Our UK team recently conducted a new research study that found a direct correlation between engagement in advertising and the authenticity of the online environment. Advertising that is featured on premium sites is more trusted by users, resulting in almost one third of respondents (29%) feeling more positive about a brand.

The study also found that once a user feels they can trust a site, they are much more likely to click on a link and buy a product.

The research, which was conducted in collaboration with GfK NOP Media, sampled almost 1,200 consumers (695 AOL users and 495 non-AOL users) as they interacted with the site to examine engagement levels.

New Media Age.com takes a deep dive into the study and how its results can impact your advertising strategy:

"AOL identified good-quality information, emotional attachment, prominent involvement and modernity as the four factors of website attributes, which it measured alongside two factors of advertising attributes – relevancy and trust and call to action.

Good-quality information is directly related to how trustworthy a user finds the advertising on a website, according to the report, and if users think a site is authoritative and passionate, it drives the best advertising response."

Click here to read the complete article. To find out more about the study, please reach out to Phil Bird at philip.bird@teamaol.com.