We are in the middle of a fundamental reshaping of media distribution systems. By rethinking the relationship between content, editorial design and user experience, we can now create beautiful, unique and engaging media experiences that delight readers and advertisers — on any device, anywhere.
So when Say Media announced a groundbreaking new digital brand experience on ReadWrite called Adaptive Ads, Siemens was quick to sign up as an exclusive U.S. partner with its Siemens Answers for Innovation campaign.
Built with Say Media's next-generation content and technology platform called Tempest, Adaptive Ads are the first experiences that incorporate quality content and brand messaging on any device — seamlessly. These are responsive designs that exist within the flow of content. Not interstitials, not banners that sit on the side or between articles but full-screen experiences that appear naturally as you scroll.
"This is advertising that gives marketers a voice but doesn't get in the way of the reader experience that we're trying to create on ReadWrite. I've written about online advertising since 1995, so I've seen a lot of attempts at the right format. From that perspective, these ads are beautiful and even logical. This is what advertising should look like on the Internet."
READ: “Adaptive Ads Explained
in 6 Seconds” on Say Daily
Debuting in June 2013 on a freshly redesigned ReadWrite, one of the most widely respected technology
sites, the Siemens campaign showcased its technology through an expandable ad experience that
appeared as readers scrolled through the site. The ad
featured a video, photos and links to learn more on the company’s site,
touting its innovative projects in transportation, featuring the S70 light
rail train.
The ads integrated seamlessly with the content on ReadWrite, appearing as readers scrolled through
the story on their desktops or swiped through the story on mobile devices and tablets.
DEMO: Check out a demo of the experience; click and scroll...
Adaptive Ads were engineered to reach audiences across any device and to
be a natural part of their browsing experience.
This not only guaranteed
that readers would see the Siemens ad, it also allowed for better site
design, without interfering with the reading experience.
We also believe mobile represents a massive opportunity for content creators and marketers alike, and the Siemen's campaign took advantage of Adaptive Ads on mobile as well. It's an example of a native in-stream ad that was built from the ground up to recognize the increasing importance of mobile consumption.
Adaptive Mobile's numbers clearly show promise for publishers and marketers. Here are the stats (mobile vs. desktop on ReadWrite) as the baseline comparison:
- 15% higher median viewable time (smartphone vs. desktop)
- 90% higher median viewable time (tablet vs. desktop)
- 3X improvement from current industry standard monetization
Adaptive Mobile, and native ad formats that sit in-stream in general, are an approach that will work for brands. Engagement is high, and while stream-based approaches need tweaking, it's as valuable for the publisher as desktop consumption.
Siemens’ ad campaign was highly effective, delivering five times more impressions than projected and driving organic engagement with the brand. The ad unit saw a nearly 20 percent video completion, and in the Adaptive full-screen unit, it saw more than 21 percent video completion.
While publishers are still finding new ways to address the broken online ad model, Siemens is pushing innovative thinking to achieve greater results and improve the digital experience.