAGNA and Verizon Media, “The Interactive Effect,” set out to determine the value of interactive ads as a possible solution and explore what marketers should consider when leveraging them.

March 24, 2021

The Ins & Outs of Ad Sentiment

This media trial, in partnership with Mediahub, explores how U.S. consumers feel about online video ads, based on a sample of 1,300 internet users. The study measures the contribution of the various factors affecting consumer perception and acceptance of online video campaigns – including content, format, ad load and targeting – and identifies key steps to improving their experience.

March 12, 2021

The Accelerated Purchase Journey

This study reveals that serving the right creative at the right time based on the purchase journey for a given product can more efficiently guide consumers through to purchase. After three ad exposures with creative optimized to where individuals are in the purchase journey, 14% of people were closer to purchase, speeding up the process. Meanwhile, without optimization, where the same ads were delivered at random, there was no progression through the purchase journey at all.

January 27, 2021

Ad Sequencing

Advertisers have been creating multiple video ad lengths since the pre-digital days but have been particularly innovative in the last several years with newer, shorter ad lengths, from :06 second ads to :03 second ads. We also now have the technology to deliver those ads in a desired sequence. But what is the best sequence? Should short ads be used as a primer before longer ads? Or, maybe a reminder after longer ads? The media trials team conducted rigorous testing in the US and in Australia to uncover what works best.

December 14, 2020

The Influence of Context

With $19 billion in expected digital video spend next year, the media trials team partnered with Twitter to uncover the role of context in video ad effectiveness. The research focused on the impact of the content appearing prior to pre-roll video ads, including premium, broadcast quality content and multiple types of user-generated content. In addition, the unique user experiences offered by both in-feed and non-feed video environments were explored.

December 10, 2020

Does Every Second Count?

In the early days of video ad lengths, it was generally known that short video ads were effective at generating awareness, but less so when it came to persuasiveness. A new study by MAGNA, IPG Media Lab and Snapchat, “Does Every Second Count? Planning Ad Lengths Across Platforms,” revealed that these “truths” about the effectiveness of video ad length performance are no longer accurate.

October 13, 2020

Pursuit of Relevance

As the world has continued to innovate, we have found that ad personalization is one of the more effective tools out there to help brands deliver more relevant ad experiences. In a new robust study by MAGNA and IPG Media Lab, “Pursuit of Relevance: All About Ad Personalization,” the effectiveness of personalized ads on brand KPIs was quantified, revealing that brands can forge stronger, more relevant connections with people through personalized messaging. Ultimately, the same pre-roll video ad can drive +5% higher purchase intent with the use of more relevant, personalized messaging.

September 10, 2020

Valuing the Value Exchange

While we all know that streaming is up, over half of streamers report not knowing what to stream. This need for content discovery isn’t unique to a demographic; it’s universal. Magna, IPG Media Lab and Roku partnered to explore what happens when brands offer experiences that help solve this problem by sponsoring content discovery. Consumer opinions on the value exchange being offered were evaluated, as well as live, in-market testing of brand experiences versus OTT video ads.

September 8, 2020

The Anatomy of a Video Experience

In this trial by MAGNA, IPG Media Lab, Identity and VEVO, research was conducted to explore how audiences consumed content across multiple devices, their motivations around viewing habits and the influence of culturally relevant content on video engagement and ad receptivity. The study further revealed other significant findings around the nuances of multicultural audiences’ video viewing behavior.

July 9, 2020

Diversifying Ad Formats

Now more than ever, advertising budgets are fixed, leaving advertisers with questions on whether they should spend more on a single ad format or spread budget across multiple formats. In a new media trial by MAGNA, IPG Media Lab and Twitter, both eye-tracking and ad effectiveness research was conducted to determine if ad format synergy is real, and if so, to explore how advertisers should leverage it to make budgets go further. Robust testing was conducted across six industry verticals and 136 different ad scenarios.

May 11, 2020

Digital Presence

Thus far, the advertising industry has primarily focused on only one of the factors that determines opportunity to see digital ads: whether the ad appears on the screen. What is often not discussed is the other factor that offers a non-fraudulent digital ad an opportunity to be seen: a person present when the ad is on screen. To date, human presence has often been overlooked by the industry because it is difficult to measure and because ads are served to personal devices like mobile phones. Thus, it is presumed that someone is present when a digital ad is on screen. While it seems logical, no one has actually tested this conjecture until now.

April 6, 2020

HVAS – From Cookies to People

With the emergence of big data and people-based IDs, advertisers have been shifting to a new, more precise deployment strategy: High Value Audiences (HVAs). The method relies on the identification of specific personas that are deemed as having more lifetime value than people reached through broader, more traditional methods. The segments are created from a large data set with audience behavior tracked at the consumer level. While traditional methods, such as demographic and contextual, have allowed us to reach larger audiences, this new approach allows for precision where cookies can’t.

March 16, 2020

The Anatomy of a Video Experience

The average U.S. home owns over 10 connected devices, making planning across video devices challenging to say the least. In order to better understand how people select and use their devices to watch video, the media trials team partnered with Vevo to conduct research. The media trial uncovers the when, why, and how consumers watch video by tracking the average video experience from inception (e.g. needs state, mood) to consumption (e.g. content genre, session length) on OTT, Linear TV, PC, and mobile devices.

October 22, 2019

Solving Brand Suitability

The media trials team partnered with Zefr to test the effectiveness of human-supervised machine learning, or “human in the loop,” aimed at identifying the most brand suitable content compared to traditional targeting methods, such as demographic, channel, and keyword targeting on YouTube. The media trial also explored traditional concepts of “high quality” content, machine learning’s ability to identify it, and the benefits of aligning ads with it.

October 4, 2019

The Consumer Take on Data + Ad Personalization

Several years ago, the media trials team examined the benefits of ad personalization. Given the rapidly changing landscape and the forthcoming CCPA, the team partnered with Verizon to revisit the topic for a fresh look at the consumer POV on data privacy and ad personalization.

June 4, 2019

Ad Receptivity, Deconstructed

The media trials team, in collaboration with Pandora, conducted research to get back to what matters most – the consumer – to determine key moments throughout the day when they are most receptive and attentive to digital audio and video ads.

May 17, 2019

The Impact of Culture

Traditionally, brand messaging has been brand-centric, relying heavily on the company’s defining attributes and benefits. While creating a voice of your own is still important – more brands have started seeing value in establishing a deeper connection with consumers, by focusing on what’s important to them culturally. The Media Trials team partnered with Twitter to conduct research focused on the consumer perspective on brand involvement with culture and the benefits of being a culturally relevant brand today.

January 31, 2019

the Sentiment-Driven Consumer Journey

The media trials team conducted research to determine if sentiment-based optimization could do a better job at driving brand KPIs. In the study, one group of consumers received a series of video ads optimized based on sentiment – specifically each viewer’s level of interest in the first video ad – gathered via a poll served immediately after the advertisement. The second group received a series of videos that were served based on exposure only.

January 23, 2019

Reaching the “Un-Reachable”

There are many assumptions about the shift to digital video that, while they may be grounded in some truth, are not fully accurate today. The media trials team conducted some research to explore common beliefs about the movement away from linear TV to separate the truth from the misconceptions.

January 3, 2019

Engaging the Mind

October 25, 2018

The Power of Camera Advertising

For today’s consumer, the camera has become an essential communication tool and the go-to way to stay in-the-moment. The evolution of the camera has opened up new opportunities for marketers with new ad formats, such as sponsored lenses. However, there hasn’t been adequate research available to understand the effectiveness of these sponsorships. To understand the impact of ads designed for the camera, MAGNA and the IPG Media Lab teamed up with Snapchat to explore consumers’ emotional and cognitive responses to sponsored lenses and traditional pre-roll ads.

October 25, 2018

The Brand Safety Effect

In the wake of a number of recent brand safety issues in the digital advertising marketplace, the media trials team partnered with autonomous brand safety company CHEQ to conduct in-depth research on the topic. The media trial examined the how unsafe content impacts consumer perceptions. The research went beyond generally negative content (e.g. violence) and also explored brand and vertical averse content (e.g. a soda ad next to content about diabetes).

September 20, 2018

The Humans vs. The Machines

The process in which marketers identify and reach the ideal demographic for their product has remained fairly static over time. Historically, primary research is conducted, followed by a media buy that is deployed against that demographic. However, the latest advancements in technology, specifically machine learning, are opening up the possibilities for optimization beyond what humans can achieve on their own.

July 12, 2018

The Age of the Creator

As we all know, social networks are often the go-to medium for advertising spend these days, but the way advertisers are allocating their social media budgets is shifting. Creator marketing is gaining ground and becoming more mainstream. To understand the Creator landscape, MAGNA teamed up with Twitter to explore sponsored content from both the Creator + consumer perspective.

May 7, 2018

Content Targeting

Commissioned in response to advertisers’ mounting concerns around data, safety, and privacy on YouTube, MAGNA’s latest media trial, conducted in partnership with Zefr, captured the reactions of over 3,000 consumers as they were exposed to the same advertisements delivered via three popular methods: content targeting, demo targeting, and channel targeting.

May 7, 2018

Battle of the Mobile Ad Formats

With many consumers now spending more time with their smartphones than they do watching television, it has become a critical touchpoint for their media experiences and marketers continue to shift a substantial portion of their advertising dollars there to account for that. This makes understanding which ad formats resonate most with consumers critical to any communications plan. To achieve that goal, MAGNA and the IPG Media Lab undertook a study dubbed Battle of the Mobile Ad Formats, in which a wide array of criteria were tested.

April 25, 2018

Under the Hood of Over-the-Top Measurement

Despite big budgets and high viewership on TV, measurement of brand KPIs is still evolving. The challenge with existing brand lift methods is that they often rely on opportunity-to-see (OTS), which is a survey-based method for determining the likelihood that someone saw a particular ad, with no evidence that they actually saw it. In order to push the industry forward on measurement, the media trials team partnered with Roku to use their ACR (automatic content recognition) to identify exact programs and ads viewers have used and when they viewed them.

March 12, 2018

The 360 Effect

With the rise of 360 video technology, advertisers have the opportunity to create fully immersive videos that promote brands far beyond what a traditional non-360 video can achieve. To help advertisers understand the potential value of this new technology, MAGNA partnered with YuMe to put 360 video ads to the test.

March 1, 2018

The Total Market Fallacy

The total market strategy, which is a “one and done” generic creative approach aimed at both mainstream and multi-cultural audiences, is commonly used by marketers. Naturally, this approach can be easier to execute than a more customized strategy for the Hispanic market, but the question is: is it better?

February 9, 2018

Culture in Context

With Hispanic spending projected to grow 85% over the next 10 years and reach $1.7 trillion by 2019, it’s crucial for marketers to understand how they can forge stronger relationships with this increasingly powerful demographic. In order to better understand how advertisers can achieve this, MAGNA’s media trials team conducted research across mobile and desktop devices, focused on how three pillars of Hispanic targeting – topic, language, and culture – impact the connections between consumers and brands.

October 30, 2017

Viewability and Direct Response

As a follow-up to the research initiative “Putting Science Behind the Standards,” MAGNA and the IPG Lab are releasing new findings focused on direct response campaigns. The report uncovers the impact of viewability on digital conversions, how the MRC standard compares with alternatives, and how direct response focused advertisers should approach viewability when making buying and measurement decisions.

October 3, 2017

The Interactive Effect

Given more and more consumers have an expectation that screens can be interacted with, the media trials team partnered with Tremor to explore if and how this technology should be applied to ads. While there is some existing data on the performance of interactive ads, nothing to date has delved this deeply into how and why interactive ads work.

April 14, 2017

Ad Format (R)evolution

Much of our past video research has been conducted on pre-roll, but we now have more video ad format options than ever. Viewability and inventory issues have also led to new tactics, such as outstream or in-read video.In order to provide our clients with scientific evidence on how each format should be leveraged, we partnered with YuMe on a new media trial.

February 10, 2017

Turbocharging Your TrueView Campaign

Google is one of our key video partners, and there are significant changes on the way for the YouTube line-up. These include the recent news of ramping down 30 second non-skippable ads and ramping up new ad products, such as the 6 second non-skippable ad. Given these changes, the media trials team recently conducted research that explores skipping behaviors and focuses on ways advertisers can make the most of their TrueView campaigns. The research included 11 brands and 108 test scenarios across both PC and Mobile.

January 22, 2017

Ads You Can Feel

This media trial explores the inclusion of haptics–or touch effects–in mobile video advertising. Our goal was to determine if creating a more visceral mobile experience that goes beyond sight, sound, and motion to include touch would impact the effectiveness of mobile video ads. Click on “Summary” below to see an infographic with key stats.

November 2, 2016

MAGNA-Hulu Cross-Platform Study

Summarizes the findings from a cross platform video study performed with Hulu that provided insights on the role of OTT in a campaign

August 19, 2016

Beyond Completion Rates: How Social Video Works

The unique environment of social feeds, where content is personal and self-curated, has an impact on how video ads are perceived. This report examines key insights for video ads such as ad relevance, ad recall lift (memorability) and subtitles.

May 4, 2016

Viewability: Science & Standards

The concept of when an ad should be counted as viewable, what effects various levels of viewability have on users, and how to pay for these varying levels has been hotly debated. Integral Ad Science Q3 2015 report found that only 43% of ads are currently considered viewable according to the Media Ratings Council (MRC) viewability standards and, to date, these viewability levels have not been scientifically correlated with actual ad effectiveness measures. The IPG Media Lab partnered with Integral Ad Science and Cadreon to conduct a large scale scientific research study, meant to quantify the relationship between viewability and brand metrics.