Monetizing... you?, me?

[imoldernu]

An "of two minds" article about how the media has taken us over... maybe a better description, but...

https://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html

Opening of the Charles Hugh Smith blog

Quote:

Advertising has always monetized consumers' time and attention, what we call engagement today. Newspapers and periodicals publish advertisements, radio/TV networks and stations air adverts, movie theaters run trailers/ads, billboards occupy our mental space while driving and websites and apps post adverts. The more media you consume, the more adverts you see/hear, and the more time you spend consuming media, the greater your exposure to advertising.

[athena53]

I think I do a pretty good job of blocking them out. I know, I know... there's the "subliminal" thing and maybe I see them out of the corner of my eye and they register in my brain, but I do a fair amount of marketing surveys for free Hilton points. When they ask about what financial companies I've seen ads for lately, for example, it's VERY hard to remember any. One survey required me to keep a diary of the ads, billboards, etc. that I saw for a short list of specific companies and I really had to focus and look at ads I'd been ignoring.

I guess the advertisers still think they're effective.

[audreyh1]

Our lives have felt so much cleaner and relaxed now that we have very very little exposure to advertising (or “breaking” news). Big improvement in quality of life.

Constant ad bombardment really is like environmental pollution for the mind. I think even if you are blocking it, it’s wearying.

[HI Bill]

Since I cut out cable TV about five years ago, I feel a bit lost. I don't know what the current cars are, the current cereals, or the current movies, nor the current tv shows. But I don't really miss it at all. I stream Amazon Prime, and use BluRays from Netflix. I don't miss advertising at all; watching a show with out advertising saves time, increases focus!

[joeea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imoldernu An "of two minds" article about how the media has taken us over... maybe a better description, but... https://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html Opening of the Charles Hugh Smith blog

It's always funny to visit a blog complaining about monetization, only to be peppered with ads (including pop-ups).

[imoldernu]

Did you ever measure the time that you spend online? I confess that I probably spend more time than most. Still mostly able to multi task, and watch TV at the same time, and have a bulletproof vest against ads, but admit that I spend $$$ to get the NYT and Washington Post ad-free.

This was the part that surprised me. Brazil? I'm one of the 17 people in the U.S. that does not have a smartphone. If I did, I wouldn't have time to eat.

[audreyh1]

I don't worry about the time I spend on line. I'm usually learning a lot about all sorts of things. And often I'm doing pretty intensive research or planning. And shopping at times.

[JoeWras]

Our visits here are monetized. And I'm absolutely fine with that. Social Knowledge/ER.com have done a great job with balance to the users. The moderation is best in class, the balance and type of ads (i.e. no pop ups or hot boxing) is perfect. Sadly, this model is becoming rarer and rarer.

[ERD50]

Go to youtube and watch/listen to some of the old TV/radio shows. They had plenty of commercials, some embedded right in the programming. This isn't new.

And why be concerned with it? We know the ads are there to support the media. Deal with it. It's like complaining that the Ford dealer is trying to get you to buy a Ford, while the Chevy dealer is trying to get you to buy a Chevy. Or that xyz company is making a profit, and/or trying to upsell you. What do you expect?

-ERD50

[Bir48die]

I try to record any show that I like to avoid the commercials. Plus I think with the number of cable channels there's less money to spread around so if you watch a 30 minute show (which at best is 24 minutes of content) they start repeating the same commercials.

My beef is the advertising at the theaters. It's the one place you could go and get away from advertisers. No longer. I guess just buy our tickets and try and show up in the last preview. That's another subject all together.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HNL Bill Since I cut out cable TV about five years ago, I feel a bit lost. I don't know what the current cars are, the current cereals, or the current movies, nor the current tv shows. But I don't really miss it at all. I stream Amazon Prime, and use BluRays from Netflix. I don't miss advertising at all; watching a show with out advertising saves time, increases focus!

Same here- don't listen to radio, either- just podcasts. Some of the podcasts have a brief mention of the sponsor but that's all. I LOVE having Netflix commercial-free! I do see product placement, though- shows where the characters use Apple computers with the logo prominently displayed, for example. If a logo on anything is visible you can bet it was paid product placement. Last month I was reading a mystery novel where the main character owned a bookstore specializing in mysteries. Every chapter had references to books by other, named mystery writers. My guess is that they had a publisher in common!

[eytonxav]

Many years ago advertising had what was known as the hidden persuaders, non-obvious queues that drove consumer behavior. Now those persuaders are no longer hidden and permeate all forms of media not just advertising, but still may not be so obvious to some of our population.

[sengsational]

If you binge watch something on OTA TV, you see the same ads over and over. I never watch more than a few seconds, having DVR'd the program, but this got me thinking...


Why don't advertisers offer a "test" to see if consumers understand their marketing message that, if passed, would allow the consumer to skip the ad? They'd have people "studying" their marketing message instead of trying to ignore it! The scheme is technically feasible now that "they" know exactly what we're watching, no matter the screen being employed.


Same with the training the flight attendant gives to buckle a seat belt. If you pass the test, your in-seat screen would be blank...those not taking or passing the test would have to listen to the instructions AGAIN!

[imoldernu]

What bothered me, was the end of the article... basically the reason for the blog.

Quote:

So here's my question: what's left for Big Tech to monetize? Many people already spend more time staring at screens (i.e. "leisure" consumption of media, entertainment, gaming, etc.) than they do at work or school, so in terms of time left to monetize, Hulu, Apple Music, Spotify, Netflix et al. are competing with sleep, meal preparation, reading books, conversation, dinner parties, intimacy and other traditional forms of non-media, non-screen uses of time. As for privately owned capital/assets, there's a marketplace for sharing or renting privately owned consumer goods, but in a society awash in "stuff" it's difficult to monetize low-value, often informal activity. So what happens to the lofty valuations currently enjoyed by Big Tech as the asymmetries of monetization start moving political gears and the gold-rush of monetizing engagement and privately owned assets runs out of new territories to conquer? What happens when diminishing returns set in as growth rates slow, marginal costs rise and political blowback builds momentum? Just as there are only so many hours of the day consumers can stare at screens, so too are there limits on monetizing engagement and privately owned assets. What's left to monetize? It appears the answer is "very little."

I see it as the biggest problem today, facing society and social contacts. Brought home to me, the past week when the family visited. Ages 60 down to 10, most had smartphones out... not intentional, but disruptive to normal conversation. Do you remember the difference in society before we spent 2+ hours a day online? What must life be like in Brazil?

[Rianne]

Certain ads are so poorly written I'm turned off the to the product. Creativity, humor attract my attention but I usually don't care about the product itself. I might sing catchy ad songs or phrases, but never remember the product.

I detest Pepsi and Coke but love their ads. Never drink those products. Some ads gross me out so when I see their stores, Burger King, Wendy's or Chik Filet I gag a little.

[Totoro]

A big part of it is shifting from television, newspapers & books to smartphone watching and tablet reading. About 50% of total advertising spend now seems to be digital, so saturation is coming. It used to be the big media networks, not it's Google and Facebook type of companies. Even more consolidated than before.

I haven't checked, but wouldn't be surprised if total time online + tv watching + book reading has increased only a bit since the mid nineties, certainly in the USA.

What has changed is that it used to not be acceptable to read a newspaper/book when meeting up with others (I got called out on it a lot ..), but watching smartphones is ok?

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bir48die I try to record any show that I like to avoid the commercials. Plus I think with the number of cable channels there's less money to spread around so if you watch a 30 minute show (which at best is 24 minutes of content) they start repeating the same commercials. My beef is the advertising at the theaters. It's the one place you could go and get away from advertisers. No longer. I guess just buy our tickets and try and show up in the last preview. That's another subject all together.

Yes! I hate that, too! But... I have found a theater that only runs local ads, in still photos, with relaxing elevator music in the background. Nothing too annoying. I love it. And it's only $8 for a senior ticket. I can get there early to get a good seat, and the still photo ads aren't too annoying.

[GrayHare]

"What's left to monetize? It appears the answer is 'very little.'"

A writer normally has more creativity. For example, unused possible ad space is everywhere.

the pavement on the street "if you get injured here, call our attorneys"
the sides of most buildings, billboards are only on a few
cars "display our mascot on your car and we'll give you a 10% insurance discount"
a huge Nike logo carved on the surface of the moon

I don't want to see any of those, but that's true of many existing ads.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HNL Bill Since I cut out cable TV about five years ago, I feel a bit lost. I don't know what the current cars are, the current cereals, or the current movies, nor the current tv shows. But I don't really miss it at all. I stream Amazon Prime, and use BluRays from Netflix. I don't miss advertising at all; watching a show with out advertising saves time, increases focus!

Don't worry about it, you really aren't missing *anything*

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 Go to youtube and watch/listen to some of the old TV/radio shows. They had plenty of commercials, some embedded right in the programming. This isn't new. And why be concerned with it? We know the ads are there to support the media. Deal with it. It's like complaining that the Ford dealer is trying to get you to buy a Ford, while the Chevy dealer is trying to get you to buy a Chevy. Or that xyz company is making a profit, and/or trying to upsell you. What do you expect? -ERD50

Well, GOOD MORNING to you, too!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bir48die My beef is the advertising at the theaters. It's the one place you could go and get away from advertisers. No longer. I guess just buy our tickets and try and show up in the last preview. That's another subject all together.

I haven't been to a movie in a very long time, but this isn't anything new as far as I can tell. I know that there have been ads for at *least* 10 years and probably more.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by athena53 I do see product placement, though- shows where the characters use Apple computers with the logo prominently displayed, for example. If a logo on anything is visible you can bet it was paid product placement.

Would you believe that Apple went a very long time without paying for placement? That always bothered me in that a show would go through great lengths to tape over every brand name (especially the "reality shows") to avoid "free" placement...but not when it came to Apple. Apple phone? That's OK..no need to pixelate the logo (and it's even BACK LIT!!!) but a 15 year old Chevy truck that most people could identify as a Chevy?!? NO WAY!!! GET OUT THE TAPE!!!!

https://www.businessinsider.com/appl...-movies-2012-8