Ad Recall

Published on 01 Jul 2024
By Perion Staff
Home Glossary Ad Recall

For a campaign to be successful, the audience needs to remember the ad after being exposed to it. Measuring the percentage of people who recall the ad can be an important metric to check the success of the campaign. This page will explore what is ad recall and how to use it effectively.

What is Ad Recall? 

Ad recall is a metric that measures how memorable an advertisement is to its audience, reflecting the percentage or number of individuals who can remember seeing the ad after being exposed to it. 

This metric is crucial in determining an ad’s impact, as it reveals whether the ad effectively captured the viewer’s attention and left a lasting impression. For example, after running a campaign for a new product, a company may survey to ask viewers if they remember seeing the ad. 

Ad recall rates provide valuable insights into an advertisement’s resonance and memorability, which can help guide future media strategy. This metric is especially useful for brand awareness campaigns. 

Why is Ad Recall Important? 

Ad recall is an essential metric to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, especially in branding efforts. A high ad recall rate indicates that an ad has successfully engaged its audience, making them more likely to recognize or consider the brand in the future. 

Ad recall metrics help advertisers understand which campaigns perform best across different platforms and demographics, allowing them to optimize targeting and improve ad relevance. Companies often prioritize ad recall for products in competitive markets, where strong brand recognition can differentiate them from rivals.

Measuring ad recall enables marketers to calculate if the ad content resonates with the target audience and adjust the campaign accordingly. 

How Do You Measure Ad Recall?

Measuring ad recall typically involves comparing groups of individuals who were exposed to an ad with those who were not estimating how many viewers can remember the ad within a certain period. One common approach is to use a survey or polling method, where participants are asked if they recall seeing a specific ad after a defined exposure period. 

The ad recall lift is calculated as the difference between the predicted number of people who saw the ad and the number of people who didn’t see the ad. 

When Do You Use Ad Recall??

Ad recall is used to measure an advertisement’s effectiveness in creating a memorable impression. Brands typically employ ad recall metrics during brand awareness or engagement campaigns, where the primary goal is to stay top-of-mind for consumers. 

This metric is valuable when advertisers need to evaluate how well an ad resonated with viewers shortly after exposure, often within 1 or 2 days. For instance, a beverage company running a summer campaign may use a recall to assess how well viewers remember its ad amidst similar seasonal promotions. 

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, provide ad recall lift estimates, allowing advertisers to calculate how many users are likely to remember their ads if asked soon after viewing. When used effectively, ad recall helps marketers adjust their ad content, timing, and platform selection, ensuring their ads create memorable impressions. 

 Ad Recall Benefits 

One of the main benefits of ad recall is that it provides a clear indicator of an ad’s memorability, which is essential for brand-building campaigns. By tracking ad recall rates, marketers can determine whether their ads are connecting emotionally and meaningfully with audiences. 

A high ad recall rate often signifies that an ad has made an impact, increasing the likelihood of brand consideration in future purchase decisions. For instance, a car manufacturer might leverage ad recall metrics to assess which version of its ad resonates most with potential buyers. 

Ad recall also informs budget allocation, as brands can focus on platforms, demographics, or content styles that yield higher recall rates, optimizing ad spend. Additionally, ad recall benefits customer journey mapping by identifying the touchpoints that most effectively strengthen brand recall and loyalty. 

Examples of Ad Recall

Ad recall examples are found across various media and industries. For instance, Coca-Cola’s holiday ad campaigns are iconic examples of high ad recall. By associating its brand with festive cheer and a warm, nostalgic storyline, Coca-Cola creates a memorable experience that many viewers remember year after year. 

Perion’s Fiji Airways campaign is another example of high ad recall. Fiji Airways launched a dynamic programmatic Digital-Out-of-Home (DOOH) campaign to increase brand awareness and establish loyalty across the APAC region and other international markets. Using data-driven strategies, the campaign targeted audiences in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Japan, Canada, and the U.S. employing Hivestack’s DSP to engage viewers through contextual and behavioral segmentation. 

The core objective was to enhance brand recall and loyalty by reaching both existing and potential audiences precisely. Fiji Airways used Perion’s Hivestack’s DSP to segment audiences demographically, behaviorally, and contextually. 

The campaign employed dayparting, displaying ads during peak hours to maximize exposure. The airline also leveraged custom audience segments and retargeted viewers across other channels. 

The results were impressive. 44% of survey respondents recalled outdoor ads, while 33$ remembered elevator screen ads.

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