Contextual ads obtain 2 times better ad recall, GumGum study finds

A study conducted by GumGum, in partnership with SPARK Neuro, saw that ads with the most contextual relevance elicited 43% more neural engagement and 2.2 times better ad recall.

GumGum says contextual targeting is a choice because of its user data-free nature in a time governments place restrictions on how brands can collect and share user data, and browsers sunset the cookies.

“We know that contextual targeting done right delivers the reliable results that brands need, especially as the industry searches for solutions in the wake of the cookies’ demise,” said GumGum CEO Phil Schraeder. “What’s significant about these findings is that they clearly show why contextual is so effective: Neural engagement is a big driver of direct response performance, memorability supports branding plays and purchase intent moves the needle for both branding and direct response.”

The study asked 60 participants aged 18 to 54 from the US, UK, and Japan to read six articles on different topics, each of which featured three ads whose relevance to article content ranged from high to low. Biometric sensors – including eye-tracking, facial coding, and EEG – were used to measure responses to the articles and ads.