Advertisers speak with forked tongue

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BlueShift

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#110597 12-Oct-2012 09:27

Is it just me, or do web advertisers make it worse for themselves with the amount of obviously shonky ads out there.
I mean, after you've seen 10 ads in one day telling you that you are the lucky winner of an ipad, it just starts training you to never click on the ads as they're probably not what they say they are.
Here's one from the front page of Geekzone:

If that guy is 40, I'm feeling really good about how I look at 40!
I now don't trust this advertiser enough to click on their ad, let alone purchase insurance from them!

Does anyone here actually click through on web ads? Those of you who don't actually have ad blockers installed. I can't recall the last time I deliberately clicked a web ad, I barely even see them these days.

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#700041 12-Oct-2012 09:34

Far out I turn 40 soon I must look 19 now

6FIEND

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#700042 12-Oct-2012 09:35

...it's also of note that the ad doesn't stipulate that '40yo John' pays that amount more than once

(ie. per annum? or per month? or per week?)

For my part, my pet peeve is not so much with banner ads, but with radio/tv. Specifically the ads that go a little bit like, "This is our sale. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OVER $20!!! That's right, nothing at all. Everything that we sell is now under $20. So see us this weekend at our massive sale. Remember - NOTHING OVER $20!!!! (excludes, blah, blah, and blah...)"

In essence, the entire advert is inaccurate and deliberately misleading.

freitasm

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#700045 12-Oct-2012 09:37

At least we don't allow those "you won an iPad" ads here, or those SMS services.

Not all ads are paid on clicks, so your question is invalid from the start. Many ads rely on branding and recall as metrics instead of clicks.

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SaltyNZ

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#700054 12-Oct-2012 10:08

I read recently it's a sort of anti-intelligence test that weeds out the people who are not gullible enough to be worth the time of the scammer to pursue. In other words, it's designed to be so outrageous that if you *do* click through, there's a high chance you're an idiot that will fall for the scam.

In other words if you are the type to mentally filter it out before it even reaches the conscious level, you are not the target market.

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SaltyNZ

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#700056 12-Oct-2012 10:09

freitasm: Many ads rely on branding and recall as metrics instead of clicks.

Which always seemed silly to me. I have no difficulty recalling the Ferrari brand, but I won't be buying one any time soon.

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blair003

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#700064 12-Oct-2012 10:19

I ignore them. Even the google text adverts I rarely click, I usually just note the domain/company providing the service and look in the organic results. If I see that company I will click on the organic result.

But I think I (and perhaps we) are a minority in this respect. A lot of people don't even differentiate between the first few sponsored links of a google search and the first organic listing.

(I know who pinaccle life are and what their value proposition is though, so in terms of branding I think they have done a good job.. and other than the picture of the old guy, I rate that banner advert as its quite specific. Although I would not click because I'm not interested in life insurance right now)

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blair003

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#700089 12-Oct-2012 10:34

SaltyNZ:
freitasm: Many ads rely on branding and recall as metrics instead of clicks.

Which always seemed silly to me. I have no difficulty recalling the Ferrari brand, but I won't be buying one any time soon.

I think it's different for very high end global brands like Ferrari. People aspire to own a Ferrari because of the brand, even though most never will. It's a status symbol. The reason why you have no difficulty recalling Ferrari because their marketing spend is almost entirely brand recognition.

Say they spend $200m this year for their F1 team (which is just promoting their brand to the world). If they had to advertise in specific countries they sell cars in to the specific people who are likely to buy them, it would probably cost a lot more than $200m, and over time their brand would likely diminish meaning fewer people would grow up aspiring to own one of their cars.

In the case of national brands like the life insurer its a bit different. You are likely to get life insurance at some point, but you might not want it right now (or you might be committed to another insurer right now). Brand recognition is so when you are "shopping" for their product at a later date, you remember their brand and look into it.

gundar

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#700097 12-Oct-2012 10:54

Whoop! I look 25 next to John, but seriously, subscribe. I can't say I have seen an advert on GZ for a long time.

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking for a part timer, work from home, web developer type of person to help me get some project work up to scratch and more complete. Probably about 8 hours a week, rate negotiable, suitable for a stay at home mum or dad with little experience etc. Then it occured to me that there was no way in the world anybody credible would respond to my ad.

oxnsox

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#700098 12-Oct-2012 10:57

blair003: ...snip....
I know who pinaccle life are and what their value proposition is though, so in terms of branding I think they have done a good job..

Okay...thats almost as scary as the ads. And it's part of the reason ads don't work for some of us.

Cats sit on mats, they do not add value to the proposition that's represented by the mat. They just sit on them.

BlueShift

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#700102 12-Oct-2012 11:00

freitasm: At least we don't allow those "you won an iPad" ads here, or those SMS services.

Not all ads are paid on clicks, so your question is invalid from the start. Many ads rely on branding and recall as metrics instead of clicks.

I still say its a fail - if their branding exercise links them in my mind with dodgy advertising, then they have shot themselves in the foot. I mean, how much effort does it take to make sure that the age of the guy in the picture matches the age the ad says he is? If they can't get that tiny, obvious detail right, how does that inspire any trust in their brand.

I was trained in visually filtering ads by reading the old school newspapers: much like web pages, the ads are in standard locations, and generally have a 'look' that differentiates them from the actual content.
I know web designers these days have to be aware of this and ensure they don't accidentally position content in a spot or layout that makes it resemble advertising, otherwise people miss it - its tuned out.

blair003

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#700103 12-Oct-2012 11:01

When dealing with technology I try and use the correct terminology so that people who understand the technology know what I am talking about.

Like or not, marketing terms are defined by marketers. When assessing someones marketing I try and use terminology relevant to those in that profession just like I do with technology.

(and I have done a lot of reading on the subject recently as its relevant to what I am currently doing)

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gundar

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#700111 12-Oct-2012 11:10

oxnsox: Cats sit on mats, they do not add value to the proposition that's represented by the mat. They just sit on them.

That depends on whether you want to sell a cat, a mat or a nice cosy, weather tight holiday home close to Whakapapa slopes with great views and a fire place.

SaltyNZ

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#700112 12-Oct-2012 11:14

gundar:
That depends on whether you want to sell a cat, a mat or a nice cosy, weather tight holiday home close to Whakapapa slopes with great views and a fire place.

If that comes with a harbour bridge I *may* be interested.

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gundar

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#700121 12-Oct-2012 11:28

SaltyNZ: If that comes with a harbour bridge I *may* be interested.

Free* use* of the existing bridge* or you may choose a scenic and intimate vehicular experience out west, en route.

*T&Cs.

Where T&Cs is the reason I stop reading any material as soon as I see an asterisk. I have the approach of - if it cant be explained in a line, there is too much detail and possibly a slight variance to what I imagined when I first saw the ad in question. And I suppose this is why a lot of people try to make banner ads with less than half a dozen words and a single picture.

If I had a crack at the ad in question, I'd have a 40 year old guy and his well looked after kids in the picture, because lets face it, life insurance payouts happen in this world, not the next.

As a side note, I am currently reading E-Myth which I think is a very good book that covers, amongst other things, possibly a lot of what is being presented in this thread.

freitasm

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#700125 12-Oct-2012 11:32

SaltyNZ: I read recently it's a sort of anti-intelligence test that weeds out the people who are not gullible enough to be worth the time of the scammer to pursue. In other words, it's designed to be so outrageous that if you *do* click through, there's a high chance you're an idiot that will fall for the scam.

In other words if you are the type to mentally filter it out before it even reaches the conscious level, you are not the target market.

This is the tactic used by scammers, not advertisers.

Oh, wait.

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