Weight Optimisation Guide (Tactic display ads)

• • This guide is related to Tactic Display Ads
  • You can see the full PDF version of this article here

How does weight optimisation work?

HTML ads combine scripts, texts, images and videos to create dynamic and interactive advertising content. Ads are styled with CSS for layout and design and enhanced with JavaScript for interactivity and animation.
As the resolution of the display ad increases, so does the size of the raster graphics within it, leading to an increase in the total ad package weight. The template effectively compresses text and vector elements, leaving little room for further optimisation. Therefore, the only remaining method to reduce the package weight is to decrease the image quality and/or density.

The most efficient way to meet strict advertising inventory requirements is to progressively decrease the quality and density of the raster graphics, balancing image weight across a set of display ad sizes.

Non-optimised display ads

The quality and density of the images are consistent across all sizes. The weight growth is linearly dependent on the resolutions of the ad.

Optimised display ads

The quality and density of the images are progressively adjusted to reduce the weight of the display ad in larger sizes. The larger the resolution, the greater the optimisation value.

What is the optimal image quality?

Every image used in the display ad undergoes processing to reduce the overall package size.

If you're using multiple background images in the ad and simultaneously facing strict weight restrictions from the publisher, you'll need to find a compromise between quality and package size. You have full control over the quality output with several controllers available in the application.

Examples of image processor output across image quality and density configurations

What is progressive weight optimisation?

If you have numerous sizes in your display ad set, individually adjusting the image quality for each can be time-consuming. To save time, use the optimisation feature to reduce the package size across all sizes at once.

Progressive weight optimisation: Assists in balancing the display ad weight across multiple sizes at once by progressively reducing quality and/or density for larger image resolutions. The higher the optimisation value, the more compression is applied to larger images.

Examples of image quality configurations

What is automatic weight alignment?

The automatic weight alignment feature will help you fit your display ad package size within advertising inventory requirements. If you need to slightly reduce an ad package size, this feature will automatically handle it for you.

Automatic weight alignment: This feature assists in reducing the weight of the display ad by decreasing image quality step by step, until the total ad package size is less than the specified value. It is effective for reductions up to 25% of the initial package size.

What is a frame compression tool?

If your display ad has many frames and you're having trouble fitting within the ad package weight requirements, the frame compression tool can help you reduce the number of background images without removing actual frames from the animation sequence.

Frame compression tool: This feature assists in reducing the number of images in the sequence without deleting the actual frames. Images that are not prioritised will be replaced with those marked as higher priority. This ultimately allows for a reduction in the number of images loaded into the banner, significantly reducing the display ad package weight.

Examples of compression configurations

What are the most common practices?

The table below demonstrates average display ad weight and image optimisation values according to the resolution and the number of frames in the sequence.

Items marked in yellow can be automatically fitted into the 150KB ad package weight limit using the automatic weight alignment tool.

Items marked in red cannot fit into the 150KB weight limit without adjustments to the display ad sequence, the frame compression tool must be used.

In this example image quality optimisation ratio is set to 8, image density optimisation ratio is set to 8. All the values in the table are indicative and may vary depending on the specific display ad. Display ad weight calculator: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1A-cYnLaLnOQEKYXFuk2BKkCqk83J-_pg-PFrrjUUajM/