Ad rates are declining! The sky is falling. Print media ad rates have plummeted to an all time low. I need ads that engage me! Media will only survive selling value added services!
How many times have we read some ‘guru’ say this about newspapers, magazines or even websites? To a large degree it is true and there certainly are better ways to connect with consumers. Personally I feel there still are some applications for mass ad marketing, and while it will never provide the returns it once did a much earlier factor than customer engagement attributed to it’s demise, going overboard!
Above are all of the ads I found when logging into Myspace on a single page! 7 adverts, with 1 advert containing 4 more. Reading todays weekend newspaper I found over 16 ads in the first 8 pages. There comes a point where people say enough is enough and stop listening. Seth Godin describes a similar situation where he asks people who have just read a newspaper to describe any ad they saw. The response? Usually none are recalled.
Instead of plastering every available inch with an advert, showing restraint and allowing few ads on a platform will likely increase their effectiveness and value. Marketers will probably notice the difference and instead of suffering reduced revenues publishers will likely be able to charge a large premium.
Disclosure: I still don’t see this as being an easy out for incompetent marketers. The effectiveness will increase but there is still no excuse to not focus on customer engagement and to communicate directly with a niche. But for those who need to reach a large amount of people the premium will surely be worth it.