ErinIs.com

I saw the above banner and was horrified, so obviously I clicked. Then I arrived at one of the most entertaining sites I’ve been to as a digital marketer in a while. I just wish I knew who did the site or what real company it was promoting…PointRoll is mentioned once but that’s it.

I’m not going to spoil the fun, go check it out here. Make sure you browse the site a bit for some awesome quotes like:

“We have 100% delivery. Sometimes you don’t even need a computer!”

“Our motto, “Keep it in the box,” (you know, the banner!) ensures our staff of talented clickologists never strays from what we know works: The highest standard for the lowest common denominator. It’s what we were founded on. It’s what works.”

“It’s not just a theory, it’s digital fact.”

I’ve said it many times before, I love behavioral targeting both as a media planner and as a consumer. Anything to show me less irrelevant ads and waste my time. You can track me, I’ll fill out a survey, infect my computer with your cookies (as long as you’re a reputable company). BT for a media planner is fabulous, the ability to push display only to those relevant segments who have demonstrated their interest of intent.

Last week the IAB announced the creation of a new logo (see below) to tell users they are seeing the ad because of behavioral targeting. As an act of self regulation and transparency the logo was decided on to avoid government interference on BT practices. For more information read this.

A warning label on behavioral targeting ads is totally and completely unnecessary. All media is purchased based on the consumers’ media habits, demographics, psychographics, previous purchases and other piles of research and life style stats. We place no warning labels on TV spots, informing the carefully selected audience that they are seeing the ad because they fite percisely into our media plan.  

As a media planner, I should hope that all ads would have this little logo on it – all the ads placed are done sone because of meticulous research and well thought out budget allocations based on the target demographic and client goals.

Ok Pandora. I like you; I think you like me. I don’ t mind your ads, heck as a media buyer I respect the integration and ability to target that you offer. I like you so much in fact I have two accounts and not just because I want 80 free hours of streaming music a month (40 per account) but because I have a work appropriate account and a personal one.

But, Pandora, we need to talk. I don’t know what you’re trying to say about me with your recent ads. Does my love of Dragonettes ‘I get around’ and my thumbs uping of Uh Huh Her’s ‘Explode’  imply that I’m a little bit of a whore? Do you think my recent addition of 50 Cent’s “Have a Baby By Me” is a sign that I desperately need birth control? Is that why 90% of the display ads I saw today were for NuvaRing?

I don’t know if the ads were due to behaviroal targeting (I was actively shopping for high heels and looking up bars in SF) or if Pandora was profiling my song choices (check out the above mentioned here, here and here).

One more thing, and this ones for the NuvaRing people, I really don’t want to check out how easy your product is to use. I was terrified there was going to be some sort of how to video. One of the easiest ways to  reduced CTR and decrease engagement – using the word vaginal in your copy and vaguely imply that by clicking the user will see a how to insert video.

(Aren’t you so glad I brought this blog out of retirement?)

Long long ago, the internet was an ad barren land. No dancing people telling you how you could save on your auto insurance, no before and after belly pictures and no ads letting me know Obama wants me to go back to school…and then the first banner ad appeared!

According to TheLongListofTheLongestStuffatTheLongestDomainNameAtLast.com

“AT&T was the first to dish over some money to HotWired to display the beast they created, a 468 x 60 banner that came to life on October 25 1994″

I wonder what it’s click through rate was….

via @cstoller

I had massive open heart surgery when I was a baby. I nearly died prior to surgery; my heart stopped beating in surgery and the surgeon resuscitated me by pumping my heart with his index finger and thumb; and post surgery my scars got so infected I nearly died again. Twenty-six years later, you’d never know. I’m incredibly appreciative of being alive and I’m incredibly thankful to my pediatric nurse mom (who diagnosed me and was persistent in getting me seen by a cardiac specialist ) and the doctors who treated me.

I’m not sure if it is because of my heart trauma or not, but I love this banner ad from Cleveland Clinic. The action version is even better!

The website is pretty fantastic too. Its clean, streamlined, sociable and succinct.

So raise your hand if in the last few weeks you’ve noticed these ads EVERYWHERE online. 

While these ads annoy me to no end, I would kill to work on this account. This is one of the few accounts that has increased their spend recently and they are just blanketing the web. 

Not sure if their on a behavioral buy (although I don’t look up diet information), could be demographic (because all 25 year old women are obsessed with their weight) or maybe they’re just buying remanent ad space by zip or DMA.

The website (yes I clicked, I was curious) is positioned as a San Diego woman’s blog. Anyone else click through on these and have a website targeting their DMA?

Every site I visited today is blanketed with Yes on Proposition 8 Banners. How much money do these people have? 

I ran a couple of quick Google searches which is where it looks like No on 8 has spent their dollars. But No on 8 has been successful within social media too. 

Some of the search results are a bit confusing though…

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Wait….so if I use this my flawless digitally perfect skin will get acne? 

Someone should inform this designer that we actually read left to right.