Home Online Advertising You’ve Got Mail -With Display Ads

You’ve Got Mail -With Display Ads

SHARE:

Email InventoryDisplay advertising around email is no longer the bottom feeder of inventory I once envisioned.  “Sure, it’s cheap, but it’s email inventory” used to be a common refrain.

Times change.

In fact, over the course of the past few months, numerous industry people have suggested to me that the display ad inventory wrapped around email is a top performer relative to price as ad networks, demand-side platforms, trading desks and “all of the above” buy email inventory.

Surely, there are tons of this type of inventory as Yahoo Mail and Hotmail offer graphical display advertising around email viewed in a web browser.

So, what gives? Why does this type of inventory perform well – at least on the big branded sites according to feedback.

I’ll take a guess or seven.

  • Publishers have gotten smarter – They’ve optimized the email targeting experience for advertisers.  Publishers with email capabilities for the users have so much inventory that it would have been foolish to not do something about improving its value.
  • Heightened level engagement – The user is answering email. Given the numerous emails (or messages) that need to be answered, another message –even from an advertiser – may be A-OK.
  • Scarcity – Speaking from personal experience, with Yahoo! Mail there is only one ad to the right of the browser email client that refreshes with each click within the email client.
  • Reach – Lots of people use email daily if not multiple times a day.  A huge captive audience.
  • The Creative – A display ad is visually compelling next to the text of an email.
  • Audience – Valuable audience that advertisers want to target are using browser-based email.
  • Context – You get better ads in email because its on a branded site – at least for this example, and marketers are willing to spend for this sort of URL placement.

By John Ebbert

Must Read

Forget The FUD, Now DoubleVerify Wants Advertisers To Get Back Into The News

Even brand safety companies think news blocking has gone too far. DV is exploring ways to help advertisers support legitimate news and just hired its first-ever head of news.

To Reduce The Ad Tech Tax, Sovrn Expands Its SaaS Pricing Model

Sovrn is now offering its header bidding managed service, dubbed Ad Management, as self-serve software for a flat CPM fee.

play button with many coins isolated on blue background. The concept of monetization of the video. Making money on video content. minimal style. 3d rendering

Exclusive: Connatix And JW Player Merge To Create A One-Stop Shop For Video Monetization

On Wednesday, video monetization platforms Connatix and JW Player announced plans to merge into a new entity called JWP Connatix. The deal was first rumored in July.

Privacy! Commerce! Connected TV! Read all about it. Subscribe to AdExchanger Newsletters

Buyers Can Now Target High-Attention Inventory In The Trade Desk

By applying Adelaide’s Attention Unit scoring, buyers can target low-, medium- and high-attention inventory via TTD’s self-serve platform.

How Should Advertisers Navigate A TikTok Ban Or Google Breakup? Just Ask Brian Wieser

The online advertising industry is staring down the barrel of not one but two potential shutdowns that could radically change where brands put their ad dollars in 2025, according to Madison and Wall’s Brian Weiser and Olivia Morley.

Intent IQ Has Patents For Ad Tech’s Most Basic Functions – And It’s Not Afraid To Use Them

An unusual dilemma has programmatic vendors and ad tech platforms worried about a flurry of potential patent infringement suits.