As 2016 quickly approaches, so does the 25th anniversary of the Internet. In 1991, most people didn’t even know what the internet was. No one could imagine how it would change all of our lives.
With the light-speed development of technology today, consumers can’t wait for the newest version of their favorite mobile device. People wait in line for a new release to replace their mobile device that’s only a year old and gladly pay for it. We want newer, cooler, faster, better than my neighbor’s and more powerful devices and we want them now.
We also have an insatiable appetite for content. From digital articles to video, we can’t get enough of it.
300 hours of new video is now uploaded to YouTube every minute
The ability to share content and collaborate worldwide makes the Internet great. And for many people who have grown up during the social media revolution, there can quite often be an expectation that “I want content and I expect to get it for FREE.”
This was evident in a topic I listened to on the radio during a recent commute. The conversation was based on the question, “What bugs you about the Internet today?”
It was no surprise to hear …
“I hate when ads pop up when I’m online”.
“I’m being served (retargeted) ads for similar products/services after I’ve visited a site and I’m not sure I like it. The advertising even looks like the content (native advertising) I came to the site to read.”
“I don’t like it when I have to watch advertising before a video I want to watch.”
For those of us working in the digital advertising business, we understand where consumers are coming from, yet also see the importance of continuing to bring more and more quality content online. And, that it comes at a cost. Without advertiser support, I find it hard to believe consumers are willing to shoulder the cost for content and might be surprised how much it would cost. I for one don’t mind being retargeted and served ads online that are related to a recent search or purchase.
What we as agencies and stewards of our clients’ brands need to continue to do is push for great content and develop solid, relevant creative that gives consumers what they are looking for online. We need to build brands smartly, target consumers online without over-serving and annoying them and continue to evolve how we reach consumers.
John Gielow, VP Director of Digital Strategy