Re: alt.admodel

From: Andy Bourland <andybourland_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Thu 29 Nov 2001 10:12:25 -0500

NEVEN PRASNIKAR <artplus_at_artplus.hr> WROTE:

> Andy,
>
> I understand you don't like CPA or CPC in any form.
> I am sure your arguments are valid from where you're standing!
>
> What I fail to understand is: Why do you think your views MUST
> be related to each and every online business?

I said in an earlier post that through this discussion I've
learned a few things.

I'm very impressed with Rob's approach to PillowMail, wherein
he handles all the objections I have to CPA/C advertising by
managing the creative, the delivery, the timing, etc. I've
communicated with others offline to hear more about their
models, and have found that there are indeed those who can be
and have been prosperous using a CPA approach.

I may have been putting my views out there -- and frankly,
they come more from my own experience -- but at the same
time I was listening.

> By the way, I already said I am not all for CPA. What I
> really object is the fact you're ALL AGAINST! and have a
> nasty way of telling this to the world...
>
> Well, I can't talk for Brad but I would find it highly
> offensive if you would use the same wording (<clue phone
> ringing> Hello Brad? Ring! Ring!) when replying to me...

That was indeed offensive, and I'll publicly apologize to Brad
right now.

He had a way of putting his point across that really got my
goat, and that was one email I wish I'd held back on before
sending.

I'm coming closer to Rob's point of view, which is that you
use the appropriate tool for the task. I personally might not
want to use CPA for my own objectives, but I can see where
others might find it a highly effective way to generate
revenues.

That being said, however... I'm still concerned about much of
the CPA advertising I see on site after site after site --
all the same companies running the same ads. Many of them are
not terribly compelling, so they're getting a free ride on the
backs of publishers who may not know any better.

Rob's approach nips that issue in the bud, but how many
publishers are there out there who will be able to do what
Rob does?

Ultimately though, the publisher bears responsibility to make
sure they've built a highly valuable audience if they want to
survive on ad revenues, whether they be CPA or CPM or whatever.

And if they've built a demonstrably valuable audience, they
need to hold to the value of that audience. Once they start
to cave, the vultures move in...

>
> Actually, it's the tone of your messages, not the real
> content that triggered my response in the first place.

Agreed. I got a little hot under the collar on a couple of
them. I'm human and tend to get somewhat passionate in
debates. Unlike the articles I used to write for ClickZ, I
don't have Ann Handley to edit it out when I get carried
away.

Thanks, Neven...

Andy

=====
Andrew R. Bourland
... Stay tuned!



Received on Thu Nov 29 2001 - 09:12:25 CST