Journal of Interactive Advertising, Volume 3, Number 2, Spring 2003

Crossing Offline and Online Media:

A Comparison of Online Advertising on TV Web Sites and Online
Portals
Louisa Ha
epartment of !elecommunications
"o#ling $reen State %niversit&
Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
'esearc( )uestions
"ac*ground
Literature 'evie#
+et(od
'esults
iscussion and ,onclusion
'eferences
Appendi-.
Abstract
!(is paper presents findings of a stud& comparing t(e advertising on t(e #eb sites
supported b& offline media and on t(e dot/com media t(at onl& (ave online presence/
!(e stud& anal&0es t(e advertising strategies of leading %/S/ !V net#or*s1 #eb sites
and online portals, #(ic( respectivel& represent #eb sites #it( strong offline media
support and #eb sites #it( no offline media counterparts respectivel&/ !V net#or*s1
advertising strategies #ere identified based on a spectrum of brand e-tension and
brand integration strategies/ !(e results s(o# t(at even #it( t(e strong offline
support of t(e !V net#or*s, !V #eb sites are muc( more moderate in t(eir displa& of
advertising t(an online portals and use primaril& brand integration as t(eir
convergence strateg& in advertising recruitment/ 2orced e-posure advertising is not
common in !V #eb sites, #(ic( is contrar& to t(e captive audience c(aracteristic of
t(e !V medium/ 3ortal sites (ave a muc( stronger presence of advertising support/
!(eir advertisers are also more diversified t(an t(ose of !V #eb sites/ +an& !V #eb
sites are still used as a mar*eting and promotional tool for !V net#or*s rat(er t(an
as a stand4alone advertising medium for advertisers/ 3ortal sites (ave emerged as a
full4fledged advertising medium completel& capable of carr&ing different forms of
online advertising to deliver advertising messages to target audiences for advertisers/
Implications of t(e findings to advertisers, !V net#or*s, and ot(er online media are
discussed/
Introduction
!(e 5orld 5ide 5eb offers a ne# arena of media content for consumers/ After
companies t(at (ave no offline media presence 6t(e dot/coms7 suc( as 8a(oo9 and
Alta Vista provided 5eb users #it( t(eir o#n media contents and a #ide variet& of
consumer services and ac(ieved considerable success, traditional media establis(ed
t(eir presence in t(e online #orld via t(eir o#n #eb sites/ No# almost all ma:or
media companies, especiall& !V net#or*s, (ave t(eir o#n #eb sites/ ,urrentl&, bot(
!V #eb sites and online portals operate primaril& under a sponsors(ip model; $iving
free access to t(e audience and rel&ing on advertising and sponsors(ip for funding/
According to t(e Interactive Advertising "ureau1s 6IA" 200.a7 and t(e $artner
$roup1s 63astore 200.c7 estimates, t(e online advertising e-penditure in t(e %nited
States totaled <=/> billion 6?@ of total advertising e-penditure7 in 200. and #ill reac(
<.A/A billion b& 200B/ Suc( competition for advertising support bet#een t(ese Conline
onl&C media and Conline versions of offline mediaC poses several interesting Duestions
to t(e future of online advertising; #(et(er online media #it( offline mass media
counterparts, suc( as television #eb sites, (ave an edge over online media t(at (ave
no offline media counterparts as an advertising mediumE #(et(er online versions of
offline media e-(ibit a different advertising support pattern from portalsE and #(et(er
t(e captive advertising approac( in t(e television medium continue in online media/
Researc !uestions
As an attempt to s(ed lig(t on suc( Duestions pertaining to t(e future of online
advertising, t(is stud& e-amines t(e advertising practices of online portals and !V
#eb sites/ Specificall&, t(is stud& #ill ans#er four researc( Duestions;
./ 5(at is t(e general practice of online advertising on !V #eb sites and portal sitesF
2/ 5ill !V sites use more captive advertising formats t(an portal sitesF
3/ 5(at convergence branding strateg& do !V net#or*s useF
?/ Are t(ere an& differences in advertising clientele bet#een online portals and !V
sitesF
"ac#ground
Te Rise of Portals and Proliferation of Traditional Media Online
Gnline portals suc( as 8a(oo9 and Alta Vista are t(e earl& entrants to t(e online
media mar*et, en:o&ing t(e first moverHs advantage #it( #ide recognition b& Internet
users/ !(eir traffic is t(e (ig(est among all sites/ 3ortals are #eb sites t(at offer a
variet& of resources and services to #eb users suc( as e4mails, c(at forums, searc(
engines, and online s(opping malls 65ebopedia 200.7/ !(ere are t(ree t&pes of
portals; consumer portals, vertical portals, and enterprise portals 6!raffic* 200.7/ In
t(is stud&, #e focus onl& on consumer portals/ !(e& (ave content and services t(at
are free to t(e public/ 3ortal sites originall& #ere conceived as t(e gate#a& for 5eb
surfing/ No# t(e variet& of t(eir services (as made portal sites also destinations for
#eb site users 63astore 200.b7/ ,onsumer portals suc( as 8a(oo9 and America
Gnline are five of t(e top si- 5eb properties in Januar& 200. and t(e time spent on
t(ose sites are far more t(an ot(er sites #it( an average of ?/B (ours per mont(
63astore 200.b7/ Alt(oug( most of t(e portals rel& on advertising as t(eir main
source of revenue, diversification to e4commerce, service c(arge, and sponsors(ip is
a gro#ing trend 63astore 200.c7/
Nevert(eless, t(e traditional media giants are catc(ing up/ %/S/ !V net#or*s
responded to t(e gro#t( of t(e Internet b& becoming members of t(e medium/ !(e&
establis(ed t(eir online versions suc( as A",/com, ,"S/com or 2GI/com/ !(e
concept of Jen(anced !VK t(at aims to use t(e Internet to provide a ric(er and better
vie#ing e-perience for !V vie#ers (as ta*en off since 2000 and became a primar&
reason for !V net#or*s to continue to add ne# features on t(eir #eb sites 6Ha 20027/
NielsenHs Netratings s(o# t(e popularit& of !V #eb sites/ Sevent&4t#o percent of
Internet users visited one of t(e !V entertainment sites in t(e past mont( 63astore
200.a7/ 5eb sites of cable !V net#or*s received almost ?? million visitors and
broadcast net#or*s received ../3 million visitors in Jul& 200. 6,able Advertising
"ureau 200.7/
3ortals and !V #eb sites no# dominate t(e online advertising mar*et/ Among t(e top
.0 sites in 200. online advertising revenue as reported b& t(e AdNet!rac*%S
database of t(e researc( firm ,+'i 63astore 20027, eig(t are portal sites 68a(oo,
AGL, L-cite, L&cos, Netscape, AltaVista, 5eb,ra#ler, +SN7, and t#o are !V sites
6LS3N and t(e 5eat(er ,(annel7/ Hence, alt(oug( targeting at speciali0ed audience
segments (as often been mentioned as t(e main advantage of online advertising
6S(erman and eig(ton 200.E Meff and Aronson .>>>7, advertisers are ma-imi0ing
t(eir advertising efficienc& b& placing ads in t(e online media #it( t(e (ig(est traffic
flo#/ Seemingl&, advertisers are concerned more about t(e si0e of t(e audience t(an
t(e relevance of t(e site content/
$iterature Revie%
In t(e literature revie# section, #e first revie# t(e advantages of offline media1s
online versions as an advertising medium based upon online business models and
brand development t(eories, and t(en #e revie# online portals1 advantages as an
advertising medium based upon t(e first4mover1s advantage and t(e #alled4garden
effect t(eor&/ 2inall&, t(e captivit& of advertising media and online advertising formats
#ill be discussed/
Online "usiness Models of Offline Media
In a sense, t(e competition bet#een !V #eb sites versus online portals is similar to
t(e competition in retailing and service industries 44 t(e rivalr& bet#een bric*4and4
mortar stores #(o (ave #eb sites and t(ose e4tailers #(o (ave onl& online presence
6Hensmans, van en "osc(, and Volberda 200.7/ It (as been argued t(at bric*4and4
mortar companies (ave an edge over t(e pure online companies in #inning
consumers t(roug( t(e s&nerg& of online and offline presence/ "& aligning goals #it(
multiple c(annels, e-plicit coordination and control, and :oint development of t(e
capabilit& of t(e information tec(nolog& of t(e online division and t(e offline division,
bric*4and4mortar companies can ac(ieve s&nerg& benefits suc( as cost savings,
differentiation t(roug( value4added services, improved trust, and mar*et e-tension
6Steinfield 20027/
In discussing online business models of establis(ed companies, Nel et al/ 6.>>>7
suggest t(at establis(ed companies tend to e-pand t(eir business online as a
supportive service to t(eir e-isting offline business/ "ased on t(is t(eor&, offline
media suc( as !V net#or*s establis( #eb sites to support t(eir current !V net#or*s/
!(e #eb sites are not stand4alone profit centers and t(e& are e-pected to
supplement t(e !V programs offered b& t(e !V net#or*s/ Accordingl&, media #eb
sites are similar to ot(er bric*4and4mortar companiesH #eb sites in t(at t(e& use t(e
sites to support and promote t(e bric*4and4mortar brand, rat(er t(an to create a ne#
Internet brand/ 5(en vie#ed from t(is perspective, !V #eb sites #ill not attract
advertisers because t(e sites are not going to (ave original content t(at can support
t(em as a stand4alone medium/ Ho#ever, suc( a vie# (as overloo*ed t(e
convergence effect of combining online and offline media for advertising purposes/
+edia companies (ave introduced man& cross4platform advertising pac*ages t(at
use bot( online and offline versions of t(e media to ma*e t(e medium more attractive
to advertisers/ 2or e-ample, N", used its cross4platform advertising pac*age for its
5inter Gl&mpics program and ac(ieved considerable success 6"eard 20027/
Advertisers can reac( online users at #or* and at (ome in t(eir online advertising on
t(e N", #eb site, and t(e promotion of t(e N", #eb site during N", !V net#or*Hs
broadcast of 5inter Gl&mpics dre# !V vie#ers to t(e site/
"rand &'tension and "rand Integration
!o anal&0e offline mediaHs presence on t(e 5eb, t(e aut(or proposes t(at t(ere are
t#o main convergence branding strategies used b& t(e !V net#or*s; .7 brand
e-tension and 27 brand integration/ !(ese strategies represent a spectrum; at one
end of t(e spectrum, t(e #eb site is treated as a separate entit& from a net#or*E at
t(e ot(er end of t(e spectrum, t(e #eb site is an essential component of t(e !V
net#or*/ !(e concept of brand e-tension as t(e reason for offline media to develop
online presence (as been discussed bot( as a general business strateg&
6Ven*atramen 20007 and as a media business strateg& 6Ha and ,(an4Glmsted
200.7/ As a brandHs e-tension, a !V #eb site is an Internet brand of t(e parent !V
brand/ 2or e-ample, A",/com is t(e Internet brand of t(e A", !V net#or*/ 5it( t(e
leverage of t(e parent brandHs eDuit&, t(e A",/com site benefits from being named
under t(e A", brand/ It is li*el& t(at a vie#er of t(e A", !V net#or* #ill use t(e A",
#eb site as a result of (is or (er li*ing of and familiarit& #it( t(e A", brand/ Gt(er
non4A", vie#ers can also use t(e site if t(e& #ant to e-plore t(e A", brand or #(at
t(e site can offer/ So A",/com, in essence, e-tends t(e reac( of t(e A", !V
net#or*, in a #eb site format, to an& interested 5eb user/ Some contents of
A",/com, suc( as movie revie#s, ma& attract a #eb user so muc( t(at (e or s(e
becomes a regular user of A",/com, even t(oug( (e or s(e never or seldom
#atc(es A",/ $raduall&, t(roug( regular use of A",/com, t(e #eb user becomes
interested in t(e parent brand, t(e A", !V net#or*, and #atc(es more programs on
t(e net#or*/ Alread& suc( net#or*s as t(e 5eat(er ,(annel (ave set up an
independent #ebsite using its name, 5eat(er/com, as its Internet brand and (ave
reported great success 62lamer 20007/
Anot(er e-planation of t(e benefit of establis(ing an online presence is brand
integration, #(ic( reiterates t(e supportive role of #eb sites to t(e !V brand/ !(e
sole purpose of establis(ing a #eb site is for (elping t(e !V brand, suc( as
increasing vie#er lo&alt& to t(e !V net#or*/ !(e content of t(e #eb site is all related
to t(e !V net#or*Hs program, #it( no original content or ot(er non4!V related content/
!(e advertisers of t(e #eb site, for e-ample, #ill onl& be cross4platform advertisers of
t(e !V net#or*/ !(ere s(ould be no advertisers t(at onl& advertise on t(e online
version 6#eb sites7/ !(e #eb site is used to serve t(e current vie#ers of t(e !V
net#or*, not general #eb surfers #(o ma& :ust loo* for certain media entertainment
or information services/
No matter #(et(er t(e p(enomenon of offline media on t(e 5eb is a result of brand
e-tension or brand integration, offline media need to integrate t(eir #eb sites eit(er
as a sister brand or a promotional tool for t(e net#or*/ In recruiting advertisers,
online versions of offline media en:o& several advantages as an advertising medium
t(at online portals do not (ave; .7 familiarit& #it( t(e brand and 27 cross4media
advertising support from t(e offline media counterpart/ +an& !V net#or*s are
(ouse(old names for t(e American public/ Some leading ma:or net#or*s, suc( as
A",, N", and ,"S, (ave more t(an B0 &ears of (istor&/ !(e vie#ers(ip base of !V
in t(e %nited States is about .00 million (ouse(olds and an average American famil&
#atc(es N0 (ours of television #ee*l&/ Almost ever& (ouse(old (as a !V set #it(
more t(an =B@ (aving multiple !V sets 6"aran 200.7/ No portal site can rival t(e
s(eer si0e and usage volume of t(e !V audience/ !(e %/S/ audienceHs familiarit& #it(
!V brands gives !V an advantage as an advertising medium because suc( familiarit&
can foster trust and credibilit& in t(e medium/ JAs seen on !VK is a common p(rase
used in advertising or labels in product pac*ages to increase t(e credibilit& of t(e
brand/ 5(en an advertisement appears on a !V net#or*Hs #eb site, it is li*el& t(at
t(e !V mediumHs credibilit& can be transferred to t(e #eb medium/
Anot(er advantage t(at !V #eb sites en:o& is t(e lo#4cost and (eav& cross4media
promotion b& t(eir offline television counterparts/ As a sister Internet brand or
supportive site of t(e net#or*, a !V net#or*Hs #eb site can be displa&ed during a !V
program or a station promotional spot #it( almost no cost to t(e net#or* or t(e site/ A
recent stud& b& Ha and ,(an4Glmsted 6200.7 s(o#ed t(at people visit a !V #eb site
primaril& because of t(e promotion on television/ Suc( cross4media promotion comes
muc( (arder for portals t(at (ave to pa& for full advertising c(arges to get t(e same
commercial airtime/
Te Walled()arden &ffect and Advantages of Portals as an Advertising Medium
espite t(e seemingl& strong position of !V net#or*s in setting up t(eir #eb sites as
discussed above, portal sites (ave ot(er advantages as an advertising medium t(at
!V net#or*s lac*; .7 first mover advantage of portals on t(e 5eb, 27 t(e #alled4
garden effect of portals, 37 t(e (ig( audience traffic driven b& searc( engines and e4
mail services of portals, and ?7 portalHs focus on Internet business allo#s t(em to be
on top of t(e tec(nolog& and better understand Internet audience be(avior/
Lven t(oug( t(eir (istor& is muc( s(orter t(an !V net#or*s, portal sites are t(e
earliest ones on t(e 5eb eit(er as a searc( engine 6suc( as Alta Vista7, a bro#ser
service 6suc( as Netscape7, or an online service 6suc( as American Gnline7 t(at are
freDuentl& used b& 5eb users/ 5(en t(ese portals launc(ed t(eir service, t(e&
started out #it( an advertising4supported model, tr&ing to ma-imi0e audience si0e
and deliver advertising for advertisers/ Suc( earl& presence on t(e 5eb gave portal
sites a first4mover advantage as t(e& en:o&ed t(e (ig(est top4of4mind recognition
among Internet users as an Internet brand 6dot/com7/ As S(amdasani, Stanaland,
and !anHs 6200.7 stud& s(o#s, a #eb siteHs reputation is ver& important for t(e
advertising effectiveness of lo#4involvement products/ !(e relevance bet#een #eb
site content and product categor& is onl& important for t(e advertising effectiveness of
(ig(4involvement products/
Alt(oug( man& portal sites (ave origins as a searc( engine or a bro#ser, no# t(e&
(ave evolved into mega4sites t(at provide a variet& of services, satisf&ing t(e
information, entertainment, and communication needs of t(eir visitors/ 2or e-ample,
all portal sites no# contain ne#s (eadlines, searc( services, and product information
to fulfill t(e information needs of t(e visitors/ Netscape, for e-ample, recentl&
redesigned its ne#s c(annel and increased man& content partners to strengt(en t(e
content of t(e portal 6Netscape 200.7/ In terms of entertainment, various online
games, music and videos can be do#nloaded from portal sites/ !o communicate #it(
friends or people of similar interests to t(e visitor, t(e visitor can use t(e e4mail
service 6free if t(e& are not online services7, free greeting cards service, c(at rooms
or instant messaging features/ In addition, portal sites set up designated c(annels
#it( regular updates on a specific topic suc( as automobile, s(opping, music,
careers, tec(nolog&, and entertainment/ Suc( all4in4one services provided b& t(e
portal sites offer one4stop convenience for #eb users t(at !V #eb sites cannot offer
6+iller .>>A7/ !(is one4stop convenience (as also been described as a J#alled4
gardenK t(at controls t(e flo# of visitors b& confining t(em to t(e lin*s and services
provided b& t(e portals 6Sc(onfeld 20007/ Suc( lo&al visitor base (as immense value
to advertisers as portals can ensure repeated e-posure to t(eir advertising
messages/
Apart from en:o&ing t(e reputation as Internet brand leaders and t(e creation of a
#alled4garden for 5eb users, portals also (ave ver& (ig( traffic flo# t(at ma*e t(em
a (ig(l& cost4effective medium for audience deliver& 6Sterne .>>=7/ Searc( services
and e4mail services are t(e t#o ma:or attractions on portals t(at can dra# regular
traffic in (ig( volumes and provide customi0ed advertisements for advertisers/ 2or
e-ample, according to JupiterHs +edia +etri- ratings for Januar& 2002, +icrosoft
Net#or* 6+SN7 (as 3N/3 million uniDue visitors, and 8a(oo9 (as 33/3 million uniDue
visitors 6Sullivan 20027/ 5(en someone signs up for t(e portal sitesH e4mail service,
(e or s(e is reDuired to provide consumer profile information to t(e portal site/ 3ortal
sites can use suc( information to provide targeted advertising for advertisers t(at are
interested in certain consumer segments/
!(e fourt( advantage of portals is its focus on Internet presence so t(at t(e& do not
need to #orr& about an& counterpart offline/ 'ies and 'ies 620007 (ail suc(
speciali0ation as an immutable la# of success of branding on t(e Internet/ 3ortal
sites (ave po#erful servers and large teams of tec(nical support staff t(at are
unrivalled b& !V #eb sites/ espite suc( tec(nological *no#4(o#, t(e& do not pus(
for flas(& design and (eav& grap(ics/ All of t(em strive to be t(e best in being user4
friendl& b& ma*ing t(e site simple and eas& to navigate/ !(e& use t(e state4of4t(e4art
customi0ation tools so t(at users can customi0e #(at t(e& #ant to see on t(e start
page and use trac*ing programs suc( as coo*ies to greet returning visitors
6Oleinsc(midt .>>>7/
Captive Audience vs* Active Advertising Audience
Advertising media can be differentiated into t#o main categories b& t(e captivit& of
audience/ ,aptive audience media, suc( as television, force advertising e-posure on
t(e audience t(roug( embedding advertisements during t(e natural continuous flo#
of !V program content/ Active or self4paced audience media, in contrast, give t(e
audience t(e c(oice of pace in consuming t(e media content/ Audiences can s*ip
advertisements easil& because s*ipping t(e ads #ill not disrupt t(e flo# of t(e media
content/ L-amples of self4paced media are print media/ Gnline media suc( as t(e
5eb are a convergence of captive and self4paced media/ 5eb visitors can self4select
t(e #eb site content to vie#, and s*ip t(e banners or ot(er ad forms easil&/ !(e
tec(nolog& of t(e 5eb, (o#ever, also can force advertising upon t(e 5eb users b&
s(o#ing pop4up #indo#s t(at bloc* t(e vie# of t(e user on t(e computer screen or
using ot(er forms of pus( tec(nolog& 6Sterne .>>=7/ Suc( pop4up #indo#s ma& be
activated t(roug( clic*ing a button or t&ping a *e&#ord, even before t(e user can
enter t(e #eb page/
!(ere is one big difference bet#een online advertisements and advertisements in
traditional media/ !(e ads online ma& ta*e t(e audience a#a& from t(e media
content and ot(er advertisers because t(e& are clic*able and t(e audience can
immediatel& visit t(e advertiserHs #eb page 6Hofac*er and +urp(& 20007/ !(e
traditional media can *eep t(e audience because t(e audience is usuall& not as*ed
to ta*e action rig(t a#a&/ !V vie#ers can dela& ma*ing a p(one call in response to a
direct response !V commercial b& #riting do#n t(e p(one number and continue to
consume t(e content/ "ut 5eb users do not ris* losing t(e content because t(e& can
go bac* to t(e site at t(e clic* of a button after visiting t(e advertiserHs #eb page/
Online Advertising +ormats
!(e Interactive Advertising "ureau establis(es advertising unit standards for t(e
online advertising industr& in t(e %nited States/ According to t(eir latest standards,
ad units can basicall& be categori0ed into .7 banners 6full, (alf, vertical7, 27 buttons,
37 micro4bars, ?7 pop4up rectangles, and B7 s*&scrapers 6IA" 200.b7/ Advertisers and
#eb site publis(ers are not limited to t(ese c(oices, (o#ever/ !(e& can c(oose a
variet& of (&brid advertising4sponsors(ip formats suc( as tabs on a page or an icon
suc( as Jpo#ered b& III/K
If online advertising is to be captive, as in television, t(en advertising displa&ed on
t(e 5eb must be forced upon visitorsH e&es, leaving t(em no c(ance to miss t(e ads/
,(o, Lee, and !(arpHs 6200.7 e-periment tested different levels of forced e-posure to
banner ads/ In t(eir stud&, t(e (ig(est level of forced e-posure is t(e ad s(o#n
before visitors can enter t(e page t(e& originall& #ant to visit/ !(e second (ig(est
level of forced e-posure is t(e ad s(o#n before visitors can enter t(e page, but t(e&
can move to t(e desired site at an& time t(e& #ant/ !(e t(ird level of forced e-posure
is a pop4up #indo# containing t(e ad/ !(e least forced e-posure is t(e regular
banner ads placed in different parts of t(e screen #it(out bloc*ing t(e editorial
content/ !(ese researc(ers found t(at ads #it( t(e (ig(est forced e-posure are most
effective in increasing advertising a#areness and facilitating t(e clic*ing of t(e
banner ads/ Lven t(oug( forced e-posure ads ma& be a more effective #a& to get
t(e ad message across, #ill online media 6eit(er t(e !V #eb sites or portals7 ris* t(e
potential ob:ection of 5eb users b& forcing an ad on t(e visitorsF 5(ere are t(e
online ads located on t(e screenF Interactivit& and vividness (ave been s(o#n to be
important factors in predicting t(e positive attitudes to#ard #eb sites 6,o&le and
!(orson 200.E Ha and ,(an4Glmsted 200.7/ !(is stud& #ill anal&0e t(e advertising
formats and location of online ads to s(ed lig(t on t(ese issues/
!ec(nological development on t(e #eb and t(e demand for integration of advertising
to t(e editorial content of t(e site (as led to t(e gro#t( of ne# advertising formats/
2or e-ample, JSmart banners,K #(ic( are activated #(en someone searc(es a
*e&#ord related to an advertiser, can locate t(e rig(t consumer at t(e rig(t time 6ou,
Linn, and 8ang 200.7/ 3aid te-t lin* listings in searc( services also target consumers
#(o are searc(ing for information on t(e product of t(e advertiser/ Hence, t(is stud&
also e-amines t(e presence of ot(er forms of advertising in #eb sites/
Prior Studies on Media Web Sites and Portal Sites
+ost anal&ses of media #eb sites (ave focused on local media and t(e media site
contents, not t(eir advertising/ 2or e-ample, Lin and JeffresH 6200.7 stud& compared
t(e #eb sites of local ne#spapers, local !V stations, and local radio stations/ !(e&
found t(at eac( medium (as a distinct emp(asis on t(e 5eb/ 'adio sites tend to
promote t(e radio station, (ave lin*s to t(e government, and contain tec(nical
features/ !V sites tend to lin* to ot(er electronic media and emp(asi0e audience
feedbac*/ Ne#spaper sites tend to lin* to communit& sites and ot(er print media/
Studies specificall& on local !V stationsH #eb sites found t(at t(eir sites are mainl& for
communit& services and online ne#s 6,(an4Glmsted and 3ar* 2000E Oiernam and
Lev& .>>>7/ !(e onl& e-ception to t(e local scope of media sites studies is t(e stud&
of en(anced television strateg& models of national !V net#or*s and cable !V
net#or*sH #eb sites b& Ha 620027/ S(e found t(at some sites target #eb visitors in
general, some sites target onl& t(eir lo&al vie#ers 6fans7, and some sites target bot(
casual vie#ers and lo&al vie#ers/ Gt(er content anal&sis studies of online advertising
investigate t(e impact of culture on online advertising practices 6Ju43a* .>>>7 and
advertising recruitment problems suc( as 3as(upati and 'amanHs 6.>>>7 stud& on
Indian online ne#spapers/
!(is stud& is t(e first national stud& t(at compares %/S/ portal sites and !V net#or*sH
#eb sites/ In t(e conte-t of media convergence, t(is stud& assesses t(e impact of
offline media presence in affecting t(eir #eb sites as an advertising medium to
advertisers/ !(e aut(or (opes to illustrate properties of online advertising media
6portals vs/ !V sites7 and t(e potential of cross4platform advertising for advertisers
and advertising researc(ers/ 5it( t(e lac* of studies on t(e online advertising
practices of ma:or #eb sites t(at receive t(e bul* of t(e online advertising revenue,
t(is stud& also provides a general picture of t(e use of online advertising in t(e
%nited States/ +ost importantl&, t(is stud& #ill s(o# t(e convergence branding
strateg& of !V net#or*s b& t(e advertiser portfolio of t(e !V sites/
Metod
!o compare t(e advertising presence and practice of online portals and !V #eb sites,
a content anal&sis #as conducted/ "ecause t(e portal industr& and !V industr& are
(ig(l& oligopolistic 6,arvet(, G#ers and Ale-ander .>>AE +iller 20007, onl& leading
net#or*s and top online portals #ere selected in t(is stud&/ !(ese sites represent
A0@ of t(e 5eb audience traffic/ Suc( (ig( traffic ma*es t(em attractive to
advertisers for efficient audience deliver&/ Indeed, t(e top ten sites accounted for
=B@ of t(e total online advertising revenue 63astore 20027/ In addition, t(e leading
net#or*s and portals serve as trend4setters #(om ot(er smaller rivals #ill follo# if
t(ese smaller companies see advertising as a main source of income/ ,onseDuentl&,
t(e sample of !V #eb sites consisted of t(e t(ree ma:or broadcast net#or*s and .>
leading cable net#or*s/ !(e sample of online portals included t(e top ten portals in
t(e Gctober 200. traffic measurement according to Net'atings and all ma:or online
service providers suc( as NetMero and 3rodig& 6See Appendi- . for t(e list of
net#or*s and portals7/ !(e (ome pages of t(e !V #eb sites and t(e online portals
#ere anal&0ed in t(e mont( of November, t(e pea* s(opping mont( in t(e %nited
States/ Home page #as selected as t(e sampling unit because it is t(e most visible
page of t(e site #it( (ig(est traffic/ Also b& anal&0ing t(e (ome page onl&, t(e
researc(er could control for t(e large variation of site si0es in #eb sites/ It s(ould be
noted t(at #eb sites of t(e online service portals t(at #ere anal&0ed #ere pages
open to t(e public, not proprietar& pages to t(eir subscribers/ In general, t(e unit of
anal&sis #as t(e individual ad of eac( selected site/ "ut in t(e specific anal&sis of t(e
branding strateg& and t(e total number of ads in t(e (ome page, t(e unit of anal&sis
is t(e (ome page of #eb site/
!(e coding #as performed b& 2? #eb4proficient undergraduate students, #(o #ere
trained b& t(e aut(or in a class on t(e IA" online advertising formats, television, and
#eb site programming/ !(e& coded t(e ads on t(e (ome page of one portal site and
one !V net#or*Hs #eb site/ Intercoder4reliabilit& #as obtained t(roug( double coding
a .0 percent sub4sample of t(e !V and portal sites 6i/e/, .? advertisements7/ !(e
sites #ere coded #it(in t(e same one #ee*4period/ !(e coders printed a (ard cop&
of t(e #eb pages to ensure coders #ere coding t(e identical screen during t(e
double coding/ !(e number of ads in t(e (ome page #as counted and t(en seven
categories of items for eac( ad #ere anal&0ed; .7 #eb site t&pe, 27 t&pe of
advertisers, 37 location of t(e ad, ?7 advertising format, B7 presence of ot(er forms of
advertising 6suc( as paid te-t lin*s and featured sites7, N7 presence of animation, and
=7 presence of pri0e or givea#a& feature/ ,o(enHs 6.>N07 *appa, t(e most #idel&
used reliabilit& coefficient 6M#ic* .>AA7, #as emplo&ed in t(is stud& to calculate inter4
coder reliabilit&/ !(e item #it( t(e (ig(est *appa #as #eb site t&pe 6*appaP./07/ !(e
item #it( t(e lo#est *appa #as t(e presence of ot(er forms of advertising
6*appaP0/BB7/ !(e average *appa across items #as 0/AB/
Results
Advertising 3ractices
!(e advertising formats s(o#n in t(e portal sites and !V sites in t(is stud& are Duite
similar to t(e industr&4#ide ad format pattern presented b& Jupiter +edia +etri-,
#(ic( calculated t(e popularit& b& online impressions 63astore 20027/ In Jupiter
+edia +etri-Hs stud&, t(ere #ere more banners t(an small ad formats, suc( as micro4
bars and buttons 632/> billion impressions vs/ 23/= billion impressions7/ As s(o#n in
!able ., t(ere #ere more banners t(an small ad formats, suc( as buttons and micro4
bars, especiall& on !V sites 6?=@ vs/ ?0/=@7/ Large ad formats, suc( as rectangles
and s*&scrapers, #ere t(e least li*el& to be used b& portal sites and !V sites/
Table , +orms of advertising displa-ed in ome pages
!(ere #ere a total of => ads s(o#n on t(e (ome pages of t(e selected !V sites and
online portals during t(e stud& period/ Gn average, portal sites (ad 2/== online ads
on t(eir (ome pages 6range P 04N7, but !V sites onl& (ad ./>N ads on t(eir (ome
pages/ Suc( a difference, (o#ever, is onl& statisticall& significant at t(e >0@
confidence interval 6tP./32, pP0/0>7/ 3ortal sites also s(o#ed a muc( (ig(er variet&
of ad formats t(an !V sites/ Apart from t(e standard IA" ad units, almost =0@ of t(e
portal sites used te-t lin*s to lin* visitors to t(e advertisers, and about .B@ of t(e
portal sites featured sites of sponsors on t(eir (ome pages/ Ver& fe# !V sites (ad ad
formats ot(er t(an t(e IA" units/ Gnl& .?/3@ (ad te-t lin*s to advertisers/ None
featured sites of sponsors/
!(e most common location of online ads 6including banners and ot(er formats7 #as
top4centered 62B@7 for !V #eb sites 6!able 27/ 2or portals, t(e location of t(e ads
#as muc( more diversified/ +ore t(an one4t(ird of t(e ads 63A/B@7 #ere not located
at t(e si- most visible locations of t(e screen 6top4centered, top rig(t (and corner, top
left (and corner, bottom rig(t (and corner, bottom left (and corner and bottom
center7/ +an& of t(ese ads #ere placed on t(e side margins, not at t(e corner
positions/
Table . $ocation of te advertisements /ome page onl-0
Captivit- of Online Advertising
"ot( portals and !V sites s(o#ed little interest on t(e part of t(e net#or*s or portals
in ma*ing t(eir audiences captives of t(eir sitesH online advertising/ As s(o#n in !able
3, t(e vast ma:orit& of t(ese sites onl& (ad ads t(at #ere placed at a corner of t(e
screen t(at #ould not bloc* t(e vie# of t(e user/ 3ortals #ere slig(tl& more li*el& to
put forced e-posure ads on t(eir visitors t(an !V sites/ 'emar*abl&, t(e +!V net#or*
did not (ave an& form of advertisement on its site at t(e time of coding/ )uite a
notable number of !V net#or*sH advertisements #ere for t(eir o#n !V programs, not
for advertisersH products/ In addition, !V net#or*s #ere muc( more li*el& to use more
gimmic*& devices, suc( as animation or s#eepsta*es, to attract visitorsH attention/ As
s(o#n in !able ?, !V net#or*sH sites (ad more animated advertising banners and
used more promotional tec(niDues suc( as pri0e givea#a&s and s#eepsta*es on
t(eir #eb sites t(an t(eir portal counterparts 6tP./BN, pP0/0=B7/
Table 1 2egree of forced e'posure in advertising /ome page onl-0
Table 3 Special +eatures 4sed in te Web Advertising /ome page onl-0
Convergence "randing Strateg- of TV sites and Comparison of Advertising
Clientele
As s(o#n in !able B, t(e ma:orit& of t(e advertisers on !V #eb sites #ere traditional
!V advertisers suc( as insurance, ban*s, automobiles, computers or tec(nolog&4
related products/ In addition, t(ere #as a remar*able presence of self4
advertisements b& !V net#or*s/ !o (elp identif& t(e convergence branding strateg&
of !V net#or*s, t(e net#or*s sites #ere divided into t(ree categories; .7 pure brand
e-tension 6sites t(at (ave onl& dot/com, computer tec(nolog& product advertisers7, 27
pure brand integration 6sites t(at (ave onl& traditional !V advertisers or self4
advertisements or no ad at all7 and 37 (&brid strateg& 6sites #it( a mi- of traditional
!V advertisers, dot/coms and computer tec(nolog& advertisers7/ As s(o#n in !able N,
more t(an one (alf of !V sites 6B>@7 are using t(e pure brand integration strateg&/
Nevert(eless, t(ere #ere several small dot/com advertisers t(at (ad not appeared on
television but (ad ad presence on a fe# !V #eb sites suc( as 5ebmillion 6a gaming
site7, a genealog& site, AAA/com 6a casino site7, Sunblast 6a soft#are site7,
broad#a&/com 6online sale of "road#a& tic*ets7 and sp&master 6a soft#are site7/ !(e
presence of t(ese online onl& advertisers indicates t(at some !V sites e-plored a
different clientele from t(eir offline advertising clientele/ Stricter regulations on
television advertising ma& partiall& e-plain #(& casino and gaming sites can be found
on !V #eb sites/ Aside from regulations, affordabilit& of online advertising can also
e-plain t(e presence of smaller advertisers 6suc( as t(e genealog& site7 and online
sale of "road#a& tic*ets/ Here, #e can see t(at some !V net#or*s are e-(ibiting a
(&brid of brand e-tension and integration strateg& b& offering t(eir sitesH ad spaces to
smaller advertisers and advertisers t(at are pro(ibited from television/ Gnl& t#o !V
sites in our sample 6LS3N and Histor&7 c(ose a pure brand e-tension strateg& from
t(e advertising recruitment perspective/
In comparing t(e advertising clientele of !V sites and portal sites, (ome pages of !V
#eb sites and portals s(o#ed Duite similar proportions of t(e traditional advertisers/
"ut t(ere is one big difference bet#een !V sites and portal sites/ !(e difference is
t(e notable presence of self4advertisements on !V sites, but suc( self4advertisement
presence #as ver& minimal on portal sites/ !(ere can be t#o e-planations for t(is
p(enomenon/ Gne possible e-planation is t(at !V net#or*s vie# t(eir sites primaril&
as a self4promotion tool t(an an advertising medium for t(eir advertisers/ Anot(er
possible e-planation is t(at t(ose !V net#or*s #ere not able to attract advertisers so
t(at t(e& used t(eir o#n ads to fill up t(e space to serve as an e-ample for
prospective advertisers/ 5(en e-amining t(e net#or*s t(at use self4ads onl&, t(e&
are all t(riving net#or*s t(at s(ould (ave no problem in recruiting advertisers; 2GI,
!"S, isne& and +!V/ So t(e former e-planation is more plausible/ !V net#or*s
seem to reserve t(eir advertising space of t(e #eb site for self4promotion/
Table 5 Advertiser T-pes /6ome page0
Table 7 Convergence "randing Strategies of TV Sites
2iscussion and Conclusion
+an& advertisers and researc(ers (ave doubted t(e effectiveness of #eb banners as
an advertising format on t(e 5eb/ 2or e-ample, a(lenHs 6200.7 e-periment s(o#ed
t(at #eb banners are more effective for novice 5eb users, but not so effective for
e-perienced 5eb users/ Indeed, t(is stud& (as s(o#n t(at online advertising (as
gro#n from ad banners to a #ide variet& of formats to facilitate visitorsH acceptance of
commercial messages/ Alt(oug( a vast ma:orit& of t(e ads #ere still IA" standard ad
units, t(ere #ere also man& different #a&s ads #ere presented on a #eb page #it(
te-tlin*s to advertisers as a close second c(oice on portal sites/ In addition, bot( !V
#eb sites and portals #ere ver& cautious in placing t(eir ads on t(e sites/ None of t(e
sites s(o#ed e-cessive advertising presence/ At most, onl& si- small si0e ads could
be found on a portal site/ !(e generall& lo# amount of advertising found in t(is stud&
ma& also reflect t(e cutbac* of advertising b& advertisers after t(e September ..
traged& in t(e %nited States/ Indeed, t(e IA" reported a one billion dollar drop in
online advertising revenue in 200. from 2000 and t(ere #as a =/B percent drop in t(e
online advertising revenue of t(e fourt( Duarter of 200. from t(e t(ird Duarter of 200.
63rice#ater(ouse,oopers 20027/ Hence, t(e results of t(e stud& s(ould be
considered as a lo#er estimate of advertising presence during a pea* s(opping time/
A longitudinal stud& can trac* t(e c(anges of on advertising presence in !V sites and
portals over time/
Alt(oug( most ads #ere placed in t(e most visible si- locations of a #eb page,
almost ?0@ of portal sites ads #ere placed in ot(er less visible locations/ Ver& fe#
sites dare to use a captive audience model 6pus(ing t(e ads in front of t(e 5eb
visitors7 as t(e& full& understand t(e mobilit& of t(e 5eb audience/ +an& researc(ers
and practitioners in t(e advertising industr& communit& still subscribe to a
passiveQcaptive audience mode as t(e onl& effective #a& to capture audiences b&
developing all sorts of forced e-posure advertising tec(nolog&/ It is important to
understand t(at #eb surfing is a deliberate c(oice/ !(e user, not t(e #eb site
publis(er, determines t(e pace of t(e #eb visit/ !(ere is no suc( t(ing as Jpassive
surfingK on t(e 5eb/ Hence, #eb publis(ers s(ould not count on incidental e-posure
or passive vie#ing of t(eir #eb sites/ 'eaders s(ould be cautioned t(at t(e sites of
online services portals t(at #e anal&0ed in t(is stud& are open to t(e public, not t(e
proprietar& #eb pages t(at t(eir subscribers #ill see/ !(ose proprietar& #eb pages
(ave more forced e-posure suc( as pop4up ads as t(e sites #onHt ris* losing t(e
5eb visitor t(at needs t(e gate#a& page to conduct ot(er dail& routine suc( as
c(ec*ing e4mails or visiting ot(er #eb sites/ 8et forced e-posure is not a #ell4
accepted norm of online users/ Indeed, man& ad filtering soft#are programs are no#
available in t(e mar*et/ !(e public outrage against pop4up ads also prompted portals
suc( as AGL to recentl& announce dropping t(ird4part& pop4up ads 6avidson 20027/
Alt(oug( bot( online portals and !V sites are protective of t(eir editorial domain and
*eep advertising presence to a lo# level, t(ere are significant differences bet#een
t(em in t(eir advertising practices/ !V sites e-(ibit t(e use of primaril& brand
integration strateg& as t(e& use t(e sites primaril& to promote t(eir net#or* !V brand/
!(e presence of advertising is :ust a supplementar& income to t(ose sites/ Gnline
portals, in contrast, ma-imi0e t(eir advertising income b& using a variet& of ad
formats and a multitude of speciali0ed c(annels to foster target advertising and
sponsors(ip/ !(e variet& of ad formats s(o#s t(e sop(istication and capabilit& of
online portals as a full4fledged advertising medium t(at can deliver bot( a general ad
audience 6in t(eir (ome page7 and a targeted ad audience 6in specific c(annel
pages7/ Suc( progression from general to specific can be a (ig(l& effective
segmentation strateg& because ads can be for general use, suc( as building brand
imageE or for specific use, suc( as inducing trial or response/ !(e user4friendliness of
t(e portals enables t(em to capture t(e largest audience as no do#nload is reDuired
to see an& features and t(e grap(ics are *ept to a minimum t(at allo#s fast displa& of
t(e screen/ !V sites are muc( more tec(nolog&4dependent; Several sites reDuired
do#nload of S(oc*#ave, 'eal 3la&er, or ot(er soft#are in order to access certain
features of t(e sites/ Suc( (ig(4tec( design of !V sites can be a deterrent to 5eb
visitors #(o (ave lo# connection speed or are impatient to #ait for soft#are
do#nload/
Implications to Advertisers
Gne ma& #onder (o# t(is stud& ma& offer insig(ts on t(e effectiveness of online
media as an advertising medium for advertisers/ !(e strong presence of traditional
large advertisers on t(e leading sites in t(is stud& (as s(o#n t(at t(ese advertisers
reali0e t(e benefits of cross platform advertising, eit(er on bot( !V and its !V sites,
or on !V and a portal site/ ,ompared to t(e advertising clutter level of ot(er
traditional media suc( as maga0ines and television, t(e top sites t(at #e anal&0ed
seem to be at a lo# clutter level t(at #ill not turn a#a& visitors/ +ost of t(e ads #ere
not forced e-posure/ Visitors can c(oose to vie# t(e ads at t(eir o#n pace, or clic*
t(roug( t(em if t(e& are immediatel& aroused b& t(e ads and #ant to learn more or
act upon t(em/ %sing t(e !V advertising terminolog&, online ads are bot( a direct
response infomercial and an image ad for t(e audience, depending upon #(et(er t(e
audience (as an immediate need to purc(ase t(e product/ Alt(oug( most online ads
(ave lo# clic*4t(roug( rates 6S(erman and eig(ton 200.7, t(eir presence on t(e
sites (elps t(em establis( an association bet#een t(e product and t(e site content/
2or e-ample, ,ompaDHs use of t(e button Jpo#ered b& ,ompaDK on various sites
anal&0ed in t(is stud& can establis( its mar*et leaders(ip image on t(e sites, even if
none of t(e visitors clic* on t(at button/ !o computer s(oppers, if t(e& sa# t(e button,
t(e& #ould be ver& li*el& to clic* on it to e-plore if ,ompaD ma& offer t(e products
t(e& #ant/
Implications to TV 8et%or#s
!V net#or*s need to sell to advertisers t(at a !V #eb siteHs advertising environment
is better or more relevant to advertisers t(an portal sites if advertising is to be a ma:or
source of income for t(e !V sites/ At present, online portals certainl& are en:o&ing an
edge over !V #eb sites in attracting advertisers/ 5(at #ill t(e future (oldF It depends
on (o# !V #eb sites #ill transform itself/ If !V sites are to continue t(eir brand
integration strateg&, ma*ing t(e site more a proprietar& mar*eting tool for its net#or*
brand t(an an open advertising medium for advertisers, portal sites #ill continue to
lead in attracting advertisers/ "ut if !V net#or*s #ill s(ift from a brand integration
strateg& to a brand e-tension strateg& in recruiting advertisers for t(eir sites, t(e& can
be ver& potent competitors to portal sites/ !(e net#or*s can create a strong cross4
platform appeal to advertisers #(o #ant to capitali0e on bot( t(e captivit& of t(e !V
medium and t(e interactivit& of t(e 5eb medium to capture consumers/ !(e& can
also attract non4!V advertisers b& creating content specificall& for t(e online
audience or strengt(ening t(e content of t(eir sites so t(at t(e& can be a sustainable
advertising medium b& t(emselves/
Implications to Oter Online Media
2inall&, t(is stud& also (as significant implications to ot(er smaller media content
sites or portals4to4be/ !(e current domination of t(e top sites in advertising revenue
alread& s(o#s t(at advertisers (ave muc( more fait( in sites #it( (ig( traffic flo#/
!(e relevance of t(e site content to t(e advertised product is muc( (arder to
measure t(an t(e audience traffic among #eb sites/ In fact, sometimes advertisers
ma& #ant to advertise to novice users of t(e products rat(er t(an sop(isticated or
e-perienced users/ Novice users ma& be more susceptible to advertising influence
t(an e-perienced users #(ose usage e-perience is a better determinant of t(eir
purc(ase preference/ Hence, a site #it( too speciali0ed content ma& not be as
attractive as a more general information site #it( some degree of speciali0ed
contents suc( as portals/ Smaller nic(e content sites must demonstrate t(at t(e&
cover a large percentage of a specific segment #it( detailed visitor information in
order to catc( advertisersH attention/ ,ost4efficienc& is necessar& to attract
advertisers/ At least one t(ing seems certain if #(at t(e mar*et leaders are doing is
correct; !(e golden rules of online advertising are to *eep t(e amount to a level
acceptable to t(e audience and put in a format t(at mes(es #ell #it( t(e editorial
content/
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Oleinsc(midt, ,or& 6ecember .>>>7, J3ortals; "adl& esignedW"& esignFK
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and +ass ,ommunication )uarterl&, =A 637, BBB4B=3/
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Ne#spapers; 5(o1s !al*ing to 5(omFC 3aper presented at t(e .>>> American
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3astore +ic(ael 6200.a7, J5eb traffic in Jul&; !(atHs entertainment,K ,&beratlas,
R(ttp;QQ###/c&beratlas/internet/comQbigSpictureQprintQ0,,B>3.SAN320.,00/(tmlT/
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IN; )ue ,orporation/
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M#ic*, 'ebecca 6.>AA7, JAnot(er Loo* at Interrater Agreement,K 3s&c(ological
"ulletin, .03; 3=?43=A/
Appendi' ,
$IST O+ 8&TWOR9S A82 PORTA$S I8 T6& A8A$:SIS
About te Autors
$ouisa 6a is associate professor in !elecommunications at "o#ling $reen State
%niversit&, G(io/ Her researc( interests are media convergence and media
management, online advertising and interactive media, and international advertising/
S(e received (er 3(/ in +ass +edia from +ic(igan State %niversit& and (as
publis(ed over 33 refereed :ournal articles/ Her international advertising researc(
center #eb site, at (ttp;QQ###/bgsu/eduQdepartmentsQtcomQfacult&Q(aQintlad./(tml,
establis(ed in .>>N, documents international Internet advertising researc( since
2000/ S(e can be contacted at louisa(Ybgnet/bgsu/edu/
/
%'L; :iad/orgQvol3Qno2Q(a
,op&rig(t Z 2003 Journal of Interactive Advertising