Kids click more on banner ads

In a research report aimed at helping online marketers understand how to target their ads, Internet audience measurement service Nielson/Net Ratings said that kids aged 2-11 click on banner ads more than any other age group. However, teens in the 12-17 age bracket, who have more pocket money to spend and are a prime audience for marketers.

According to the report, younger kids averaged a click rate of 0.87 per cent in June. That compared with an average click rate for the overall Internet audience of 0.45 per cent, based on Nielsen/Net Ratings data.

For kids in the 2-11 age group, the most clicked-on ad was by Trident Gum, for its Adventures of Supertooth game. Other favourites were Nestle Ice Cream's Stamps and Stomps online game campaign and the Cartoon Network's Powerpuff Girls, Scooby Doo and Sailor Moon ads.

Nielson/Net Ratings said that despite their low average click rate, teens are clicking on ads that are targeted to their interests, such as ads that offer free goods and useful information. It said the No. 1 ad for teens, with a 20.35 per cent click rate, was by Eastpak. It featured a contest for a free backup stuffed with prizes. Other effective ads using prizes or games were by Cartoon Network, Alloy.com and PrizeCentral.

"The message to marketers is: You can still reach teens, even if they're harder to attract, by creating campaigns that meet their specialised needs, " said Maddox. "The more interactive, and the more highly targeted to their interests, the better.

Credits: Nielson/NetRatings