Growing advertisement resistance - trends and solutions

from Elemental Forums

After reading this article:

http://blogs.itbusiness.ca/2012/06/whats-really-not-working-facebook-or-advertising-in-general/

I have realized that when browsing the web, my brain has already developed something of an ad-block - low level suppression of visual information interpretation. I see bright colors flashing, I realize it's an ad, and the thread in my brain that was supposed to evaluate the picture just shuts down, freeing resources for other tasks.

I suppose (and various researches seem to support this) that people are more and more resistant to multimedia advertising, because they serve not the customer, but the producer, so we learned to ignore them like heat, flies, and other unpleasant stimuli.

Now I understand this might be a problem for manufactures and retail companies - a portion of revenue invested customarily in ads reap lesser and lesser returns.

This, in my opinion, calls to new, innovative and frankly drastic forms of advertisement - and this thread is the place to discuss them.

For example, imagine a robot that would slap random pedestrians on the street - after a slap to the face, you are in a state of shock with elevated perception, and here is a short window of opportunity to fire the advertisement to your momentarily unprotected cognitive system. I believe (but focus groups will have to prove it), that this method would be significantly more successful than traditional advertisement. People will naturally grow resistance to this as well, so escalation is necessary - after a slap, fist blow, or a kick, then blunt object whack, then blade slash, or projectile weapon discharge.

Naturally, the legislature will have to be adapted to legalize this new form of interaction - some backward law systems could confuse this advanced form of advertising with assault, or even murder attempt. Given the amount of influence various corporations already have on legislative governmental bodies in practically all western countries, I presume this will not be much of a problem.

So, what do you think? I think it's time the Invisible Hand of the Market starts wearing boxing gloves, and if necessary, other weapons. Business above all!

161,215 views 55 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I hate advertising at the best of times, so the more a company tries to force its products down my throat via advertising, the greater my resistance is to purchasing them.  So, it wouldn't matter what tactics they use, I will resist and purchase only that which I need when I need it.  In fact, if they want to don the boxing gloves, I'll don a pair of lead weighted ones and go generic wherever possible. 

Here in Oz we are continually bombarded by TV ads from the big two supermarkets [Coles and Woolworths] trying to sell overpriced propriety brands, but I refuse to be drawn in by those 'come in sucker' ads and buy mostly generic brands from IGA, an independent grocery chain with more than competitive pricing

Now there is the argument that advertising informs consumers what is available, but for mine, these ads serve the manufacturer first [as stated in the OP] and I still ignore them on that basis. I know pretty much what is available, and when I'm ready to buy I do my own in-store research and price comparisons prior to making a purchase.

As far as advertisers go, stuff 'em... they're parasites, just like effing bankers.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

I've been using Adblock plus ever since I switched to firefox, makes such a big difference. Once in a while an ad slips through, but I hardly see any. It's always a bit of a shock when I use my parent's or my girlfriend's computer, there is just so much crap everywhere.

The more I learn about how our economy works, the more I see what's wrong with it. The pervasiveness of ads is just one of the symptoms.

A pro-sustainability group here did a nice little stunt a while back, where they took over a billboard (don't know if they did it legally). I can't find the picture right now, but as it was in dutch it wouldn't have meant much for most of you. Anyway, loosely translated their 'ad' read; 'Temporarily out of order. We'll be back trying to sell you useless crap you don't need shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience.'

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting starkers, reply 1
I hate advertising at the best of times, so the more a company tries to force its products down my throat via advertising, the greater my resistance is to purchasing them.

Same here.

Advertising is a blight on civilization.

 

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Holy crap. In the time since my previous post Stardock has added ads to the forum, one after the main post, and one after the third. Or have they been here for a while, and are now somehow slipping through my filter?

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Advertising is OK.

 

Unsolicited advertising is not.

 

Those 2 sentences covers the entire issue.

 

/me goes off to do the usual .... removing spam and spammers from Stardock's sites so the only ads anyone will see on these sites are legitimate and sanctioned.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Scumbag developers: see forum post complaining about advertisements online. Put advertisements online in the forum.

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Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Advertising is always unsolicited. It's only purpose is to create a 'want' that didn't exist before.

Besides, how effective are they anyway? They are ads for Stardock products. Who use these forums and get to see them? Stardock customers, who already know these products exist. Seeing an ad for them won't make me want to buy them more, it will annoy me though. But fortunately, Adblock saves the day once again.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 5
Advertising is OK.

 

Unsolicited advertising is not.

 

Those 2 sentences covers the entire issue.

 

Jafo goes off to do the usual .... removing spam and spammers from Stardock's sites so the only ads anyone will see on these sites are legitimate and sanctioned.

Too bloody right.  :thumbsup:

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

You know what did it for me? (turned me off and made me tune out?) -- watching AMC's Mad Men, specifically, the clip I've posted below.  It was the clarifying moment for me that advertizing wasn't about educating me about a new product that I might like--it was about conning me into releasing my cash.  They can say anything--I'm done voluntarily being somebody's "mark."

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Satrhan, reply 7
Besides, how effective are they anyway? They are ads for Stardock products. Who use these forums and get to see them? Stardock customers, who already know these products exist. Seeing an ad for them won't make me want to buy them more, it will annoy me though. But fortunately, Adblock saves the day once again.

Satrhan .... you pay diddly-squat to use these forums - they are FREE simply because Stardock has them as a Communal AND Commercial resource.

The ads ARE solicited as they are SPECIFIC to Stardock's Community/Users - notifying them of new products/updates/etc.  They are ALSO intended for those new to Stardock's products who are here to learn more about them.

 

UNSOLICITED advertising is the bombardment of multiple threads by an outsider posting "FA Cup Final - Live Streaming at [whatever]", which is NOT sanctioned by Stardock's staff, is classified thus as SPAM and sees the person instantly barred from Stardock's sites.

If I was to go into a FORD showroom I would EXPECT to see posters, brochures, ADVERTISING for FORD automobiles.

I would NOT expect banners for 'Eat at Greasy Joes' Diner' emblazoned all over too...;p

 

THAT is the difference.

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting starkers, reply 1
I hate advertising at the best of times, so the more a company tries to force its products down my throat via advertising, the greater my resistance is to purchasing them.

Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated. }:)

Actually, you were already. ;-)

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

I would click on a banner advertising the Gal Civ 2 bundle for 50% off.

Reply #13 from Elemental Forums Top

Jafo, I joined these forums because I bought a Stardock product, as did most people here I believe. I stay because I find the staff and community friendly. Now, you provide these forums as a service to your customers, and because it´s a resource to you (meaning Stardock is better off having these forums than if it didn't). So of course it's free, or technically paid for by the products we've already bought.

The fact that the ads are targeted specifically at customers does not make them solicited. People who come here either have bought a stardock product, or are considering buying a specific product and are here to learn more about that product. Sure a newbie could wander in for some reason, see an ad for lets say Sins, and then buys it. But are they such a large part of the forum's population? Anyone who's been a member for even a short while knows Stardock sells other products, there frequently are new topics about them. So the notifying of new products is already pretty well covered. Now those posts are nice and informative. And even though they haven't lead to me buying any of those products, I'm sure others have.

But being reminded to 'pre-order The Political Machine 2012 today!' for the 76th time while I'm discussing possible solutions to FE's pioneer spam problem is annoying.

Point is, this isn't the showroom, that's your front site. To stay with the analogy, these forums are some kind of weird fusion the garage where you go for support, and Greasy Joe's Diner around the corner, where we go to hang out during a break.

Reply #14 from Elemental Forums Top

The ads do feel rather disruptive and excessive IMO.

Reply #15 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Satrhan, reply 14
Jafo, I joined these forums because I bought a Stardock product, as did most people here I believe. I stay because I find the staff and community friendly. Now, you provide these forums as a service to your customers, and because it´s a resource to you (meaning Stardock is better off having these forums than if it didn't). So of course it's free, or technically paid for by the products we've already bought.

The fact that the ads are targeted specifically at customers does not make them solicited. People who come here either have bought a stardock product, or are considering buying a specific product and are here to learn more about that product. Sure a newbie could wander in for some reason, see an ad for lets say Sins, and then buys it. But are they such a large part of the forum's population? Anyone who's been a member for even a short while knows Stardock sells other products, there frequently are new topics about them. So the notifying of new products is already pretty well covered. Now those posts are nice and informative. And even though they haven't lead to me buying any of those products, I'm sure others have.

But being reminded to 'pre-order The Political Machine 2012 today!' for the 76th time while I'm discussing possible solutions to FE's pioneer spam problem is annoying.

Point is, this isn't the showroom, that's your front site. To stay with the analogy, these forums are some kind of weird fusion the garage where you go for support, and Greasy Joe's Diner around the corner, where we go to hang out during a break.
Agreed wholeheartedly.

The forums are 'free' for us only if one ignores that most/all of us have bought sd games.  And the forums serve a purpose -- building community, informing, etc. -- all things that help sd sell us more games.  We've 'paid' and you're getting benefits without the ads.

Jafo, your justifications are only true from a perspective that is inimical to the 'sd is just a small developer and we're all friends here' atmosphere you folks evince.  The ads are in-our-face blaring/distratcing fugly.  Can't speak for others, but they make me want to not buy any more of your games, as that would be rewarding this behavior.

Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top

Advertising is always unsolicited. It's only purpose is to create a 'want' that didn't exist before.

 

When I use a service funded by advertising, the advertisements are solicited.  It's inherent in my use of the service.

 

Advertisements are going down the tubes because they're not useful.  The bullshit gimmicks used by online advertisers have been their own downfall.  People don't click on links quite often because they never know where they'll end up.  Even if the advertisement is safe, a large chunk of them are "click here and win" crap and you have no idea what they're even attempting to sucker you into.

 

For advertisements to be useful, they must be informative.  To be noticed, they must be entertaining.  The typical ad on the web fails both points.

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Guys.....there are different degrees of advertising 'extent' on Stardock's sites.... simply dependent on whether you're a logged-in registered member/customer or not, aka casual visitor. ---- and it's the latter who sees more.

As with all things frequented you will [unfortunately] see things more than once....[familiarity breeds....], but I can survive them and am actually only NOT 'here' about 12 days a year out of the 365/24 [where the MotoGP, etc is run I don't have net access].

Quaintly it's the Stardock Admins/Mods who get to "enjoy" the TRULY ANNOYING 'advertising', but as I said before, we clear it up so the general User isn't confrunted by it/them as well as the ones which are there to pay for the sites' [plural] continuance...;)

 

If you want REALLY ANNOYING advertising think back to Skinz.org and eFront....where an advertising 'company' KILLED skinning's [second] home.  OK, so this was back in 2000, but 'the old boys' remember it with undying resentment. 

 

Reply #18 from Sins Forums Top

Really?  I have advertising bars in between thread posts for games I own...

 

Edit:  You need 3 more karma! :)

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting psychoak, reply 18
Really? I have advertising bars in between thread posts for games I own...

You 'could' logout...delete cookies, etc and see what happens...;)

Quoting psychoak, reply 18
You need 3 more karma!

LOL .... fittingly, apt, apropos and redundant....;)

Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting psychoak, reply 18
Edit: You need 3 more karma!

 

hehehe...o.k., I see what you did there

Reply #21 from Sins Forums Top

Yeah, still have two banner ads in each thread for FE, Rebellion, and GC2 ultimate, all covered territory in the purchases department.

Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Sheesh, whats the big deal? If there were no advertising nothing would ever get sold because no one would know about it. Advertising is a must for business, no other choice whatsoever. It does however have to be done tastefully and unobtrusively. |-)

Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top

There was a fix for some of the double ads I believe this morning.  

On another note, part of WinCustomize funding is through advertising.

 

Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting LightStar, reply 22
Sheesh, whats the big deal? If there were no advertising nothing would ever get sold because no one would know about it. Advertising is a must for business, no other choice whatsoever. It does however have to be done tastefully and unobtrusively.

It looks like what is upsetting some folks is when businesses advertise on their own site, surely they are not upset with advertising in general.  There would be no way for folks to know about your product or services.  :sun:

 

Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting JcRabbit, reply 11

Quoting starkers, reply 1I hate advertising at the best of times, so the more a company tries to force its products down my throat via advertising, the greater my resistance is to purchasing them.

Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated.

Actually, you were already.

Nope, not assimilated... never will be.  There have been a few advertisers who have tried but I was impervious.  You see, I am starkers of Borg and I beat them off with my anti-ad implant.

Oh, and Jafo, advertising IS unsolicited unless I ask to see it. ;P :-" :w00t: