Repeat After Me: Advertising Need Not Be Intrusive

Overhype

from the it's-a-myth dept

For years and years we’ve been trying to shoot down the myth that advertising needs to be intrusive. As has been shown again and again and again, when the advertisers recognize that ads are content they don’t need to be intrusive at all. Rather, they can become viral, as people not only seek them out, but actively distribute and promote the advertisements for you. This is especially true in a world where there is no captive audience. Thinking that ads need to be somehow intrusive is only bound to cause trouble long term. However, it’s tough to get rid of old habits in the ad industry, apparently. The Washington Post is running an article looking at the latest in intrusive online advertising, made up of ads that dance across your screen and try to capture your attention. The article repeats the myth of intrusive advertising, claiming that the holy grail is avoiding “too intrusive” and finding the ad that is “just intrusive enough.” That’s the wrong way to think about it. While it may be a step forward that advertisers are finally recognizing there’s such a thing as “too intrusive,” they’d be much better off recognizing that they can succeed without being intrusive at all. In fact, as you read the article, what becomes clear is the successful intrusive ads aren’t successful because they’re intrusive, but because they’re actually engaging.