javabird
02-02-2008, 01:35 PM
I came across this excellent article (http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/080128niles/), which is directed primarily at newspaper owners concerning the the use of print ads. But I think the author's ideas are relevant to the recent discussions in this forum about TV ads as well.
"Readers owe you nothing. They have no responsibility as citizens to read your reporting, and no responsibility as consumers to look at your ads. The have the right, and ability, to go about their lives without ever once glancing at your publication.
If you want people to read your publication, you then need to do whatever is necessary to make them want to read it....
...You can, and should, design your website, or your newspaper or magazine, in a way that draws readers' attention to your ads or in-house promotions. But when your design crosses the line and forces readers to look at ads they don't want, you encourage those readers to look elsewhere, jeopardizing the readership levels that makes your business sustainable."
I couldn't have said it better...
"Readers owe you nothing. They have no responsibility as citizens to read your reporting, and no responsibility as consumers to look at your ads. The have the right, and ability, to go about their lives without ever once glancing at your publication.
If you want people to read your publication, you then need to do whatever is necessary to make them want to read it....
...You can, and should, design your website, or your newspaper or magazine, in a way that draws readers' attention to your ads or in-house promotions. But when your design crosses the line and forces readers to look at ads they don't want, you encourage those readers to look elsewhere, jeopardizing the readership levels that makes your business sustainable."
I couldn't have said it better...