Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The Struggles of Advertising

Erik Threet II
et165913@ohio.edu

Online Advertisements are given adjectives that scale from annoying to profitable. I believe that the advertising companies are in trouble because people are increasingly becoming skeptic of who is behind the ad. Knowing that there are a plethora of threats and viruses, I have an ad-blocker on my computer to try and nullify this issue. When the deception factor of online ads is compiled with the problems concerning television advertisements and children, the advertising business plummets. However, advertisers are becoming smarter with what kind of ads they show and their approach to the individual audiences. They are using your Internet footprint to guide their choice of ad, which will give the ads more relevancy.

An ad-enriched website a user is likely to see.


There are insecurities that a lot of consumers have about the Internet and being hacked. I do not want a virus to get attached to my computer, so I avoid potentially dangerous sites. There isn't a way that I know of where you know if the ad is a host to a threatening website. More and more users are beginning to turn on their ad-blocker because of the threat. In addition to that, ads take away from the content on the site. When I get on the Internet looking to read about Muhammad Ali's life, I don't want to see cars, Viagra and the 10 uses for a tooth brush on the sides. The ads pop up EVERYWHERE and many would agree that it is an annoyance.

What doesn't annoy me are TV ads or TV commercials. I enjoy the catchy tunes and the comedy that these commercials provide. Where the problem lies is how it influences our youth. Coco Puffs, Doritos, Oreos, Lucky Charms and Frosted Flakes are amongst popular products that children love. They are all high in sugar and it is resulting in a rise in child obesity.

Children, and myself, tend to get excited for cookies and chips and such, but what happens when we see something too mature for our age? What if children are watching ESPN late at night and see a commercial for Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension? As a child, I would've had nightmares and my mom would have probably not allowed me to watch it at that hour anymore. Yes, how can advertisers know who's watching their ad, but a loving parent will defend their child to the end. This hurts ads because they lose audience.



I have learned that advertisements are positive to a lot of consumers as well as a lot of companies. For starters, ads nowadays are popping up based on what the user has clicked on. By using cookies, the ads can increase the likelihood the user will click on them. I shop on aliexpress.com frequently, so I consistently see ads that show products that I search on that website. Not only does this make me want to go back to Aliexpress, but I know that if I clicked through, that I would be going to a website I can trust.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Erik,
    I have also noticed this a lot, and what I have found most interesting is how my accounts are linked somehow. When I do a google search on my phone, say for a coat, the next day on my computer I will see targeted ads for coats and whatnot. I think it's interesting how technology has allowed the ads to go across devices to get their message to you.

    JH
    jh140008@ohio.edu

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