NEW YORK, April 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sizmek (Nasdaq:SZMK) announced the release of its annual Global Benchmark Report, "Breaking Boundaries: Engagement Gone Global," revealing the key trends in digital advertising in its analysis of more than 913 billion ad impressions worldwide for 2013. Included in the Benchmarks Report for the first time, HTML5 usage saw a marked increase with measurable impression totals in North America, Latin America, Europe and Australia. The promise of HTML5 standard banners on any screen boosted click-through rates by 40 percent over its Flash or static image rival. The research also shows that regional boundaries are no deterrent to true engagement, as interactive video reached every part of the world.
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The Sizmek Global Benchmark Report is a comprehensive analysis of more than 25 unique advertising formats, more than 3,500 unique unit size combinations, and 913 billion ad impressions served from the Sizmek MDX platform, from 47 countries worldwide.
"The data engine behind our Benchmarks is truly powerful and unrivaled in the industry, offering advertisers and agencies real insights to optimize their campaign in any part of the world," said Ricky Liversidge, chief marketing officer, at Sizmek. "Looking ahead, we can expect increased adoption of HTML5 by advertisers seeking to maximize engagement and reach."
The full report is available for download here .
Global Trends: interactive video spreads worldwide
The Sizmek research shows that interactive video has proven to be an effective engagement vehicle for advertisers and brands in every corner of the world. Last year, interactive video was in its relative infancy, as only one market (North America) delivered the minimum required cut-off of impressions for the Benchmarks. In just a year, advertisers have tapped in to the inherent value of interactive video as an immersive brand experience; in its ability to both engage audiences and track the consumer's experience through a variety of video metrics. This shift is evident as the Benchmarks reveal how interactive video usage has continued to grow across six out of the seven regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Australia and South Asia – everywhere with the exception of East Asia.
HTML5 on the rise
One of the most important changes in digital advertising during 2013 is the move towards more mobile friendly formats that use HTML5. New to the Benchmarks Report in 2013, HTML5 standard banners performed markedly better than their Flash counterparts in North America, Latin America, Europe and Australia. The any-screen promise of HTML5 ensures that an ad's creative is delivered to all environments; when a Flash standard banner is delivered to a mobile device or other non-Flash friendly environments, the creative is automatically substituted with a default image, which drives down performance.
The Sizmek Benchmarks Report covers these topics in detail, including performance by format per regions, as well.
About Sizmek
Sizmek Inc. (Nasdaq:SZMK) fuels digital advertising campaigns for advertisers and agencies around the world with cutting-edge technology to engage audiences across any screen. For the last 15 years, the online business that is now Sizmek has proudly pioneered industry firsts in digital, including rich media, video and online targeted advertising across channels. Sizmek's open ad management stack, Sizmek MDX, delivers the most creative and impactful multiscreen digital campaigns, across mobile, display, rich media, video and social, all powered by an unrivaled data platform. With New York City as a center of operations, Sizmek connects over 13,000 advertisers and over 5,000 agencies to audiences, serving more than 1.5 trillion impressions a year. Sizmek operates on the ground in 48 countries with a team of over 850 employees. For more information visit www.sizmek.com
