Creative specifications
Banners | Approved technologies | Sponsored emails | Direct email specifications | Journal and subject article alerts (eTOCs) | Registration opt-in box
Banners
BioMed Central accepts most forms of rich media including Flash. If you don't have the resources to create the ad, please contact us with your requirements and we can create it for you at a reasonable price.
| Banner | Placement | Pixel size | Expandable size | Max. file size | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard banner | top | 468x60 | n/a | 25k - (eTOCs only and newsletter only) | |||
| Standard banner | bottom | 468x60 | n/a | 25k - (eTOCs only and newsletter only) | |||
| Leaderboard | top | 728x90 | 728x270 - down | 40k | |||
| MPU | right | 300x250 | n/a | 40k | |||
| Standard skyscraper | right | 160x600 | 400x600 - left | 40k | |||
No more than 3 loops of animation or 15 seconds.
Please send all creatives 5 working days prior to go-live date. Gif banners can be sent 3 working days prior.
Expandable banner guidelines
- The banner can only expand on user initiation
- Any sound must be user click activated
- The banner must contract on roll off
- The page must be restored to normal after banner contraction
Video banners
- All sound must be user-initiated
- Must have video play/stop and sound on/off controls as standard
- Maximum file-size is 40k
All video banners are subject to editorial approval within 24 hours of submission of copy. Video banners have to be submitted 2 days earlier than standard banners to allow for this additional approval stage. Please see the IAB guidelines for further information.
Approved technologies
Below is a list of approved third-party ad-technology providers. If you do not see a particular ad-technology provider listed here or if you would like to know more please consult one of our Sales Representatives. New vendors will need testing in advance of deal completion.
BioMed Central also uses:
AdInterax, AdForm, Adition, Atlas RichMedia, CheckM8, Connextra, Engage AdKnowledge, Enliven, Falk AdSolution, Kaon, MatchLogic, MediaPlex PopUp, NetGravity, Planetactive, Pointdexter, Shoskele, Smartadserver, Tangozebra, ViewPoint.
Sponsored emails
Top and Bottom sponsorship
You are welcome to have text on top and a banner on the bottom or vice versa. For a banner only alternative it is recommended to include plain text copy.
Banner:
- Top: Gif Banner 468x60 pixels, 15K in memory. Animated or one frame.
- Bottom: Gif Banner 468x60 pixels, 15K in memory. Animated or one frame.
Text:
- Top: Three lines of text with 72 characters maximum on each line including spaces
- Bottom: Three lines of text with 72 characters maximum on each line including spaces
- Prepare plain text emails using a text editor. Do not provide Microsoft Word documents
- Text URLs must be less than 70 characters
HTML:
- Table based emails generally tend to look better in most email clients
- Make sure your message comes across even if images are not enabled or visible
- Use inline CSS as much as possible and do not use external style sheets
- Don't use the <tbody> tag
- Avoid text attributes like <font> as they are increasingly being made redundant
- Ensure that your landing pages are fit for purpose and makes sense when arrived at from the email
- Ensure all unusual characters are given a HTML name, e.g. è is è and an ampersand is &
Direct emails
Please send us both a HTML version (max width 560px) and a text version.
For the direct emails you also have to provide a subject line to the email and who the email is from (ie. the company name).
Subject line: A maximum of 50 characters so the recipients can read the full title.
HTML:
- Do not include any images in the email. Point to image files on an external website
- Do not include any executable code, javascript, ActiveX etc
- Ensure that the HTML code has no lines longer than 1000 characters
- Do not use style sheets: Use simple HTML text attributes like <b>, <i>, <font = > etc.
- It is recommended that you use a dedicated HTML editor program like Dreamweaver or (if you have the knowledge and skill) use a text editor
- Avoid using the <tbody> tag if possible
Text:
- Prepare plain text emails using a text editor. Or save Microsoft Word document as "Text"
- Do not include any unusual characters (e.g. bullets)
- It is recommended that you limit the amount of text in a text email and that
short paragraphs are used, separated by 2 returns. This will make the message more readable - When adding URLs, use the http:// form (e.g. http://www.biomedcentral.com)
- Text URLs must be less than 70 characters
Article alerts (article eTOCs)
BioMed Central sends out article alerts to those registrants who have requested them, based on subject area and individual journals. Please check with a Sales Representative if the journal or subject of interest is available.
- Please send us a 468x60 animated or static gif banner
- Provide a URL that the banner clicks through to
- The eTOCs are only available for global campaigns
- The reports will provide delivered impressions and number of registered users for the specified eTOC
The banner will be placed on the top and bottom ad placement of the journal or subject article eTOC.
Registration opt-in box
Increase your lead generation by placing an opt-in box on our registration page, allowing our 14,000 new monthly registrants to sign up for your newsletter or database. If required, your opt-in box can be visible only to registrants that fit your target audience - see our targeting options and ratecard.
When booking your order please send an email to advertising@biomedcentral.com and provide the following:
- Name of the eNewsletter you would like registrants to sign up for
- Paragraph explaining the purpose or theme of the newsletter
- Your targeting options if applicable
You will receive an email with the name and email address immediately when a new registrant has gone through the registration process and your sign-up box has been ticked.
Please do contact us if you have any questions or would like further information on any of our services.
