The realm of banner ad production challenges

Adobe's "Future of Creativity" Study (2022) says, that creative professionals spend 74% of their time on actual creative work, suggesting that the remaining 26% may be consumed by repetitive tasks such as resizing and formatting ads.

In the fast-paced world of advertising, the quest for personalization has become the holy grail for marketers aiming to capture consumer attention. However, a staggering 77% of advertisers are confronted with the arduous task of creating creative assets from scratch to achieve this level of personalization in their campaigns. This challenge is not only time-consuming but also resource-intensive, putting pressure on agencies and marketing departments to consistently deliver unique and engaging content.

Digital advertising spending worldwide is expected to reach $876 billion by 2026, indicating the growing importance and investment in digital ad production. Statista (2022)

The traditional approach to ad creation, where a one-size-fits-all asset is widely distributed, is no longer effective in an era where consumers expect messages tailored to their preferences and behaviors. Personalization has been proven to dramatically increase engagement rates, but the question remains: How can advertisers scale personalized content without starting from square one for every campaign?

Streamlining creative workflow

One solution that is gaining traction is the use of Creative Asset Management Platforms (CAMPs). CAMPs like Adobe Experience Manager and Bynder allow advertisers to store, organize, and manage existing creative elements in a centralized repository. The upside of this approach is the ability to quickly retrieve and repurpose assets, ensuring brand consistency while reducing the need to create new content from scratch. However, these platforms often come with a steep learning curve and may require a significant investment, which can be a barrier for smaller businesses. And it doesn’t help to scale for instance HTML5 banner ads.

Template-based design tools present another avenue for efficiency. Platforms such as Canva and Adobe Spark offer a plethora of customizable templates that can be adapted to fit different campaign needs. These tools are user-friendly and cost-effective, making them accessible to marketers of all skill levels. The downside is that the level of customization can be limited, potentially leading to a compromise in brand uniqueness.

Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) technologies are perhaps the most sophisticated answer to the personalization challenge. DCO platforms like Google Marketing Platform and Adform use data triggers to automatically create a variety of ad permutations, tailored to individual user profiles. The strength of DCO lies in its ability to use real-time data to generate relevant messaging at scale. On the flip side, the initial setup of a DCO campaign can be complex and requires a strategic approach to data integration and management. And again, they don’t help much with production, rather media buying optimization.

Figma has emerged as a go-to platform for designers looking to scale static banner ad production. However, as with any tool, there are challenges to overcome and a suite of plugins to help navigate these waters. To address these issues, Figma's community has developed a plethora of plugins, each with its own set of pros and cons. It partially solves the challenges, although Figma wasn’t designed to address banners production tasks. And let’s not forget that there are studies, by big industry players, including Google, that prove that moving pixels convert much better than static banner ads.

The standard way of doing things

In the ever-expanding universe of digital advertising, the production of static banners and their subsequent animation has long been a staple in the marketing strategies of brands across the globe. However, a comprehensive analysis based on over a thousand customer discovery calls has shed light on the labor-intensive processes that underpin this seemingly straightforward task. Designers are often caught in a Sisyphean cycle of manual labor or are compelled to outsource to specialists, resulting in a significant surge in execution hours.

The first of the two predominant methods involves the use of Adobe Photoshop for creating static banners, followed by Adobe Animate to inject life into these visuals. This process, while traditional and familiar to many in the industry, is marred by repetitiveness and inefficiency. Designers are tasked with duplicating similar steps for each creative ratio, leading to exhaustive hours of monotonous work. The need for precision and attention to detail in each iteration means that the scope for automation is minimal, making this approach a test of endurance and patience.

Each banner size, from leaderboard to skyscraper, demands meticulous resizing, repositioning, and reformatting of elements—a process that does not just double but multiplies the workload. Moreover, when animation enters the fray, the complexity increases. Timelines, motion paths, and other animation properties need to be recreated or adjusted for different formats, ensuring that the final product is not just visually appealing but also platform-compliant.

The alternative approach involves the collaboration between creative teams and HTML5 developers. Here, the process takes a more technical turn, with code being the primary tool for both creation and animation of banners. This method brings with it a different set of challenges and considerations. On the one hand, it affords a level of precision and customization that software like Adobe Animate may not offer out of the box. On the other, it requires a specialized skill set that is not typically found within a traditional designer's repertoire.

Hiring an HTML5 developer can indeed streamline the process, as code-based animations are inherently more adaptable to various sizes and ratios. However, this comes with a notable increase in labor costs and time investment. The developer must work hand in hand with the designer to ensure that the creative vision is translated accurately into code. Any revisions or updates to the original design can lead to substantial back-and-forth, further inflating the hours spent on what could have been a simple banner ad.

Productivity tool that eliminates repetitive tasks

At Viewst we were laser focused on solving this particular problem - ad production automation, bearing in mind all possible underwater rocks that may arise in this process. How to create HTML5 banners at scale without coding. How to resize mockups to launch campaigns across all possible discplay and social media networks. How to generate personalized ad variations in minutes. How to localize all this volume of ads to different markets with a click of a button. And much more.

If you're nodding along, recognizing these industry hurdles, and are eager to see how Viewst can elevate your ad production, let's connect! Drop us a message or book a demo to explore Viewst's innovative automation tools. Discover how we're transforming ad production, one click at a time.

FAQ

1. How does Viewst's ad production automation tool work and what specific features does it offer?

   Viewst's ad production automation tool is designed to streamline the creation of HTML5 banners without the need for coding. It offers a range of features that simplify the production process, such as smart resizing mockups for different display and social media networks, generating personalized ad variations, and facilitating localization for different markets. By eliminating repetitive tasks and automating various aspects of ad production, Viewst's tool enables advertisers to create high-quality, customized banners efficiently.

   
   

2. Can Viewst's automation tools handle the production of both static and animated banner ads?

   Yes, Viewst's automation tools can handle both static and animated banner ads. The platform supports the production of HTML5 banners, allowing users to create visually appealing and interactive ad content. Whether it's resizing static banners or animating elements within a banner, Viewst's automation tools provide the necessary functionality to achieve dynamic and engaging ad experiences.

   
   

3. What are the benefits of using Viewst's automation tools for ad production, specifically in terms of scalability, customization, and time savings?

   Viewst's automation tools offer several benefits for ad production. Firstly, they enable scalability, allowing advertisers to create a large volume of ads quickly and efficiently. The automation features eliminate the need for manual coding and repetitive tasks, saving significant time and effort. Additionally, Viewst's tools offer customization options, allowing advertisers to generate personalized ad variations tailored to different target audiences or markets. Last and not the least, Viewst streamline communication process between all stakeholders to accelerate implementation of change requests and approvals. This level of customization helps deliver more relevant and engaging ads to consumers. Overall, Viewst's automation tools enhance productivity, reduce production costs, and empower advertisers to create impactful ad campaigns with ease.