MAM
Forbes.Com delivers on ad RoI guarantee; Net advertising looking up
MUMBAI: A number cruncher might claim not be too impressed but Internet advertising looks to be on the up and up. For those who can deliver quality that is.
First some numbers. Internet ad revenue in the United States was $5.95 billion in 2002, a 17 per cent decrease from 2001, according to trade group Interactive Advertising Bureau. Also, Net ad revenue was $1.5 billion for fourth-quarter 2002, down 9.8 per cent from fourth-quarter 2001, the IAB has said in a report released with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
There is an upside though. Ad revenue rose 2.3 per cent in the fourth quarter from the third, the IAB reported. “Those who monitor the industry know that a few predominant factors contributed to the [year-over-year] revenue decline, including the conclusion of some long-term advertising deals. What’s important to recognize is that the majority of online publishers are profitable, and their revenues continue to rise year-over-year,” Greg Stuart, IAB president/CEO, was quoted as saying in a statement.
“The improved performance over the past two quarters reflects a stabilizing online advertising market, highlighted by continued strength in paid-for-search results. The recent upturn, coupled with forecasts of continued expansion of broadband distribution, bodes well for a strong year in 2003” said Tom Hyland, Chair, PricewaterhouseCoopers New Media Group.
The report is based on data from the top 15 online ad sellers, which account for 80 percent of online ad sales, the IAB said.
Coming to the quality issue, forbes.com is a case in point. Last September, forbes.com introduced a “brand increase guarantee” scheme wherein it announced it wouldn’t charge advertisers for placements that prove completely ineffective.
The offer was only made available to advertisers willing to spend $100,000 (enough for a measurable quantity of impressions) and run campaigns for two months before the tests were conducted to determine whether the advertising has worked. The guarantee was that the advertising would boost at least one of four brand metrics: awareness, message association, purchasing intent and brand favorability, as measured by Dynamic Logic.
Blue chip marketers like AT&T, Samsung, Acura, LG and BearingPoint were among those that bought into the idea and forbes.com says none of them have come away disappointed.
The aggregated results of the program show a lift in each of the four brand metrics measured as follows:
Message Association: +28%
Purchase Consideration: +14%
Aided Awareness: +11%
Brand Favorability: + 6%
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
