Zendesk was chosen as banner ad winner for the month of May based on a crucial element in marketing strategy: a high Return on Investment (ROI). This month’s winner was chosen on a different metric: brand awareness. Brand awareness is imperative in the promotion of a product or service, especially in the early stages as a brand is first introduced. In the long-term, it helps to build and maintain a strong and loyal customer base. Brand awareness is one of the main goals of advertising and can be achieved through ReTargeting, as targeted advertising is delivered to consumers based on their previous internet actions and users can be brought back to the brand, even after they have left the site. June’s banner ad winner, Tungle.me, has been one of the best performing ReTargeting campaigns when it comes to brand awareness. Keep in mind, building brand equity isn’t instantaneous; it takes time, the right message, and requires a strong call to action.

	Patience: Patience is a virtue, so they say – and that applies to reaping the benefits of a good marketing crop as well. Building brand awareness takes time. With time comes the ability to recall and recognize a brand because brand exposure leads to brand awareness. Creating a banner ad that’s effective, such as Tungle.me’s, is important in reminding users to return, keeping the brand at the top of people’s mind. Seeing Tungle.me’s logo, with its clock-like image, reminds me that time-is-ticking—I have meetings that need to be scheduled and Tungle.me can help keep me up-to-date and organized.
	Message: Brand awareness makes it so that customers differentiate your brand from other competitors and remember the product and return to your site. Displaying a short, crisp, and clear message is crucial in marketing your product as it will effectively get the brand across to your audience. The banner ad’s short message “Scheduling Made Easy” reminds one of the ease of setting up an account and managing their schedule. As a member, this is a great subtle reminder of how Tungle.me syncs with my calendar to make scheduling meetings, appointments, calls, and more, easy.
	Call to Action: As discussed in the previous months’ blogs, having a call to action button is a must have in any banner creation. Tungle.me displays a strong “Learn More” call to action at the bottom of the banner. The button, in solid green, contrasts against the purple background, both non-neutral colors, calling attention to the button and enticing the audience to click and soon be on their way towards discovering the ease of scheduling.

Last month, we chose ReTargeter’s first-ever banner ad of the month winner, Dollar Days. The winner’s ad was chosen based on its high Click Through Rate (CTR) and its overall campaign performance. This month, another metric is being used that is powerful in determining the success of a ReTargeting campaign.

When using ReTargeter, having a strong Return On Investment (ROI) is crucial in determining how your company moves forward with its marketing strategies. This month’s winner has been chosen based on this metric. The winner for the best ReTargeting banner ad for the month of May is Zendesk.

So why has Zendesk’s banner ad produced such a high ROI?

• Image: Who wouldn’t love Zendesk’s Buddha-like character – overweight and half-naked, and smiling so big, you can’t help but be reassured that everything’s going to be okay. Equipped with a wireless headset, he looks ready, willing, and more than happy to support customers.
• Background Color: The background shade of olive green exhibits a playfulness and sense of lightheartedness that fits Zendesk’s aura. It’s a company that believes help desk support doesn’t have to be complicated and the use of vibrant colors are in line with this message. The bold green color also allows the white of the font to not fade into the background and the plainness of the text lets you know that Zendesk is all about simplicity. The company name, logo, and catchphrase are clear and easy to see. The sunlight behind the meditating character brings light to the background color as well.
• Catchy Phrase: Sometimes customer support equals questions, complaints and stress. According to this ad campaign, nope, not with Zendesk . “Painless Customer Support?” Yes, please! The Call to Action button, “Instant Karma – Try Now,” emphasizes the theme and adds to the peace you’ll experience by using Zendesk. This ad makes me want to start on the journey to customer support enlightenment…

Stay tuned for next month’s best ReTargeting banner ad of the month!

Earlier this month, Ad Age wrote articles about “the best” banner ads, along with tools on how to make them “suck less.” This strikes up an exciting subject—the lost art of banner ad design. To commemorate ads that go above and beyond, I have chosen the best ReTargeting banner for the month of April and will continue to pick a new example every month.

With more than 100 clients and thousands of banner ads, it becomes easier to set apart good banners from mediocre ones. In order to define a “good” banner, I’ve measured banners with an above average Click Through Rate (CTR) and determined which are the most effective, based on their performance all the way down to conversion. Given this analysis, Dollar Days’ banner ad stands out as the best ReTargeting ad for April. So what exactly sets this banner ad apart from others, you ask?

• Appeal – The ad only has a few images, but against the white background, the pictures pop. The company’s logo is appealing itself: the sun, so cool despite being so hot, that it has to put shades on! Likewise, the dollar sign for the “s” is appropriate for what Dollar Days is advertising: Saving “$,” which is clearly conveyed by the images in the middle.
• Clear Call to Action Button – Call to Action is key in receiving a high CTR! Call to action buttons make consumers more inclined to actually click on the banner when they see an impression. Looking at this ad and seeing the “start saving” button (with the arrow - a surprising key competent) makes me want to scroll over and click, so I can get started on saving money right away.
• Concise Message – Many people fail to realize that simplicity in displaying a clear, straight forward message is more than enough to create an effective banner ad. The banner ad was designed in a way that visibly represents the company and what is being advertised. The company’s name is in plain view at the top of the screen with minimal text at the bottom, yet the message is still communicated.

Stay tuned for next month’s Best ReTargeting banner ad! =)