Google has announced that it is phasing Adobe Flash out of its massive display advertising network, forcing marketers to use the newer, safer and more adaptable HTML5 programming language instead.
While this might be a headache for those who haven’t made the switch already, content creators say the transition should result in more effective advertising.
Starting at the end of June, Google will no longer allow new Flash ads to be uploaded to its display ad tools, such as DoubleClick and AdWords. Flash ads submitted before the deadline will still be displayed until Jan. 2, 2017, when Google will completely pull the plug on the fading web technology.
Chris Porteous, co-founder and chief financial officer of Grey Smoke Media in Toronto, said Flash’s security vulnerabilities and poor web browser performance has led to many consumers installing ad blockers to prevent them from appearing in the first place.
“I applaud Google’s decision,” Porteous said “It’s an opportunity to embrace the acceptance of HTML5 and overhaul their display advertising to provide more dynamic content and effects that were too cumbersome or slow to run inside Flash.”
Though HTML5 has other perks, such as higher compatibility with mobile devices, Porteous said companies should expect to put extra effort in the testing phase.
“Once you export an actual Flash file, what you see is what you get on any kind of device,” he said, but HTML5 ads are like individual websites and load differently on each platform. This means the ads have to be tested on each operating system and web browser, which can add more hours spent on the design process.
Will that have any effect on marketing costs?
“Yes, it will cost a little bit more money,” said Dré Labre, creative director at creative agency Rethink Canada, but the tradeoff is worth it. “You can see how [ads] are working and update your banners based on your test results more quickly.
“If you are a marketer, advertising agency or studio that already has [programmers] building websites, it really is not that big of a shift,” Labre said. “There’s not really a lot of retraining. You can use your existing talent base.”
HTML5 ads are designed like mini webpages, he said, which is why it should be an easy pivot for most organizations that already create websites. This also means advertisements can be more dynamic and interactive, using images or text tailored to an individual.
“With HTML5 you get better banners, and you see the world of programmatic stepping in, harmonizing nicely with what you could do,” said Labre. This is because HTML5 code can include rules to pinpoint more specific data in real-time, changing when needed in-step with programmatic ad buying.
In contrast, when an advertisement is made in Flash, it’s effectively locked and unable to change on the fly. “With Flash, once it’s sealed, it’s sealed,” Labre says.
Labre added, however, that the most important thing when advertising online is not the technology behind any given ad, but simply making them better. “Be smarter and offer value,” He said. “Don’t just interrupt.”
