There is a certain nuisance we have all experienced while being amused: advertisements. Blinking, yelling banners popping out of browser windows, movie previews for those completely irrelevant to our chosen film, and commercials for cars, fast food, and make-up regularly interrupt our entertainment time and disrupt enjoyment of our lives.
From a business perspective, this is not such a bad thing. If people are complaining, at least the company is not being ignored – a far harsher fate than being despicable. But interruption advertising is a dying art, as Seth Godin et alii have said for years now. They are correct. People do not want to be disrupted. They want their advertising to be relevant and they do not want to know they are being sold to. This is why Google’s Adsense program has been so successful.
Now onto the advice. It is of no concern to you how people are perceiving your advertising. As long as it gets your name out, it is doing its job. After this, it is up to them to buy or to fly, and to share with others. Your only concern is that people are perceiving your advertising. You want to be seen. You also want to be liked, but that is up to your PR person.
Balance your advertising with actual, good value. Baking soda commercials should show tips for how to use it to clean or to bake, or to make your teeth bright and shiny. Never say, “Buy this product,” but rather, “This is what my product can do for you.”
Alas, many companies have failed to learn this lesson. Have you had your life intruded upon by advertisements lately? Anything particularly infuriating or otherwise upsetting for you?
