Meek Geek

Comfort Zones, Not Healthy

Display Advertising is Dead

Display advertising are those god-damn annoying banner ads that can’t stop shouting: “Ooo look at me, I’m blinking!”

These things have gotten even more obnoxious over time:

• Overlap readable content by default
• Completely hide a page until you click on a tiny link
• Suddenly pop up over the entire page when your mouse accidentally hovers over a banner
• Play loud and obnoxious video without users initiating the process

David Pogue hits the nail on the head:

….I don’t think advertisers should be blinking, animating and distracting in the first place. If I’m interested in the product, I’ll read the ad. But trying to pull my focus as I’m trying to read crosses some kind of line.

You know what? I would never click any ad that blinks or animates in the first place. It’s obnoxious and juvenile, and I’m not about to reward them.

That’s precisely why Google is eating display advertising’s lunch, simply by being less annoying.

Media and content businesses that are predicated on garnering more display advertising within their content are not only annoying their users but are also accelerating their gradual but inevitable demise.

Any wonder why these companies are whining about click through rates on these annoying ads being in the low single digits.