Shooting in the Dark

Forrester steps up with this new report, discussed at eMarketer.com, showing just how immeasurable the advertising market has become. Or always has been.

The report shows that while it is understood that businesses need advertising, measurements of return on investment in advertising have been difficult to review. As the article starts out "Q: What is the ROI of Advertising, A: Stop advertising and find out"

Stong stuff. Further, we find out that 21% of those polled would reccomend their ad agency for assistance in marketing their product or services; 76% couldn't get ROI information from their agencies and 69% thought ROI was too difficult to ascertain.

Instead of waiting for a report from their agencies, they could use AdSymetrix and know how any ad they place generates responses.

We have to agree that current methods for determining ROI are complicated. That's why we created AdSymetrix, to help the business advertiser know how to best spend their advertising budgets.

Sign up, It's Free

Google Extends Video AdSense Service

Paid Content posts an interesting wrap up of a report on Google's extension into video advertising through their AdSense program.

The article talks about how Google Video will incorporate - or allow the incorporation of - advertising in Google video presented content. This can allow Google to place video ads on websites that relate to the videos shown. It's worth watching as the biggest player in the online world starts to incorporate television style advertising on websites within their networks.

AdSymetrix tools will be useful in figuring out just how effective these ads are for the businesses that choose them.

Pushing the Industry to Learn How to Count

Pushing the Industry to Learn How To Count
from new york times

Someone, somewhere came up the the idea that even outdoor advertising needed to be accountable for its audience. Luckily, somebody else came up with a way for the advertiser to hold them accountable as well.

6 Laws of Small Business Advertising Success

6 Laws of Small Business Advertising Success
from about

As you look over your first quarter forecasts and wonder just how much of a boost you could get from a new advertising campaign, this list may help to inspire.

Keep note of number 3. Test Everything. Placing your message in front of people is one step, but refining the positioning, placement and pitch are all a part of creating a successful campaign. AdSymetrix can help.

Super Bowl Post-Game Ad Cards

Despite all the hype, the game rarely lives up to it's potential. This year, the ads didn't fare much better.

USA Today

Advertising 's Big Game

Super-Priced Ads Not Worth The Hype

The Best and Worst Super Bowl Ads

It's better to target your audience than just shoot at the crowd.

Superbowl Advertising - Why it's better to watch than play

Sunday, the NFL will produce the biggest television audience of the
year to watch the Colts and the Bears battle for dominance. While the
game will gather a huge audience, and as many people will talk about
the dumb officiating, last minute mistakes or broken bones as they will
about the commercials they saw between the plays, don't for a minute
think that Super Bowl advertising is a good idea.

There's a
difference between shouting in a crowded room and talking to people. A
difference that shows up in your bottom line. If you need to get a
bunch of short-term attention - say for a product that's set to launch,
or a movie that's going to be in theaters eventually - shouting at the
top of your lungs may be a way to get some attention. But if you want
to make a sale, expand your business or service your existing relationships, it's better to just talk to people.

Advertising
on the Super Bowl is loud. It's splashy. It's a way to get attention.
But it's a giant shotgun approach to advertising. You want your message
heard by people who care, not just by people in general.

The
better strategy is to use your advertising budget to reach prospective
customers who are inclined to listen to your message. Not just a few
million people trying not to drip nacho cheese on their jerseys.

Live Linking Blogads

Blogads, one of the advertising networks that services weblogs around the net, has announced an expansion of their beta program for what is described as 'effectively placing a mini-website' on any website where an ad is purchased.

Using syndication technology, the ad allows advertisers to control the messages that are seen on any of the websites where these ads are placed. An interesting idea, and one that plays well with specific types of advertising messages.

Whether all that extra effort is worth the effort is an entirely different question.