Monday, June 27, 2011

Impolite Ads on Big-Name Sites

I dig sports and I dig politics, so I spend a lot of time on ESPN.com and the HuffingtonPost. And, as an ex-ad sales rep, I like to think that I've got a higher tolerance for commercials than the average user. Combine those two and you'd think I'd be pretty amenable to ads on both of these sites.

But I'm not...they've done screwed up and annoyed me because of impolite ad serving. Have you ever logged on to ESPN.com, only to have an ad start blaring at full volume? Or try to read an article on budget negotiations on HuffPo, but have to wait for a full screen takeover? Yeah, it's aggravating. And, to draw on a concept we discussed in class last Monday, such placement isn't "polite." I've gotten to the point where I mute the volume and consciously block out the areas where ads typically appear on this site. I often even open up another tab and wait a minute before checking ESPN or HuffPo just to be sure that I avoid any ads.

I can't imagine I'm the only one who's been turned off to ad placement on these sites and I wonder if these and other publishers lose out on engagement and click-throughs because of such practices. These may be big name sites, but that doesn't mean
they can't use a refresher on some basics.

1 comment:

Timon said...

That is so funny that you posted such a clear opinion on impolite "push down" ads and page takeovers, especially on sites like ESPN and Huffington Post, because I was just going to write on this topic.

Although I do not read Huffington Post and have never really had to contend with full page takeovers, I do see the Push-down Ad on ESPN.com and on other sport websites very frequently, and for some reason, I REALLY LIKE THEM! It isn't too surprising because I am so biased towards things having to do with the sports domain, but it is even surprising to me.

When a push-down ad elegantly scrolls down the page and the graphics look seemless and news of the moment of the NBA finals or Wimbledon or the Gold Cup of Soccer are shown complete with pictures etc., it literally makes me feel warm and fuzzy. It makes me feel like I am reading a book, like the wind blew my page back or something. The graphics look so real - I dig it!