MUMBAI: Brands who choose multimedia campaigns to communicate their advertising messages are more memorable to consumers and are likely to enhance perception of their brands, reveals a case study conducted by CNN International.

The results carry weight for brands that place their advertising in an engaging environment, prompting an emotional response from the audience.

The case study (Cross-platform Advertising Study on Effectiveness and Engagement) consisted of a two-stage approach. Stage one involved a multinational online study of cross-platform effectiveness in which consumers were exposed to diverse media experiences. Stage two measured attention and engagement through a variety of techniques including biometrics, eye tracking and in-depth interviews.

Turner International Asia Pacific VP reserach Duncan Morris says, "We wanted to show that by complementing advertising on CNN TV with ads on CNN.com and CNN mobile, an advertiser can markedly increase campaign recall leading to positive shifts in brand attitudes. The fact that these respondents were not primed for an advertising study makes these results even more poignant."

Engagement and Biometrics : Body responses such as heart rate, motion, respiratory rate and galvanic skin response (sweating) were translated into measures of "attention" and "engagement" - the Holy Grail for advertisers. These were collected by using a lightweight 'smart vest' which respondents wore while watching CNN programming and advertising.

Contrary to popular belief that viewers disengage once scheduled programming ends, the study results showed that engagement actually can increase during ad breaks, as much as 10 per cent.

CNN International VP ad sales Asia Pacific William Hsu says, “This study shows it is content that provides the springboard for advertisers to secure meaningful connections with audiences. In conjunction with our recent PWC study, it provides valuable industry insight to help brands market smarter.”

The level of attention an advertisement receives impacts the ability of respondents to remember the brand. When respondents viewed advertising online and on mobile, they were more attentive, increasing the likelihood of advertising being noticed and adding to the re-call of the overall campaign.

The research also showed that despite the high cross-over between the audiences of all the CNN properties, the audience is in a different state of mind when online or using a mobile phone versus watching television. Generally audiences were more attentive (though not necessarily more engaged) when online or mobile than when watching television.