Ads on branded content sites perform better than others — who knew!?

I saw an interesting headline come over the Advertising News Portal today. Apparently, research from Dyamic Logic and the Online Publishers Association (OPA) has found that ads placed on branded content sites or properties like iVillage and Discovery, perform better than ads found on portals or run through ad networks. How much better? Based on the article, we’re talking about 22% more brand favorability on branded content relative to portals. On top of that, a 13% lift was shown for purchase intent. Want some more validation? How about another article from ClickZ based on the same data indicating that consumers 18-34 and those whose household income is over $&5k are 33% more likely to have favorable opinion about ads appearing on branded content sites. Even better — affluent audiences appeared to be 55% more likely to “get the brand’s message,” according to the report.

Anyway, it’s all good information for marketers and should be helpful in making better decisions about ad placement. I’m sure some 2009 marketing budgets are reflecting the tough economic times and it’s helpful to know how to get the most bang for buck for your dollars. Be sure to read both articles to get a full flavor what the report’s results.