Re: The next big thing

From: Michael Martinez <Michael_at_xenite.org>
Date: Mon 29 Jan 2001 16:27:25 -0500

PANTELIS DIMITRIOU <DimitriouP_at_sharelink.com.cy> WROTE:
> Since I am new both to this listserv and the world of
> online advertising, I have a question to ask which may
> sound dumb but here goes... Are banner ads dying? And
> if yes what do you think is the next big thing in
> internet advertising?

Paid listings on the search engines are the hot item
right now but they won't last long. One problem with
paid listings is that it's very difficult to ensure
integrity.

And it looks like Looksmart, which blazed the way for
other search services (although Goto was there first)
in 2000, is on the rocks already. Several Looksmart
executives dumped huge amounts of stock last fall, and
now Looksmart has decided to raise its basic price for
submissions. That can only mean they don't perceive
any significant growth in their target marget, but
that the target market will probably sustain price
hikes.

Amazon recently started a sponsored listings program.
If you've got a product they sell, you can now bid on
placement in the sponsored listings column for
keywords. But they don't tell you how many people
click on the graphics or how many actually buy the
product. I told them that kind of loose reporting
won't fly. Maybe they'll listen. Maybe not.

But the paid listings are probably more a fad than
anything else. General purpose search services aren't
going to be able to supply quality content by
depending on businesses to pay for listings. Most
businesses don't supply the content surfers are
looking for. So paid listings will get a business
directory model going but not a comprehensive
directory.

I think something else is smoking on the horizon.
Probably something in multimedia, possibly in the form
of distributed "Web brochures" which are updated on a
weekly or bi-weekly basis. A content provider would
basically sell info-ads for the Web brochure. The
info ads would be something like mini-press releases.
Affiliate sites would carry the brochures as
syndicated content. But the neat thing about something
like this is the provider could allow the affiliates
to tailor their content offerings. Say you have a
panel of 12 ads. You can pick the twelve categories
that would be filled so your Web site had some unique
content.

Imagine Moreover providing video feeds instead of
headlines, and the video feeds were all represent by
little thumbnail stills. The pages would be
fast-loading and surfers would be encouraged to click
on the images to see the multimedia feed.

The mix has to be right, though. You have to get
information into the advertisement, or maybe
entertainment. Imagine companies setting up hundreds
of little adcritic-like sites across the Web through
affiliate networks. They each carry a panel of 12 ads
and their surfers get to vote for the ads they like
best. Talk about your interactive marketing! :)

I really think distributed content is going to be tried
out. People are just going to end up being burned by
the search services and they aren't going to be able
to use them all. If there are 100 search services all
charging for paid listings, who will buy all the
advertisements? And if the search services can't
attract comprehensive listings, who will use them?

Getting other web sites to carry your ads for free.
That's the way to go. It's just a matter of figuring
out how to do that. But I think the answer is already
there in some form. That is, providing free content to
networks may be the long-term solution people are
looking for.

Science Fiction and Fantasy info_at_xenite.org
Visualizing Middle-earth, a book for all Tolkien fans
http://www.xenite.org/
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Received on Mon Jan 29 2001 - 15:27:25 CST