Readers Ignore Banners

TAC has been saying for some time that banner ads are a very weak form of advertising -- far weaker than most traditional advertising.If you're a typical web user, you've probably been exposed to dozens of banner ads today. Can you remember noticing even one? We all trained ourselves years ago to ignore banner ads on websites.There are statistics that show that click through rates on banners are

In-Your-Face Book

In its attempt to monetize its cultural success, Facebook is looking for trouble.As we predicted in The Ribbon, consumers are getting increasingly suspicious of social networks prying into and publicizing their private activities. Consumers still don't understand how pervasive this is, but as they get a whiff of it, they aren't liking it.Last week the Associated Press reported that users of

Cookie Monstrosity

One thing you can say about the internet with absolute certainty -- there has never been another invention that has spawned more bad ideas.The latest comes from Pepperidge Farm. From some retro universe they have launched a campaign called "Connecting Through Cookies" (I kid you not.) The centerpiece is a website called The Art of the Cookie. You see, this website is going to be a social network

What A Concept!

The International Herald Tribune reports that Publicis is prepared to launch a brilliant new idea.It's a fully-integrated agency with, like, the creative and media in one "agency-like entity." Holy cow, what'll they think of next!Now, am I wrong or isn't this way ad agencies were configured for about a thousand years before the global bozos got their sweaty hands all over us?For about a decade or

More Marketing Morons

According to Ad Age, Pontiac is shifting its advertising efforts toward media that appeal to younger audiences such as video game tie-ins, Web ads and spots on sports channels and late-night shows.The logic of this is perfectly idiotic and, as such, perfectly in line with the brainless reflexes of so many marketers. (See Aiming Low) A few facts:1. The average Pontiac buyer is over 50.2. Baby

Not Dead Yet

From the usually sensible Bob Garfield speculating in Advertising Age, March 26, 2007, about the future of advertising: “It's a world ... in which ad agencies are marginalized ... in which marketing -- and even branding -- are conducted without much reliance on the 30-second spot ... Because nobody is much interested in seeing them, and because soon they will be largely unnecessary.” Yeah,

Excuses, Excuses

TAC apologizes to my loyal readers (both of you) for missing a couple of days. Been traveling and doing real work. I'll be back tomorrow.SUBSCRIBE TO THE AD CONTRARIAN

Marketing Gurus Finally Getting It

I read something in Seth Godin's blog today that made me think some marketing gurus are finally starting to get it. The post is called "What Brand Is Your Mattress? "Seth says, "They (some marketers) believe that the brand can build the product. That's backwards." Which is what we've been screaming about for years.Remember The Ad Contrarian mantra: We don't get them to try our product by

Dirty Rotten Liars

A while ago we posted something called "Research or Baloney".The subject was the unreliability of online research. Since then, the ARF (Advertising Research Foundation) has called for a study of online research.One of the points we made was that online samples are terribly unreliable because you can never know who is responding. If a sample is unreliable, the results are worthless.Now Business

Status Anxiety

I gave a luncheon talk yesterday. It was to a hundred or so ad execs. Some from agencies, some from media.They were lovely people who seemed in large part to agree with what I had to say. This is deeply troubling.I think I may be losing my status as a contrarian.SUBSCRIBE TO THE AD CONTRARIAN

The Rolling Wave

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be writing about a phenomenon which we (my colleagues and I) have dubbed "The Rolling Wave."This wave is a hugely important and influential group of people who are breaking the traditional adoption pattern of new products and new technologies. They are looking beyond product benefits and brand personalities and are making buying decisions -- both consciously

Read A Book

People sometimes ask me what my favorite books about advertising are. Here you go:1. e by Matthew BeaumontA truly hilarious novel about a London ad agency in the throes of a big new business pitch. The gag is, it's written in the form of company emails. I know it sounds tedious but, trust me, it's terrific.2. Then We Came To The End by Joshua FerrisA very funny, and mildly frightening, novel

Ads or Content?

In a headlong rush to get ahead of the digital curve, some once-upon-a-time excellent ad agencies are turning out some pretty awful advertising.These agencies have decided they are no longer in the ad business. They're in the "content" business -- whatever the hell that means. Apparently they have stopped hiring advertising creatives and have instead been hiring "content providers." And you