Getting something for nothing: the impact of a sample offer and user mode on banner ad response
Maureen E. HupferMcMaster University
Alex GreyJ. Walter Thompson
INTRODUCTION
Concern about poor effectiveness characterizes recent commentary regarding Internet banner advertisements. With click-through estimates that vary from.25% to.70%, response rates sit at approximately one tenth of 1996 figures, and are far short of the average direct mail response rate of 1.5 to 2.0% (Drèze and Hussherr 2003; Rothenberg 2001; Sherman and Deighton 2001). Perhaps explained by poor targeting and sheer proliferation, the banner's perceived ineffectiveness prompted many mainstream marketers to...