Internet Advertising: “Son of a bitch!”
By Al Morel
Do you remember the scene in the movie “The Christmas Story” when Ralphie finally receives his Little Orphan Annie Decoder in the mail? He bolts into the house, goes to the bathroom to decode the secret message:
“Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!”
Obviously all types of media are undergoing radical transformations. Shutdowns and downsizing at traditional media companies is a daily occurrence. Is advertising on the internet susceptible to the same forces? I think so.
Recently I read an article: “Why Advertising Is Failing On The Internet” by Eric Clemons, Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
“The problem is not the medium, the problem is the message, and the fact that it is not trusted, not wanted, and not needed,” Eric states.
The bottom line is that nobody wants to be pitched, and the web is no different. If the internet does not find a way to develop more authentic means of interaction rather than obtrusive pop ups and rotating Flash ads, internet advertising will engender the same negative emotional connection that Ralphie had.
PS: My favorite line from the movie is the voiceover as Ralphie strokes the leg lamp…”Only one thing in the world could’ve dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.”
