[WEB4LIB] Banner ads and ages

[Gerry Mckiernan]

Hello Jerry/

>>> "Jerry Kuntz" <jkuntz at rcls.org> 08/17/00 12:01PM >>>
>A couple of weeks ago I took the liberty of veering Gerry McKiernan's >thread on library banner ads off on a rant against banner ads on kids' >research sites. Here's an article from Wired News that supports the idea >that younger children are more easily distracted: >[http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,38232,00.html  
 
   Thanks for sitation and for the excerpts.

The NY Times today also had a similar report  "Study focuses on Kids and Advertising"  and is available at
[
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/17kid-ads.html ]

[NB: A free account is required  to access this article]

<snip>
>"In a survey that may prompt advertisers to pump more money into >marketing to children, a Web tracking firm concluded that kids are more >likely than any other age group to click on Internet banner ads. "
..
>"Maddox also pointed out that kids bombarded by banner ads appear to tire >of them later in life. According to survey calculations, teenagers are the age
>group least likely to click on Internet ads. "
</snip>

   I think it's also important to include another significant sentence or two from the story

<QUOTE>

Despite their low average click rate, however, researchers found that teens do respond more frequently to certain kinds of advertising
pitches, in particular those offering free goods or practical information. [emphasis added ] In June, the No. 1 ad clicked on by teens, which garnered a 20.35 percent click rate, was a pitch from Eastpak that featured a contest for a free backpack stuffed with prizes 

</UNQUOTE>

>Lesson learned? Cute come-ons only get you so far for so long.

       As noted above *certain* banner advertsing *is* effective.
Yes, methods and technologies change and will continue to change
[Yesterday's Web is not Today's Web]

       Please note that I believe that the banner 'ad' technology can / might
will be  effective for promoting library services. As its use is still in its infancy by libraries we may not be able to  evaluate it quantitatively or qualitatively at this time. 

      I encourage MyWebColleagues to (re)visit Banarama(sm) at
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/Banarama.htm 
to (re)view the use of the banner 'ad' approach for promoting library services, collections and resources to which I added several new sites since posting my original announcement. I believe that most objective people will find most of these as tasteful and appropriate (and I believe, effective).

       One must not equate crass and garish commercial banner ads with any and all library banner 'ads' that tastefully and appropriately use the banner 'ad' technology.

/Gerry McKiernan
Science and Technology Librarian and Bibliographer
Iowa State University Library
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck at iastate.edu 

c: Web4Lib