Higher accountability

From: Nall Gearheard <ngearheard_at_highwire-ad.com>
Date: Mon 30 Jul 2001 13:29:18 -0500

I pose these questions to the forum:

- Why is Internet advertising held to a higher standard
of accountability than other advertising mediums? My
guess is that only because it is easier to track the
reaction of the audience to internet ads than other mediums.
-My business question is "why", or better yet, "how"
should the Internet community respond to this higher
level of accountability? My answer is by comparing
apples to apples. When direct response is as easily
available, readily tracked and as cost efficient in
other ad mediums- TV, radio and print- as it is with
the Internet, then we should entertain that discussion
with our clients. Otherwise, ad rates should reflect
that of other mediums. A newspaper can tell you their
circulation but cannot determine how many people see each
ad or the responses that are a direct result of the
advertisements placed in its pages- not without a
promotion or polling of the clientele. Additionally,
as most advertisers use repetitive ads in print, TV and
radio, how can they determine which specific ad caused the
direct response. They seldom can. It is usually a
reaction to imprinting the advertiser's message into the
customers' memories through multiple, multi-medium (TV,
radio AND print) ads. The Internet is just another
method of imprinting the customers' memories. Nothing
more, nothing less. If we don't make such dramatic and
often, over reaching claims of theeffectiveness of the
Internet, then maybe we won't be held to such a high
standard. Sell it like any other advertising medium-
here are my demographics, here is my traffic, this is
the comparable price for print. When audio and video are
involved, the rate should approach that of TV. Audio only,
equivalent to radio. Once we clear the environment of
nonsense, hucksters and plainly bad business principles,
and treat it as a business, we will earn the respect
and the dollars of the advertising community.

Nall Gearheard
Highwire Advertising|Design



Received on Mon Jul 30 2001 - 13:29:18 CDT