[thelist] C|Net's Redesign / Interesting argument...

[Mike Hardaker]

> You know, I like the design of the ads.  They are inovative, informative,
> and though they are slap in the middle of the screen, they don't screw up
> the text any more than a magazine ad or a newspaper ad does the printed
> page.

I find this an interesting perspective, beacuase I've felt for a long time
that the essential flaw of banner advertising is that - unlike advertising
in trad media - it doesn't intrinsically deliver anything of value to the
consumer.

Good TV ads, good print ads - they actually *enhance* the consumer
experience (especially if they are well-targeted, as in, say computer
magazines where many people buy the mag primarily for the ads).

I'm not convinced that the approach taken by C|Net is the right solution to
the problem (I think it's still too close to a TV model, while the dreaded
"advertorial", a nightmare in print but curiously appropriate to the Web, is
my personal bet for the "next generation" online ad). However, I think it's
a stab at, finally, addressing the problem.

In essence, I see it as an attempt by content providers to deliver ads that
*are themselves part of the content*. This - with today's allegedly
sophisticated media-savvy punters - could well be the way to go for some
marketing campaigns.

Is this off-topic?

I think not, but I'm preparing a couple of tips anyway...

Mike

-------------------
Mike Hardaker
Founder & Publisher
AngloINFO
www.angloinfo.com