There are many different Rich Media formats, but very popular are the impactful Takeovers. They are often used at the top of the funnel for awareness and catch the user's attention because they are large and eye-catching. Moreover, they (often) also leave a lasting first impression as the user interacts with the takeover. We are talking about Automated Page Takeover (APTO) and Homepage Takeover (HPTO) here.
Viewability
Takeovers take over an entire web page by using a combination of several, or even all, ad positions. So they actually consist of multiple HTML5 formats and thus stand out quickly. The average viewabilities are therefore 60.70% for the APTO and 53.90% for the HPTO which shows well that you can convey your brand and/or campaign message strongly.
Differences
Looking at both takeovers, we find that the APTO and HPTO are regularly mixed up because they are both eye-catching, provide interaction and take up a large part of the site. Yet they are quite different from each other. To clarify this a little more, we briefly touch on the format, creation, method of buying and share of voice for both, and give an overview of any pros and cons.
Automated Page Takeover (APTO)
- Format: an APTO consists of two skin elements (left and right), which are also called wallpaper, and header in the form of full-width header, billboard or leaderboard. The format is 1800x1000 and is only available for desktop.
- Creation: the big advantage of an APTO is that the same creation can run on all websites. So you only need to develop one creation (or have it created) and because of the technology behind it, it will automatically position and align itself correctly on all websites. This makes an APTO very scalable in terms of purchase. You can also develop this creation yourself via Easy Rich Media to save even more costs.
- Buying: you purchase an APTO programmatically. You can do this yourself via your own DSP, so you keep control of your budget, targeting etc, or via an Impact deal, or even outsource via Execute. Did you already know that via the Impact Marketplace tool you can easily (and for free) export a whitelist with urls of different publishers?
- Share of voice: a disadvantage of the APTO is that you do not buy all available ad positions on a web page, but specifically the header and both skins. You will therefore often be seen with other advertisers, due to the other available ad positions. However, the APTO as Takeover is the most prominent ad on the page.
Homepage Takeover (HPTO)
- Format: a HPTO is purchased on one website/web page and uniquely designed for this purpose with site-specific templates. You buy all available ad positions combined, making it a true homepage takeover. The HPTO consists of a header combined with two skin elements, but it is also combined with the available rectangles, skyscrapers and leaderboards on the page and is in many cases a cross-device format.
- Creation: the creative process must take into account that the creation is specifically developed based on the site specifications and almost always needs to be adapted if you want to use it on multiple websites. In addition, you also need to develop creations for mobile and tablet if you want to deploy the HPTO cross-device.
- Buying: a HPTO is bought directly from the publisher for one (or more) day(s) and cannot be bought programmatically. Prices quickly exceed €50,000 for an entire day, but the big advantage is that you are visible on the selected page all day without other advertisers. Ideal of course for big product launches or specifically wanting to be visible on a particular day.
- Share of voice: so with an HPTO, you buy up all available ad positions of one page and therefore a visitor does not see any other advertisers. So you have 100% share of voice.
So what are the (potential) pros and cons of an APTO and HPTO
| APTO | HPTO | |
|---|---|---|
| Pros: | Scalable - runs on multiple websites with one creation | 100% share of voice – visible on all ad positions |
| Programmatic buying - can be done in own DSP, this way you maintain control over delivery, targeting etc. | Impactful for e.g. major product introductions, on special days, etc. | |
| Cost-saving - through scalability, programmatic buying and potentially Easy Rich Media | Cross-device visbility | |
| Cons: | Only for desktop | Only visible on selected site |
| No 100% share of voice | High cost | |
| Display depends on available ad positions - a HPTO takes precedence on certain sites due to direct buying | Less flexible - creations have to be adapted for each site | |
| More work if you arrange it yourself in your own DSP | Direct purchase from publisher - less own control and insights |
In short,
The APTO is very scalable and can run on multiple websites allowing you to save in costs while still reaching your target audience through chosen targeting. You buy it programmatic, which can be done through your own DSP so you keep complete control over delivery etc. This makes the APTO a Takeover that is actually feasible for everyone. However, it is true that with an APTO you are only visible on desktop and do not buy all available ad positions, which means you will be in the picture next to other advertisers.
With the HPTO, you rule this out because you buy all available ad positions and can respond to this creatively with your creation. By being visible cross-device all day on the chosen site(s), you can create a lot of impact and generate awareness, which is ideal for certain product launches or for specific events/special (party) days. You then also have guaranteed delivery on the chosen day/page. Experience shows that this is mainly used by big brands given the needed budget.
So both Takeovers have pros and cons and the choice depends entirely on your campaign, associated objectives, wishes and budget.
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Do you have any questions, or would you like to spar? We are happy to think along. Contact us at sales@weborama.nl or call 020 524 66 90.
Looking for inspiration regarding the various Rich Media possibilities? Take a look at the Weboshowcase.
