Blog

Display Advertising in 2021

Display advertising trends in 2021 are both fascinating and varying. According to the latest eMarketer research, US display advertising is predicted to grow 27.5% in 2021, to a total spend of $108.53 billion. And around the world it is a similar story – display advertising continues to grow.

However, the challenges to engage viewers and drive conversions remain. Therefore, we are proud to present our latest insights into display advertising over the past 8 months.

1. Why are mobile devices the place to be seen for your display ads?

Mobile devices and display advertising are a perfect match and so it remains in our latest display advertising trends report. Smartphones account for 60% of all display ad views in 2020. While, desktop ad views dropped -10%. The rise and rise of mobile advertising appears unstoppable but it does vary, and continues to do so…

Mobile display advertising continues to remain the number one location for your display ads to be seen. However, across certain industries – for example, Financial Services, mobile devices aren’t quite proving quite as popular, with a notable decline in impressions. See for yourself in our report.

2. How does adding a video increase click-through rate?

During the long pandemic year – and since – adding a video to your campaign creatives has proved a useful and engaging strategy. Indeed, in 2019 we found that display ads that used video as part of their creative received 68% better CTR. During 2020 that number increased further to a stunning 85%! And across industries the numbers are even more impressive!

In-banner video is a video clip that exists within a display ad. It uses the space provided for an HTML5 ad to deliver a video that is either part of the HTML5 animation of a display ad, or provides the viewer with the choice to view a full video. It can be a cost-effective way of delivering video content and reusing creative elements.

During 2021, the impact of the video within a display ad is becoming even more pronounced, with increases across industries and overall. To see the industries most affected by the use of video within a display campaign download the full report.

3. How can a data feed help personalize your campaigns?

The use of data feeds continues to grow year-on-year, with 15% of all impressions during 2020 from ads featuring a data feed. The number was 14% in 2019 (and it continues to grow).

These dynamic ads offer brands the opportunity to easily add a personalized element to their campaign and with the right ad tech are far easier to produce than you think. Not only that but our report data has found notable increases in CTR, across a range of different industries.