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March 11th, 2004 Edition

Advertisers, WebMasters and Affiliates – Revenue Blocking and the Consumer’s Choice
In the larger scope of marketing, a debate has been pushed to the forefront by ad-blocking technologies such as TiVO

The Powerful ISP
In the passed 3 months or so, there have been many articles focusing on the Can Spam act and how it will affect the industry.

Digital Thoughts:  The Evolutionary Spiral of the Email Publisher
Yields are down.  Data is non-responsive.  Legal repercussions for sending commercial email are much stiffer than in the past.

Trends Report:  Spyware Goes to the States
Last Wednesday, Utah became the first state to pass legislation that would regulate spyware

Lovett of Leave It
When I think back to Season Four of The Sopranos, I am reminded of a scene of The Family Guy

Top Offers From Top Networks
Top offerers form these top networks. R.O.Wise Networks, Adteractive, Digital Moses, eMarketMakers, LynxTrack, Venture Direct Offers and Azoogle

Breaking News and Industry Headlines
 

Published every Thursday, Digital Moses Confidential is a content-driven newsletter serving the online marketing industry.

Please direct questions or comments to editor@digitalmoses.com

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Digital Thoughts:  The Evolutionary Spiral of the Email Publisher
By Sam Harrelson

Yields are down.  Data is non-responsive.  Legal repercussions for sending commercial email are much stiffer than in the past.  Just this week, the major ISP’s joined together and filed suit against hundreds of commercial emailers.  Will email continue its death spiral into meaninglessness or will the “www west” continue to evolve in such a way that ultimately it can become an accepted, trusted and profitable lead/revenue acquisition vehicle?

Ultimately, this important question’s answer hinges on three determining factors which, interestingly enough, are landmarks in our industries ten year history; the introduction of laws and regulations, the abuse of these statutes, and the eventual ways which the government, consumer and industry determines best to enforce the laws. 

Introduction of Laws and Regulations:

After the introduction of more than two dozen state laws throughout 2002-2003, the email industry continually sought relief from the myriad of lawsuits and confusing statutes.  This relief came in the form of the CANSPAM Act of 2003, signed into law in December.  However, various industry forces fought and struggled long before President Bush’s signing of the Federal Law for a set of best practices under which to operate a successful, profitable and legitimate email marketing business model.  That set of best practices never came from within the industry, so the Federal Government ultimately stepped in with a solution for consumers and advertisers, one which both limits and protects the email marketer.  The introduction of these laws into the market cannot be seen as absolutely negative, and do possess a good deal of foundation from which email marketing can strive to gain its respectability as an advertising and marketing medium.

Abuse of these Laws and Regulations:

It is easy to point the fingers at unscrupulous and unethical spammers looking to make a quick and short term profit by burning their data on lists that are hit harder and harder in the search for profitable yields.  However, there are major players who are still not following the CANSPAM Act to the letter of the law.  Therefore, we currently find ourselves in this period of the history of email marketing.  The federal statute is in place, yet the enforcement guidelines have yet to be created entirely, and there is still a good deal of grey area to be sorted through.  With email marketers both large and small continually breaking the law (knowingly or unknowingly), this period of flux will continue with scape-goats, rightful prosecutions and perhaps unfair witch trials of those who are following the law yet sought out because of their presence in email marketing.  Our current period will continue until we as an industry step up and provide a meaningful solution to the problem of abuse and response to the federal law which is now the guideline for our best practices.

Enforcement of these Laws and Regulations:

The third phase that leads from the “www west” to the acceptance of email as a profitable vehicle of lead/revenue generation is the period of enforcement of the CANSPAM law which has been laid out.  Even though our industry was unable to present a soluble standard for permission-based email marketing before the federal government intervened, we still have the opportunity to bring about the third phase of evolution in the email marketing industry by offering an acceptable scheme of enforcement for the law, based on industry consensus, effective leadership and widespread cooperation.  This is a tall order for an industry frequently wrought with late-comers looking to make a quick dollar, so-called industry leaders who only have their own ambition (and pockets) in mind, and the individual interest of every other mailer.  However, we must rise to the challenge, learn to work for the better of the industry’s future and begin to find a real system of enforcement which allows for profit, respectability and long-term solvency.

In the ten years since our industry’s creation and the first commercial message was broadcast, we have seen the establishment of the www west, the bringing of the law (the federal government playing the role of intervening sheriff) and we look forward to a time where we as the community of email marketers can learn to make peace with one another and establish a situation where the rule of law provides a framework for long term prosperity and profitability.

Sam Harrelson is the Co-Editor of the Digital Moses Confidential.  Please send questions/comments/suggestions to sam@digitalmoses.com

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The Powerful ISP
by Effie Mansdorf

In the past 3 months or so, there have been many articles focusing on the Can Spam act and how it will affect the industry. What many realize however, is that it is not the Can Spam act or legislatures in Washington that have influence over the emails that get sent, but the ISPs who deliver the email into user’s inboxes.

The ISPs are those who really control what winds up passing through their system into an inbox and what gets blocked, bulked or bounced. Exactly what gets through and how it gets through is left to the discretion of each individual ISP and varies from one company to another. As a rule of thumb, however, it’s safe to say that the major ISPs are stricter than small timers in regard to filtering the emails that get to their subscriber’s inboxes. 

Since the major ISP’s make up a high percentage of many email marketer and newsletter lists, how does a legitimate company not fall into the trap that was set for spammers?

Many ISP’s have a white listing system that lets the user have control, much like out-of-the-box spam blockers do. With this system, users can determine which email addresses can get through and which get sent to their “Junk” folder. Earthlink, for example has taken this concept a step further and that has had their system in place since May of last year. This “Challenge/Response” system allows only emails to pass through that have been in the user’s personal whitelist. Those that are not whitelisted, are forced to go through an obstacle course of procedures set by the Challenge/Response system. This procedure includes a link that gets sent back to the email sender that leads them to a page with an image-based code the sender needs to type in. This code is set up so automated systems cannot go through this procedure. It also prevents users who use text only systems or users who are visually impaired from using the system as well. Not to mention average users who just do not bother going through the lengthy system to begin with.

By setting up this Challenge/Response system, Earthlink prevents legitimate emails from getting through, such as legitimate bulk mail, automated response and confirmation emails. This system, which is not exclusive to Earthlink and used elsewhere, has good intentions but is a misguided approach to a solution.

Hotmail has a similar system set up, although not as restrictive. Like Earthlink, their spam filter is powered by Brightmail, producers of leading proprietary anti spam software. Unlike Earthlink however, it does not use a strict Challenge/Response system. It does allow users to control what gets sent into their main inbox and what gets sent to their junk folder, but it does not block those who are not on a user’s personal whitelist. It does though, have a very strict filtering system with bulk mail and does prevent many legitimate bulk mailers from getting through. It is successful in preventing a high volume of Spam from getting through, although it still cannot distinguish between Spam and legitimate bulk mailers, email marketers and newsletters. It’s on the right track as far as user friendliness, but way off on the track in filtering the bulk mail correctly. Hotmail/MSN do not have a whitelist system set in place to even give a chance to legitimate bulk mailers to separate themselves from the spam.

One ISP that does give companies a chance to whitelist themselves is AOL. AOL, despite all the slack it has gotten over the years, is the least of all evils when it comes to whitelisting legitimate companies. Recognizing that not all bulk mailers are spammers, and there are such things as email newsletters, legitimate email marketing and legitimate companies in general who email in bulk, they have set up a system that allow these companies to prove they operate legally and are reputable. By providing necessary documentation and proof among other things of how a company acquired its email list, AOL gives legit bulk mailers a chance to get whitelisted. However, this is not a “get out of jail free” card and once a company is whitelisted, there is no guarantee that it will stay on it. Once again, this ISP gives a lot of control to its users. AOL has a "Report Card" process in place determined by bad addresses and users clicking the spam button. All it takes is a few users claiming that the email that was sent is spam and/or a few old and unknown AOL email addresses on a sender’s list- and it’s off the whitelist, onto the blacklist. That sender is forced to go through the whitelisting routine all over again. Many companies just find it easier to switch their IP addresses rather than go through the process every so often.

The one thing in common with these ISPs and many others, is the need to satisfy their customers and get rid of the universally unwanted Spam. The problem with this is that in providing a solution, they often throw out the baby with the bathwater. Legitimate email marketers are caught in the crossfire of the battle against Spam. What needs to be done is to find a solution that will prevent spammers from getting through and allow legitimate bulk mailers to arrive successfully into recipients inboxes. Currently, Microsoft is working with Brightmail to develop an email caller ID system. This new technology makes it possible to verify that messages sent from a domain really originated there. Those from addresses that do not match the originating domain get blocked. Perhaps the first step in the right direction of distinguishing the bad Spam from the good bulk emails. 

Effie Mansdorf Production Manager Ward Media, Inc.
141 West 36th StreetSte. 20S New York, NY 10018 P: 212-967-5055 Ext. 103  F: 212-967-1028 effie@wardmediainc.com www.wardmediainc.com

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Trends Report:  Spyware Goes to the States
by Sam Harrelson

Last Wednesday, Utah became the first state to pass legislation that would regulate spyware (http://news.com.com/2100-1024_3-5170263.html?tag=nefd_top).  The bill has yet to be signed into law, however it is certainly a harbinger of things to come soon in the online direct marketing world.  California and Iowa are also close to bringing legislation to law that would regulate the use of spyware/adware.  This trend of spyware and adware use has been a hot topic in 2004 for companies of all size in the industry as firms look for ways to capture profitable lead generation in light of CANSPAM and the uncertainty of the pop model.  This movement by the states is certainly an interesting development.

Certainly, a close parallel between spyware and email exists in regards to this latest development.  After becoming a popular, profitable and frequently abused model of direct marketing, consumers and state legislators reached a point where they felt something had to be done to stem the tide of unsolicited commercial email.  In light of this, a series of states began to pass a myriad of laws, and one of the first was Utah.  Who in the industry can forget being sued by firms located in Utah looking to make an example of small and large email marketers? 

However, as the lawsuits piled in from various states, the email marketing industry looked for ways to govern itself or else seek relief from the federal government which could provide one common solution as opposed to twenty-six various laws with differing definitions of unsolicited commercial mail and penalties for sending non-permission based messages.  This relief eventually came in December 2003, just before the Jan 1, 2004 date when the “California Spam Law” was set to take place.  This law had serious teeth and was the talk of both The DMA’s in Orlando and AdTech: NYC this past year.  However, grumblings about commercial email (solicited and unsolicited) became loud yells for regulation long before December, 2003.  In late 2001 into early 2002, numerous reports by major news outlets, anti-spam businesses and consumer advocacy groups led to a groundswell that aimed at stemming the tide of unsolicited commercial email.  The states started tackling the issue around this time, yet it took another year and a half to two years for federal regulations to be passed. 

The CANSPAM law defined the “minimum acceptable behavior” for permission based commercial email.  Will spyware face a similar future of multiple state laws that ultimately lead to a federal regulation outlining “acceptable behavior” in the spyware/adware realm?  The next few months will be incredibly important to the framing of this debate, as definitions, consumer rights and state jurisdictions play out.  There is already a federal bill being considered in the spyware debates, so perhaps this debate will take a different path from email.

Stay tuned next week when we investigate this Trends Issue further with a point/counter-point by industry experts in the area.

Sam Harrelson is co-editor of the Digital Moses Confidential.  Please send any comments or questions to sam@digitalmoses.com  

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Banners of all sizes, mini-sites, pops, splash pages, email newsletters, animated interactive banners. 24 hour turn-around.

Contact Michael at mm@maridium.com AOL IM: maridium

Breaking News and Industry Headlines

The major ISP’s join together to tackle unsolicited commercial pitches by targeting large and small companies and individuals.  Expect many more of these major lawsuits as the ISP’s (and consumers) continue to seek relief from the ever-present flood of email that is non-CANSPAM compliant.  http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/artprevbot.cgi?article_id=26814

Spyware has become a hot topic, both as an issue of ethics and lead generation.  As the industry continues to search for another model that will provide profitable effectiveness while maintaining consumer acceptability, state legislators begin to draw the line for what is acceptable behavior for marketers trying to reach the consumer’s desktop and inbox. 
>From cnn.com, http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/03/03/hln.wired.spyware/index.html

Love them or hate them, pops work.  In the face of mounting consumer backlash, hundreds of pop-blocking softwares on the market and the impending implementation of pop blocking technology by the major ISP’s and browsers, ClickZ explores the industry’s fascination with this ubiquitous, infamous yet still robust model…
http://www.clickz.com/experts/media/media_buy/article.php/3321031

 Over 90% of teenagers use it.  Over 80% of adults 20-40 use it.  Our entire industry is addicted to it and uses it more than email and the phone.  Everyone loves Instant Messaging, young and old.  So where are all the ads that we’d expect to see on such a popular and usable medium? 
http://www.mediapost.com/dtls_dsp_news.cfm?newsId=240844

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Some additional features are no pop up advertisng, archives all conversations on your hard drive which allows the user to go back and review the message history by date. Intellim has some very useful tabs such as search and soon to be released commercial free radio / customized news.
Downloading is very quick and simple, check it out at www.intellim.com.

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Top Offers Top Networks

Adteractive, Inc. Top Offers:

 

New and Improved DirectEducation.net :   $15.00 CPA EDU lead!

- Action: Submit a Lead
- CPA: contact us
- Conversion:  7-11% from the click. ($1.00-$1.50+ EPC)
- Real-time reporting, no charge backs.

Note: All major Online Universities work with DirectEducation - these brands, the high CPA along with a great site design make this one of the best EDU deals out there.

 

 

LowRateSource.com : $7.50 - 5 Drop Downs Mortgage Form!

- Action: 5 Drop Downs, Submit any Combination of Page 1!
- CPA:  Contact us
- Conversion:  20-30% from the click. ($1.50-$2.00+ EPC)
- Real-time reporting, no charge backs.

Note: Lowratesource offers the highest bounty and conversion for this type of mortgage offer.
Try the original 5 drop down only deal - great creative available.

 

 

AllianceWarranty.com : $6.00 -  Short form Auto Warranty!

Action: Submit Page 1!
- CPA:  $6.00
- Conversion:  20-30% from the click. ($1.00-$1.50+ EPC)
- Real-time reporting, no charge backs.

Note: This is the highest converting Debt deal available. Unlimited Inventory. Try it  - you will like it!

 

 

FastCashNet.com : $7 - One Page Cash Advance!

 - Action: Submit Page 1!
- CPA:  $6.00
- Conversion:  15-20% from the click. ($1.00-$1.50+ EPC)
- Real-time reporting, no charge backs.

Note: This is the highest converting Debt deal available. Unlimited Inventory. Try it  - you will like it!

 

Other clients include Columbia House, Universtiy of Phoenix,  iWon, AIU, Kennedy Western, Netflix, Chase, Discover, Ameriquest and more!   All at the guaranteed highest payouts around. Come join the original Ad network and make some cash today.

Contact: Diego Canoso, dcanoso@adteractive.com (415) 762-2266 x121 for additional information

Fast payments, exceptional affiliate support, exclusive offers, and unique creatives. We offer custom bounties for volume above our  published rates.  Contact an R.O.Wise rep to discuss all our offers.  Join our  rapidly expanding  network of web and email publishers today.
 

The TOP Atkins Diet offer is back. If you haven't run this already, you are missing out. With the current low carb crave, this is the best converting diet offer we ever had. We're paying you for every credit card sign up.
 
Home Academics brings you the top degrees and certification classes from fully accredited online universities. You can choose from programs in: Business, Engineering, Healthcare, Finance, Marketing, Technology & More!  We are paying out $12 for a full university lead. 
 
Easy Auto Financing Exclusive CPA: $6.50 (increased bounty)
Easyautofinancing.com is the leader in providing finance solutions to individuals with any credit situation. Our application is short, free and takes only 1 minute to complete.
 
Ipsos Exclusive "Banners & Pops only" CPA:   $2  Great Converting Survey Panel
The Ipsos i-Say Panel, an online survey panel.  Members will be automatically entered into Ipsos "New Member" Sweepstakes for $1,000! Each time they complete a survey, they will have a chance to win cash &/or prizes. In addition, each month they're on their panel, they'll be entered into their monthly half & half draw for $250 and an additional $250 is donated to the charity of their choice.
 
My mortgage helper Exclusive CPA:   $5  30% conversion from the click
Hot creatives and easy conversion for exclusive mortgage offer.  Five simple drop down fields on first page for an easyconversion.  We pay on 100% of all leads

 

Free Car Quote Co-Reg:  Who doesn’t want a new car?  Get paid on every user that wants a new car quote.  5 Additional fields for make, model, year, trim and purchase method.  Inquire for pricing: tbruck@emarketmakers.com

 

4 phones:  New Cell Phone offer with 4 options for users!  Helps users find a FREE Cell phone in their area.  Guaranteed to out perform any other cell phone offer.  Short lead form pays $2.25 CPA!

 

Christian Cafe: Great dating offer, ChristianCafe, is a site for Christians to meet other Christians!  Top demographic on the net, does well to all lists.  Dating offers are great any time of the year.  We're paying $2.25 CPA for this free trial offer!

 

Net Panel: Who doesn't like to take surveys! We're throwing this New Survey at you which also enters users in a drawing for a 42 inch plasma TV! Great offer, with an awesome prize. Highest payout on this offer anywhere at $1.00 CPA on the first page!

 

Cars America: 2 car Offers - Auto Loans and Auto Quotes.  Just in time for all those buying their 2004 cars, a brand new Auto Loan Offer/Car Quote Offer.  Both perform well to all lists, both converting at an average of 14% across the board.  We're paying a $5 CPA for this winner!

 

#622    *NEW*   EducationProvider .com  
CPA:      $12.50       
Current Stats: $1. 2 5   eCPC
EducationProvider brings all of the top online schools together onto a single site - offering users lots of information about many different schools and programs. This offer tracks in realtime with no chargebacks.

 #448 Find Romance - The BEST Performing Dating Deal!
CPA:      $3.45
Current Stats : $0.60 - $0.80   eCPC, 18% conversion from the click
You will be paid on GROSS leads for only the FIRST PAGE of the registration. There are NO chargebacks. This offer is converting at as much as $0.80 eCPC, whereas other dating offers have a hard time hitting $0.20 eCPC. If you have done well with dating offers in the past, you MUST run this offer. Find Romance is an offline dating service that matches real singles with one another, this is NOT an online dating site.

 #426 Extended Warranty Provider    
CPA:   $ 6 . 00  
Current Stats: 0.80 eCPC, 16% conversion from the click
Extended Warranty Provider is a VERY easy Lead Gen offer where the consumer only needs to fill out the first page of the registration to obtain a FREE Quote on extended warranty for their vehicle. This offer pays on Gross leads in Realtime

# 588     AudioBookClub!  
CPA:     $20.00  
Current Stats: $ 1 . 00   eCPC,    5 % conversion   >From the click .
An exclusive new advertiser, it pays out on gross leads, in real-time with no chargebacks. Consumers are offered 4 audio books for only .99 cents, with a free player.

#453 LowRateAdvisors – 5 drop downs, 1st page lead!
CPA:      $ 7.50
Current Stats: $2.00   eCPC   , 20% conversion from the click.
All that is required for a lead is for the user to select from the 5 dropdowns on the landing page and you will be paid the CPA. LowRateAdvisors allows users to save money on their mortgage, and other debts they may have. This is by far THE EASIEST lead form that you can possibly have. No further action from the user is required for you to be paid, just the 5 drop-downs.
 

 
KIDS IN THE POOL -- Free 2-night/3-day Vacation    Payout: $1.25
It's BAAAACK!   Our top performing offer last year is back!   "Free 2-Night/3-Day Vacation - Kids in Pool" instantly topped the chart again, and is our #1 performer this week!  Get in on the action now!   Huge clicker with an eCPC averaging near $.40 = terrific revenue!
 
Stamps.com Free - $80 value includes $25 postage  Payout: $36 CPA
BRAND NEW CREATIVES!  This offer represents one of the best consumer/small business 'freebie' offers we've ever mailed.   With these new creatives, we've seen conversion rates jump as high as 8% and eCPCs over $3.50!  (eCPC range from $.81 to $3.69)
 
Auction Your Junk and Convert It to Cash     Payout: $23 CPA
Everyone has a garage full of junk. Now it's easier than ever to convert your junk into cash! Learn how with this $99.95 kit for only $19.95 (includes a $495 website building kit too!). Current conversion rates are between 2.6% and 5.8% off the click, with an eCPC ranging from $0.72-$1.52!
 
$20 Gift Card (Multiple Brands)   Payout $11.50 CPA 
Great conversions, high income can be yours! Our '$20 GiftCard' offers are hotter than ever, and converting like crazy. There's a unique offer for virtually every lifestyle, and every online consumer profile imaginable: JCPenney, Bath & Body Works, Applebee's, Bed Bath & Beyond, KB Toys, WalMart, Foot Locker and more! Combined conversions for these offers currently average around 1.3% off the click -- but they are HUGE clickers (depending on the list of course)! In fact, we've seen them click as high as 65% of opens! (Conversion range is .7% to 1.8% off the click, 30% to 65% click rate on opens.)
 
FREECDSUPERSTORE: Websters 2004 – FREE!  Payout: 30% Rev Share
 Expect numbers above $2 eCPC!   Millenium edition contains tens of thousands of videos, photos, animations and sound files.  Great creative and high conversions!   This valuable consumer offer continues to do well wherever it is deployed!
 
Contacts:
Doug Walker  310.861.8788  doug@hydragroup.com   AIM: Camden110
Scott Steele  310.861.8788  scott@hydragroup.com   AIM: Production71
Zac Brandenberg  310.861.8788  zac@hydragroup.com   AIM: zzllbb
 

 

 
DegreeMatch: $4.00 CPL: DM Exclusive, this campaign pays on the First Page, 7-8 fields, No Scrubs!
 
IwantFreeGifts: $1.00 CPL: This offer has been converting at 10% (+).  Simple, fast registration.  Best of all, your users can get FREE GIFTS!  Fantastic creative. First Name, Email (confirmed), and Password!  No scrubs!
 
OnlineDegreeAdvisor: $4.00 CPL Another DM exclusive pays on first page.  If you have had success with online universities, this is a must.  Creatives are fresh, conversions are great, and the lead is very simple and quick for the end user.  No Scrubs!
 
BestDegreeGuide:  Banners  $0.30 CPL  DM exclusive Conversions off of the click are through the roof.  Great web campaign.  No Scrubs!
 
DriverLoans: $5.00 CPL Short Application, averaging $0.50 effective CPC from DM publishers this month.  No Scrubs!

Contact: Dave Paynter, dave@digitalmoses.com  201.394.6191 for additional information

 

 

Top Offers From
Venture Direct Offers:

The Venture Direct Affiliate network includes a wide variety of great offers with the highest payouts around.  Venture Direct guarantees payment on good leads.  Another great benefit to becoming a Venture Direct affiliate is the online reporting system.  Since 1983, Venture Direct Worldwide has produced extraordinary results for thousands of direct response marketers seeking to generate leads, acquire new customers, increase sales, drive web traffic, and create incremental revenue. 

DirectDegree.com CPA:      $10.00 - $20.00  
DirectDegree.com helps students, technical professionals and executives capitalize on the wealth of Internet learning opportunities and degree programs. Bring along your browser, ambition, and a curious mind and we'll help you enhance your user’s careers.  There are over 28 schools and 350-degree programs to promote.

Get Term Life Insurance! CPA:      $40.00
You will be paid on per lead basis for an exceptional offer. This website will allow the user to try the term insurance estimator to calculate insurance needs.  Get an instant quote from up to 17 highly rated term insurance providers. The user can get a personalized quote or be contacted by one of the term life insurance experts.

Great MortgageIT offer!  CPA:   $ 10. 00   
This is one of the largest private mortgage bankers in the U.S. with some of the lowest rates.  This is a fast, dependable service and typically generates a $1-$1.50 eCPM. 

ITT MBA Program!  CPA:     $17.00  
Utilize ITT-Tech’s well-known brand to generate qualified leads with ease. Core courses teach business principles, explore the globalization of business and how it can impact different aspects of the business cycle, and identify the challenges of business leadership in a world that demands swift adaptation and keen competition. 

Debt Excess!  CPA:      $ 11.00
One of the best converting debt offers out there, DebtXS requires a minimal amount of information from the user yielding consistent $1-2 eCPMs.  Debt Excess is an industry leader when it comes to reducing debt.  Reduce debt by 50%-75%.  Some focus points are late fees are waived; pay ZERO % interest and one simple, low, monthly payment.

Contacts:
Michael Derikrava Direct: (212) 655-5215mderikrava@ven.com 
Michael Pavez  Direct: (212) 655-5139 mpavez@ven.com www.DirectDegree.com www.VentureDirect.com

 

Advertisers, WebMasters and Affiliates – Revenue Blocking and the Consumer’s Choice
By Linda Buquet

In the larger scope of marketing, a debate has been pushed to the forefront by ad-blocking technologies such as TiVO.  Consumer choice and their permission to allow such ad-blocking is the essential issue, and one that will continue to rage offline and online. 

In the online sphere, many marketers and small publishers who rely on affiliate links and programs such as AdWords have raised this issue of ad-blocking as it relates to their bottom line.  As many small publishers and affiliates rely so heavily on the monetary income provided by the links and ads being blocked, the issue has a new relevancy for our industry.  Although this part of the online marketing sphere is frequently overlooked and undervalued, it is important to weigh how ad blocking technologies affect them, and our industry at large.

For instance, Norton Internet Security and Firewall are blocking many affiliate links, ad banners, AdWords, Adsense and even text links. It may even be blocking your own site logo or your family pictures if they are a certain image size.

When I say "blocked" I mean erased, wiped out and invisible. It leaves a blank white spot where the banners or text links should have been, making it look like your site is defective or you are missing information. It does not just block ads, it literally strips the source code out of the page.

I have been researching this issue for a while now and recently downloaded the software to start testing. I'm surprised how this software defaces websites and can effect advertisers, webmaster and affiliate revenue!  Even though these products are sold as “Security” the default is set to block ads, so for non- savvy users that don't realize how much information Norton can block, they will just think your site is poorly designed or information is missing when they see all the white spaces. This is evidenced by the fact that more and more webmasters are receiving customer email saying "I want to buy something on your site but there is no link, how can I buy this." See examples here: http://www.5staraffiliateprograms.com/norton-blocks-revenue.html

If you don’t think this is a big problem yet, I say - think again! Norton IS 2004, is being shipped with many new computers so I think this problem will grow. See this March 1 2004 Symantec press release stating that “Symantec Security Software Ships on Nine of Top 10 Notebook Computers Worldwide.” “…According to research firm IDC, notebooks are the fastest growing PC market segment, and sales of notebooks have now surpassed those of desktops…” http://www.symantec.com/press/2004/n040301.html.

I am not an affiliate or a merchant, so I have not personally suffered any loss of revenue.  I am an affiliate management consultant and it’s my job to help clients (etailers) and affiliates make money online.  So I share this info in an effort to help others become aware of the issue and discover potential solutions which could help protect your online revenues.

This issue is being hotly debated on webmaster forums across the net.  Some say Norton has the right to do whatever they want with their software. Others say it is the user’s choice and if they want to block ads they should be allowed to. (Choice is a key issue here!)

Aside from the fact that this software is cutting into ad revenues here are other issues that I think need to be addressed.

PRODUCT REPRESENTATION – Both Norton Internet Security and Personal Firewall are sold as “security” products, designed to protect users from the “threats” of the Internet and malicious “intrusions.” The products own ad claims “provides essential protection from viruses, hackers, and privacy threats.  Although the ad-blocking feature is briefly mentioned on the product’s webpage, the issue is still relevant because of the default setting.  See http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/nis_pe/  

AD BLOCKING DEFAULTS – Since these products are sold as Security products, Ad Blocking should be an option users can turn on, it should not be the default. Popups are intrusive, banner ads can take additional load time, but text links should not be blocked.  Regardless, unless this product is labeled clearly as an ad blocker, the default should be off and it should be the users CHOICE to turn it on.   

AD BLOCKING WARNINGS - There should also be clear labeling in the interface and on the box warning that there may be large blank spaces on web sites and links and navigation may be missing or may not work properly due to the blocking features. Numerous web sites are getting tech support calls due to users that want to purchase and can’t see links or think that the site is defective.  Even the Washington Post has had to address the Norton issue in their help files here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/admin/help/#q1

TEXT LINKS – Text links are not intrusive and do not eat up bandwidth. According to Symantec help – text based ads are not supposed to be blocked, yet they are, including Google Adwords and Adsense. Norton’s help files state that Ad Blocking does NOT remove text links, yet it does. See examples here: http://www.5staraffiliateprograms.com/norton-blocks-revenue.html

COPYWRITE AND PROPERTY ISSUES
Norton does not just block ads, it literally strips the source code out of the page. Even if a user disables ad blocking and then hits refresh to try to view a page, the content does not show up in most cases. Norton also by virtue of it’s targeting of standard banner size images, can strip out logos, family pictures and any other images that happen to be a certain size.  Sometimes links essential for navigating the site, that have nothing to do with ads are even stripped out. See this example of www.Phillyburbs.com, a popular local online newspaper and how Norton has stripped not only the top banner ads but also the right navigation links.http://www.5staraffiliateprograms.com/phillyblocked.html

On the page below you will be able to see numerous examples, find links, articles and some forums where the issue has been raised by others with suggestions on how to remedy the situation. The links I have compiled are too numerous to list in this article so please see bottom of this page: http://www.5staraffiliateprograms.com/norton-blocks-revenue.html

Again, I have nothing to gain personally by writing about this.  I simply believe affiliates and online advertisers face too many threats to their online revenue from parasites, hijackers, hackers, fraud and other unscrupulous activities as it is.  Internet marketers should not have to worry about protecting their livelihoods from a big company like Symantec that bundles aggressive, default ON ad blocking technology in with security products that play into surfer’s fear and are just supposed to keep the web safe.  The name Symantec is synonymous with “security” and virus protection, they don’t even sell ad related software. If Symantec was blocking ads with a product called “Ad Blocker 2004,” then people would only buy it if they specifically wanted to block ads.

The main issue of consumer choice is at stake in the broader scope of what this issue presents.  Ad-blocking technologies will continue to be made available to the consumer by an industry eager to cater to the wants of individuals looking for fewer advertisements in their web browsing.  As an industry, we must face the challenge that these ad-blocking technologies present to our profits and to the issue of consumer choice.  However, by pointing out specific instances of how companies are presenting these ad-blocking technologies and their ramifications for a large part of online direct marketing, we can come to a better consensus on how to face this important issue.

About the Author:
Linda Buquet, is an Affiliate Management Consultant representing high paying, parasite-free affiliate programs which can be found by visiting her site at: http://www.5staraffiliateprograms.com/

 

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Lovett or Leave it
by Evan Lovett

When I think back to Season Four of The Sopranos, I am reminded of a scene of The Family Guy, wherein Brian the Dog - attempting to explain the Blair Witch Project during his short-lived tenure as a guide dog - reported, "nothing's happening. . .nothing's happening. .nothing's happening. . .people are pissed." 

 
Season Four of the popular HBO series languished.  It's only true plot points were Tony & Carmela separating, Adrianna drawing attention from the FBI and Paulie & Christopher despising each other.  The season was slow and. . .nothing happened.  Well, besides Ralphie's well-received wacking.
 
This past Sunday, Season Five debuted and the episode plodded along, much like those of the previous season.  Perhaps because it had been 15 months since last season, and everybody forgot what they did.  However, there does seem to be an interesting set-up, that can prove to make Season Five rather intriguing. 
 
In each season before, animals were discovered in Tony's huge backyard, beginning with ducks.  This season, it is a huge black bear - an ominous & dangerous symbol.  There was also the introduction of what they are calling "the Class of '04" - three Mafiosos just released from prison, including Robert Loggia & Steve Buscemi; all appear ready to go to back to work.  Surely, these three gangsters will be surprised - and more than a little jealous - to find Tony running things.  After all, they could have been the kings of New Jersey. 
 
The now-single Tony is also actively pursing Dr. Melfi as a love interest, though naturally she thinks he needs more therapy.  Concurrently, Carmine - the erstwhile leader of the New York family - has finally died (of natural causes, if you can believe that).  This will be sure to create a power vacuum that lead to some hostile takeover bids. 
 
Hopefully, something happens. 

Evan Lovett is a Syndication Coordinator at eMarketMakers, elovett@emarketmakers.com

 

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