Go ask publishers who ARE in the trenches working hard if they are generating new business and keeping advertisers happy. Display ad’s should be interactive and combine elements of both engagement and call to action. At the end of the day you can have your .15% CTR, I’d rather have a 10% dwell rate and zero in on meeting advertisers objectives WITHIN the ad unit.

CTR is traditional because it’s what everyone knows. What I know is that CTR is declining and will continue to do so. CTR is like IE. Instead of Microsoft just fixing browser issues they put a band aid over them so you end up with a million patches that don’t ever address the real issue. Like a million display ads that only receive a hundred clicks.

Spoken like a guy who is still trying to sell “branding” as if it meant something on its own. hey, while you’re at it, try selling me some “eyeballs” at an indefensible cost per thousand.

You are right, Raquel. Clicks leading to conversions are where ‘the rubber meets the road”, and are measurable indicators of success.

The only instance where “awareness” plays a larger role is in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) space, where consumers “become aware” of a product and then pick it up at the supermarket. But that is not the whole universe of marketing! So comments such as these reinforce the fact that the advertising industry (and its researchers) are out of touch with the market realities.

This comment doesn’t compute for me either…

1) The value of a click is certainly quantifiable with regards to revenue. Dollars aren’t changing hands but a click-through is an “advance” towards a commercial transaction and can be assigned a dollar value.

2) CTR, in of itself, may not create brand equity, but it can tell you how your brand’s messaging is resonating with your audience. It tells you if your message matters.

Sean