Seedtag, a contextual advertising firm, has teamed up with global media agency Omnicom Media Group (OMG) to conduct a study on ad attention and recall within Arabic-speaking markets.
The study, carried out by eye-tracking specialists Lumen Research, highlights the effectiveness of contextual advertising in boosting consumer engagement. It also underscores the need for a tailored attention measurement model for Seedtag and OMG in Arabic-speaking markets.
Chris Solomi, Chief Digital Officer, Omnicom Media Group Media, said: “This will be our third year in a row now that we have been investing in primary attention research, starting with a first study in 2022, a landmark in MENA, which measured attention benchmarks across all major social platforms as well as IAB Open web formats.”
“This latest study, another first, with Lumen and Seedtag, addressed a major gap in locally analyzed data on Arabic content, capturing attention levels and benchmarks on Arabic content sites. The objective for us was to understand the nuances of attention on Arabic vs non-Arabic content sites and to understand why that might be,” Solomi further explained.
Key findings of the study:
Higher attention: Seedtag’s Arabic formats generated around 3.5x more attention per 1,000 rendered impressions than standard IAB Arabic formats. This increase is a result of Seedtag formats, not factors like device, page context, or audience, as these variables have remained the same.
Attention driven outcomes: Seedtag’s formats generate increased attention, which strongly correlates with improved brand outcomes, according to the study. Consumers exposed to Seedtag ads show better brand recall, more favorable sentiment, and a higher purchase intent compared to those who view standard IAB formats.
Improved brand perception: The formats enhance brand perceptions by attracting higher levels of attention, leading to increased viewed time and better comprehension of the ad. This deeper understanding boosts the brand’s overall perception, making it appear significantly more trustworthy.
MENA-specific approach: The Lumen research identified statistically significant differences related to attention on Seedtag advertising formats, leading Seedtag and Lumen to develop a measurement model specific to the MENA region and Arabic-speaking countries.
The study’s findings clearly demonstrate that this newly developed model not only meets but exceeds the performance benchmarks set by standard formats.
Methodology
To conduct the study, Lumen Research recruited a panel of 450 adult respondents from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE), representatives of the general population in the MENA region. The respondents agreed to use their mobile devices as eye-tracking cameras, viewing three webpage environments written in Arabic.
These environments featured in-article, in-screen, and in-image ads from OMG’s clients, including Jaguar Land Rover, Eucerin, and Yaqoot by Zain. Both standard IAB formats and Seedtag’s contextual ad formats were tested in the same environment with the same respondents, ensuring a fair comparison by maintaining consistent market, context, and sample conditions.
Furthermore, the respondents were not informed that the study focused on advertising, allowing for an unbiased assessment of attention and recall.
What this means for contextual advertising
Global eye-tracking studies over the past decade indicate that attention patterns remain largely consistent across markets. The Seedtag and OMG study highlights how subtle variations in ad formats can be harnessed to enhance campaign effectiveness in Arabic-speaking regions.
Mike Follett, CEO of Lumen Research, stated: “Eleven years of eye-tracking studies across the world have shown that the pattern of attention from country to country, at a macro level, remains fairly constant.
However, there can be nuances at a format level, and this study with Seedtag and OMG is a great example of how this nuanced data can be leveraged to optimise their campaign performance in Arabic speaking countries.”
Seedtag aims to represent a pivotal step in refining contextual advertising strategies tailored to Arabic-speaking audiences with the findings of this study.
Sherry Mansour, Managing Director at Seedtag MENA, said, “This study marks a significant milestone in our journey to enhance contextual advertising, specifically for Arabic-speaking audiences.”
By partnering with OMG and utilising Lumen Research’s eye-tracking technology, we were able to develop and validate our attention model for Arabic-speaking markets, demonstrating that Seedtag’s innovative ad formats not only capture higher attention but also significantly improve brand recall in this key market.”
Through collaboration with OMG and Lumen Research, Seedtag aims to demonstrate that its advanced ad formats drive stronger attention and significantly boost brand recall in this important market.
