Re: CNET changes advertising...we should follow

From: Robert B. Knight <rknight_at_corp.ru4.com>
Date: Tue 27 Feb 2001 21:40:57 -0600

ROBERT KNIGHT <rknight_at_corp.ru4.com> WROTE:

> Couldn't agree with you more. In fact, in addition to
> putting up new, more interesting ads, you can actually
> help your advertisers improve performance by giving
> them the ability to target their offerings based on
> specific user characteristics. For example, a
> publisher could offer its advertisers the ability to
> show different ads at different times of day, different
> ads to users from different cities or geographic
> regions, or different ads based on the language setting
> of a users browser.

TO WHICH BRAD JENSEN <brad_at_elstore.com>
RESPONDED:

> All of this is being done today. At least it happens to me when
> I browse the web.

Brad,

Unfortunately, it isn't. Try changing your browser's language
setting (in Internet Explorer, go to Tools; Internet Options;
Languages and then click Add and pick a common language
like Spanish). Then go browse around to a few of the portals.
You don't see ads in Spanish or even English-language ads
catered to Spanish speakers. However, the technology
exists to show different ads to users who speak different
languages all with no additional work on the part of the
publisher.

Another example of next-generation technology which few
companies take advantage of is the ability to only show an
ad to a particular user a limited number of times. I'm sure
there's an ad you can think of which you've seen dozens of
times. Does this make sense from an advertiser's
perspective? Not in our view. The marginal value of
showing the same ad again and again to a user declines
dramatically over time. Why not limit the number of times
you show an ad to a particular user to say 3 times? And,
also, don't show them the same ad once they've clicked
through; the user's already been converted.

Cutting-edge advertisers who take advantage of this
technology are dramatically improving their Return On
Investment.

Regards,

Robert Knight, ru4, Inc. (www.ru4.com)
AD, Finance and Operations
435 Hudson Street, Floor 7 / New York, NY 10014
phone 212.741.4222 / fax 212.741.4224
email: rknight_at_corp.ru4.com





Received on Tue Feb 27 2001 - 21:40:57 CST