Study Report Reveals That Interactive Mobile Ads Increase Brand Preference

A new report published yesterday by Digital Turbine, highlights that interactive elements in ads (especially within mobile apps) enhances engagement and brand recall since viewers spend more time with the ad, as found by researchers from Bayes Business School, King’s College Business School, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

The report also found an increase in purchase intent by allowing users to explore products in a more engaging way. Furthermore, the ads are customized to individual preferences, leading to more relevant messaging.

The study analyzed 250 mobile advertising campaigns involving 270,000 consumers across 24 countries. It identified three key interactive elements—Browse, Sample, and Play—that have been proven to increase brand choice among consumers.

The Play feature integrates brands into game environments. It allows consumers to interact by playing. This approach boosts brand choice by an average of 36.6%. It is especially effective in the entertainment, technology, and retail sectors.

The Browse feature lets users explore products through hotspots or picture galleries. This increases brand choice by an average of 31.5%. It has a strong impact in technology, retail, and entertainment.

The Sample feature uses visual and virtual effects to mimic in-store experiences. This enhances brand choice by an average of 29.6%. It is most effective in fast-food restaurants, consumer packaged goods, and automotives.

The report highlights several challenges with interactive mobile video ads. Seamless integration is essential, as QR codes and links often disrupt user engagement.

Interactive elements may also be underused if users are not already interacting with their device. Placing ads within engaging environments like games was advised.

Additionally, while many interactive ads rely on simple actions like tapping, mobile devices offer more advanced options like swipes, pinches, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Yusuf Oc, one of the lead researchers of the report, said in a Bayes Business School announcement, “In-app mobile ads cleverly integrate brand messaging into a game or interactive experience […]  therefore building into the longer-term memory of key target audiences.”