Snapchat Surrenders

Of course they do!

 

It was reported yesterday in AdAge that Snapchat is considering forcing its users to watch at least 3 seconds of ads before allowing them to skip to the content they care about.

YouTube already has a feature like that.

And the reason is because the Media Ratings Council has determined that 2 seconds is the minimal time required for an ad to be considered “viewable.”

Snapchat’s resisted forcing ad views, but advertisers have complained that most of their ads are viewed for 1 second, on even less.

If anything is true beyond doubt today, it is that consumers can’t and won’t be forced to put up with anything they dislike.

That is especially true of commercials.

The undeniable truth is that the message is much more important than the media on which it plays.

Ads that speak to the heart of the customer and touch a nerve are the ones that turn little companies into big companies.” *(Entrepreneur)

Online advertising right now is a joke, yet it continues to grow exponentially, while media that actually works — think Radio and TV — are stagnant or declining in ad revenue.

If you force users to watch anything for 3 seconds (Snapchat) or 5 seconds (YouTube), how are you claiming users are engaged with your ads?

And how can you charge advertisers for 15- or 30-second ads when they’re being skipped after 3 or 5 seconds?

The promise of digital ads was personalizing reach so real engagement happened with each ad for any viewer.

The reality is that online ads are a joke, mostly a waste of advertiser money.

Radio needs to find a way to prove listeners listen to ads, and even more, respond positively to well-crafted messages.

That’s impossible when we stack 7 or 8 spots back-to-back, and Radio execs have always known this.

We need fewer and better ads, ads that really connect emotionally, that truly engage listeners. Ads that are actually meant to work for the client.

That means we need better writing, better voice-acting, and much better production. That costs money.

But does it cost more money than Radio is losing by not investing in its client commercials?

We need to sell results because online ads are a scam.