Introduction
Net surfing and usage as a business and personal
communication tool has burgeoned over the last
decade. Exploitation of broadband technology has
opened up a plethora of opportunities for transmission
and exchange of text, audio and video content
instantly. Naturally marketers too have realized
the enormous potential to promote and sell their
products and services on the net. In fact Internet
advertising has grown in format, content and presentation
to such an extent, it is able to present even
interactive tools for the potential customers
so that they can ask for and obtain details and
clarifications on the ‘spot’ as it
were and place orders instantly. The result is
a multi billion dollar flourishing Internet advertising
activity and still making rapid strides.
However, as with any new development, this has
brought in its wake issues of standardization,
regulation, ethics, specifications and compliance.
So much so IAB now acts as a fulcrum for guidelines
and regulation of Internet advertising.
Internet Advertising-Types And Standards
Banner types of ads were the start up on the
Internet. In this type, the text and pictures
are typically placed on high traffic web sites
paid by advertisers to bring in revenue for the
sites.
IAB has now standardized these ads to 8 different
sizes according to pixel dimensions. The range
is from ‘full banner’ to ‘micro
button’. Of course the graphic content or
creative varies among the banner ads.
Rich media is a step up on the banner type advertising
in terms of audio, vedio or Java and shockwave
programming. Since the nature and content of this
type of ads can be so varied, it requires a framework
for a semblance of uniformity. IAB has come out
with ‘In-Page’ and ‘Over-the-Page’
compliance program as a standardization effort.
IAB Rich Media Task Force (Fall 2004) has also
stipulated specifications like format category,
format width, size, audio initiation, animation
length, controls and labeling usable across the
majority of publishers. Companies like IBM Corp,
involved in Internet advertising are actively
and willingly participating on these standardization
issues.
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