Re: Text Banner Standards: Isn't it about time?

From: Matthew da Silva <mdasilva_at_ibd.yamatake.co.jp>
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 22:09:12 -0600 (CST)

ANDREW BOURLAND SAID:
> I'm tired of getting spammed in my snailmail box and
> my telephone. What gives these people the right to call me
> during dinner time or weekends to sell me their books,
> videos or mortgages?

> My bottom line is that an online marketer's highest
> likelihood for selling is to maintain regular, useful,
> informative email contact with people who have CHOSEN and
> REQUESTED to receive that kind of information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And everyone else is tired of banners that slow browsers
to snail-speed and have nothing to do with what the surfer
is looking at now. So, the appeal of banners become weak
through excessive use, online marketers seek refuge in pre-
targeted email lists, where most of the targeting work is
already done for them, and where webmasters may be keen to
a taste a little commercial magic to add zest to the thankless
task of operating and editing a list. (All those addresses!)

While there are two kinds of subscribed list, they are both
pre-targeted.

One is the 'locus amoenus' wherein some subscribers 'chat'
and others browse. This is sacred turf, and I'll guess that
only the bravest webmaster would consider it a vehiclce for
text banners. My initial reaction was partly with these chat
rooms, in mind. But even so, I'd be uncomfortable with ads
in the newsfeeds that I receive now. The closest I can find
to an ad, in fact, is a 'sponsor' program. It is entirely cogent
givent that the sponsoring companies are in the same industry
I want information about, AND the editor does a lot of
writing to make the 4-line blurb match the overall tone
of both the site, the newsletter, and (most importantly)
the target industry.

I think of a text banner as a format wanting content, and
sold by the 'column inch' to anyone holding cash. Editorialized
information inserted into subscribed newsfeeds is not, to
me, a 'text banner.' On reflection, there are degrees of commercialism
that would mix with differents grades of feed in different ways.

and
ADAM BOETTINGER WROTE:
> I had to read your post three times just to make sure I
> wasn't misinterpreting it. I think you're confused. You
> are on a forum that discusses online advertising. This is
> the last place that I would think to find a statement like
> that. Of course nobody subscribes to a list in order to
> read the adverts. Nobody subscribes to a newspaper just to
> read the adverts. Nobody watches television or surfs the
> Web just to read the adverts, yet still the industry of
> advertising is flourishing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Really? It's like a midnight trip to the store to get milk;
an honest solution would have been more, better planning
on the part of Web marketers and corporations with stuff
to sell. The bottom line must always be that whatever it is,
if people don't expect it, they won't want to see it on the Web.
TV is irritating and, so too, radio. Nobody surfs the net
because it's like TV. The 'Net is flourishing but online ads
don't create brands -- "the 'Net" creates brands. Businessweek
writing about the 'Net creates brands. Journalists help to
create online brands.

Let's just be honest and admit that unsolicited advertising
is an unholy creation of the pre-Internet era from which the
majority wish to escape.

It, indeed, may be that I am confused but since my personal
goal is to find a way to appeal to surfers without irritating
my audience, I suspect that your answers betray a desire to
stall. As does this subscribed lists fad. I predicted it here
and elsewhere on the 'Net, months ago, when I imagined
using subscribed lists to hold my bait. Thankfully, I ditched the
idea out of anxiety that I would alienate a very tough audience.

We all want to use Web technology to get better returns on
our precious time. That's how Hotbot contrived to rocket past
its entrenched competitors, and why audiences do the same
to banners. As a Web marketer, you can provide services
that help them to save time and money, and help them to
enjoy the ride. But, before you do that, you should know where
they're heading.

Save me a seat if you get there first.


   Matthew da Silva
   Online Solutions
   International Business Development

   Yamatake Corporation
   2-12-19 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
   Tokyo 150-8316 Japan

   Tel: 81-3-3486-2216
   Fax: 81-3-3486-2503


========================================================================
------------------------------------------------------------------------
       This week's Online Advertising Discussion List sponsor:
              Internet.com, Conducent and ValueClick

PURE INTERNET...Three in four internet.com users are online purchasers.
Deliver your ad to a PURE Internet audience. Contact sl_at_internet.com.
          http://www.internet.com/mediakit/pure.html

                                ----

   Don't Buy Hope! Get a 94% User Response Advertising with Conducent!
     Place Dynamic Ads in Downloadable Software. Invest in Results!
 http://www.conducent.com/advertisers.shtm or eisenstadta@conducent.com

                                ----

 ValueClick has cost-effective ad space available for *Smarter Buyers*
 -> Our Cost-per-Click model means risk-free Reach to over 10k websites!
 ValueClick Ad Network | 805.965.0543 | http://www.valueclick.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------
========================================================================
Online Advertising Discussion List To Unsubscribe send UNSUBSCRIBE
http://www.o-a.com/ to online-ads-request@o-a.com



Received on Tue Feb 09 1999 - 00:00:02 CST