Re: CPM isn't dead, it's just sick

From: John Gaskill <jg_at_info-central-usa.com>
Date: Sun 25 Nov 2001 09:43:01 -0500

On Tue 20 Nov 2001 21:17:01 -0500, Jim Sterne wrote:

>At 06:25 PM 11/14/01, John Gaskill wrote:
JIM STERNE <jsterne_at_targeting.com> WROTE
>>(in part):
>>
>>>Content sites that deliver qualified prospects to
>>>advertisers will not flourish because they cannot
>>>deliver unbiased, quality content to their readers.
>>>They will be recognized as insincere journalists
>>>and lose readership.
>>
>>This is nuts.
>>
>>If I believed this I would never advertise in
>>Business Week, Advertising Age, The New York
>>Times, The New Yorker, National Geographic,
>>Smithsonian, or any of hundreds of other titles
>>which deliver specific audiences.
>
>Out of context alert!
>John - we agree. The bone I'm picking with
>Rob is: What if The New Yorker were only paid
>if people responded to the ads? The result would
>be articles that said nice things about the
>sponsors. End of argument.
>
>>The whole value of editorial integrity is that
>>it produces a "quality product" which attracts a
>>regular audience which wants that product.
>>As a byproduct, the regularity of the audience
>>gives it discernable demographic traits.
>
>Yes, yes, and yes.

Sorry Jim,

Your assertion is not backed up by the facts.

Motor Trend, Car & Driver, Road & Track
and loads of other auto publications have made
their fortunes off of editorial integrity. If a car
smells, write up the facts.

The New Yorker Magazine writes up New
York and other subjects, honestly.

Consumer Reports writes up everybody,
always honestly.

Their integrity is their brand. It is their integrity
that advertisers want to be in the presence of.
In the case of Consumer Reports, there is no
advertising -- support is by subscription only.

You miss the point Jim.

The argument is not whether CPA is killing publishers,
the argument is whether publishers have killed
themselves and now expect someone else to
bail them out.

CPA is a direct result of an oversupply of web
publications. There is an oversupply because
most of the publications out there do nothing to
define themselves to a prospective audience
and advertisers.

Unfortunately, too many web publications have
NO editorial integrity -- they were concocted
to take advantage of web mania -- not to satisfy
a lifelong urge on the publisher's part to produce
a product that people want.

The reason The New Yorker is not paid CPA
(and an advertiser proposing the prospect would
probably be laughed out unless they were very
serious and "had the goods") is because there is
no "oversupply" of The New Yorker. There is
only one.

There is only one FrankelBiz, only one
MarketingSherpa, and the list goes on.

It is not about semantics, it is about Supply and
Demand. Period. End of Subject.

Regards to the list,

John Gaskill
jg_at_Info-Central-USA.com
http://Info-Central-USA.com





Received on Sun Nov 25 2001 - 08:43:01 CST