Photo credit: Air Pollution ! Viva Kyoto ! ! by Paul Falardeau (pfala)
Steve Rubel of micropersuasion fame is calling on all marketers to stop polluting the web before Earth Day. Naturally, as all things GOOD are in focus at m-cause, I would have to agree with any call for non-pollution.
Steve is basically saying that marketers are:
“spewing millions of meaningless messages across thousands of sites…that don’t add value to your experience or help you meet your goals in a very meaningful way”
Steve is mainly talking about static banner ads & email marketing (+spam) that pollute the web. He is advocating that we leverage engaging collaborative platforms vs. the “spew” approach. In general, I fully agree that ultra-engaging value adding collaborative online platforms are the future (and the now). But what if your objective is quick awareness about a new product or service for the masses? Even if your site is incredibly enticing and simple to use, some people simply don’t have the time or cannot be bothered with engaging for long(er) periods of time online. So, how do you reach these people with quick communication about your new product? Probably the answer lies with understanding Who you are trying to reach online…is it the creators that spend 2 hours to figure out a great idea at American Express (m-cause note: This is a fantastic site that deserves its own post!) Or, are you trying to reach out to mom who does about 2 things on the web i) check out her favorite health care portal and ii) email her kids…
Anyway, I loved Steve’s post…got me thinking about web pollution.
On m-cause, I discuss marketing and good causes. Sometimes I talk about P&G (my company). Sometimes I talk about life in Europe. Sometimes I talk about random things. If you want to connect further, email me at roborj@yahoo.com or connect with me on Facebook. If you see any "good" stuff happening out there, please let me know... 
2 Comments
I consider static banner ads to be spam. I have never clicked on an ad intentionally and probably never will. I can’t believe anyone does, yet obviously they do. Any studies on the personality types most likely to actually do this? There must be.
Agree. I don’t click on them very much either (every now and then). And, it is true that most banners have very low click through rates (1-2%). Good engaging banners can, surprisingly, create quick awarenes…I should look up some case studies.