Cyberspatial awareness

Thu, 15 Mar 2001

There is constant moaning from so called new media experts about the lack of consistent or comparable data on Internet user figures. Is a site that delivers 10 million impressions better than a site that delivers 1 million? Agencies and clients alike still judge the strength of a website in the same way they would a magazine or television channel. Has everyone missed the point about advertising on the Internet? You get what you pay for, no more, no less.

Choosing one site over another by the number of unique users is like buying a bag of apples because of the size of the orchard. If you want three fine apples, why should you care how many trees the orchard has? If you want 100,000 impressions, why should you care if the site can deliver 10 million? Look at the quality of the site, find out who is using it and target your advertising on a cost basis.

When new media specialists say they worry about Internet advertising being based on guesswork, maybe they should research what is important. Being bogged down with comparisons to BARB and the ABCs shows a lack of understanding. The Internet doesn't work like magazines or television. Communication via the Internet is about effective targeting and paying for what you get. If you can't see the wood for the trees, you will never reach the core.

Steve Gardner

Sales manager

Marketeye.com