Report: Sites with original content better for advertisers

Sindya Bhanoo — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:32:33 -0500

A report released today by the Online Publishing Association reveals that sites producing original content -- as opposed to aggregated or syndicated content -- may be more beneficial to advertisers.

The report used Dynamic Logic MarketNorms data, which collected more than 6 million responses about ads on thousands of sites.

The study used a compilation of data from the association's member sites, all of which produce original content, and compared it to non-member sites. Member sites include Forbes.com, abcNews.com and CNN.com, as well as niche sites such as Bankrate.com and BabyCenter.com.

The analysis shows that member sites outscored industry norms in 47 out of 47 standard advertising metrics, such as "brand awareness" and "message association." For instance, brand awareness scores on member sites have increased 38% since July 2008, compared to a 19% decline on ad networks. "Brand favorability" scores for member sites rose 27%, compared to a 17% decline on online portals.

"Advertisers are trying to get smarter about how they are spending their dollars," Pam Horan, president of the Online Publishing Association told The Industry Standard. "Not all environments are created equal and it is important to consider where your brand appears."

Ultimately, however, original content could not counter the consequences of the economic downturn. "Purchase intent" declined on member sites by 5%, and on non-member sites by more than 13%.

Disclosure: IDG, the parent company of the Industry Standard, is an OPA member.