Mobile Ad Study Finds Interstitials Only Slightly Better Than Banners for Being Seen

Consumers work hard to avoid all of them

Interstitial ads might not be much more promising for marketers than banner ads. And it appears neither format has much of an effect on mobile viewers.

According to the results of neuroscience research conducted by WPP agency Light Reaction and Bethesda, Md., lab Spark Experience, users viewing news on smartphones barely pay attention to ads. 

To better understand why less than 1 percent of viewable display ads get clicked, the teams spent several weeks testing 30 adults in a lab using technology such as eye tracking, wireless EEG (electroencephalography) headsets to measure emotions and attention, biometric scanners to measure "overall arousal," and facial trackers.

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