> DoCoMo is definitely re-considering the ban on ads, especially since they
> formed a joint-venture with Dentsu to consider ads on mobile.
DoCoMo has already given the green light to ads on official sites. Looking
at
some official sites over the weekend, many of them have added one or more
banners to their sites. Some even linked to un-official sites (one was to
Infoseek Japan's i-mode site).
Furthermore, looking at the type of ads the D2Communications (the Dentsu,
DoCoMo, NTT Ad JV), the banners ads are being handled by media reps other
than D2C. However, Tsutaya is using banners run by D2C (that is assuming
no one has copied the D2C design).
> Does anybody *really* think it is a useful 'invention'?
> I think it's annoying.
First off, since I am in the advertising industry, I'll admit I have a bias
in favor of
advertising (be it banners, sponsored content, coupons, etc; there is more
than
just banners although they steal the limelight) in this discussion.
That having been said, try thinking of it this way: much like a magazine
adding
to subscription revenue through ads, those ads will help to turn a currently
unprofitable business to a profitable one and thus keep Tsutaya's popular
online
service operational.
According to the article, Tsutaya is currently in the red, and is looking at
ad
revenues to get it into the black and thus support free content online.
Granted
that since we, as the viewer, have to pay to view the ad, the content is not
100%
free. Still those banner ads will help to support that content.
Considering all the official and unofficial sites without subscription or
sufficient
e-commerce revenue, for better or worse I think you'll be seeing a lot more
ads
on your cellphone.
Besides, as you pointed out, it will create a new market for your wireless
ad
blocking software. :-)
One year down the road, when W-CDMA rolls out and DoCoMo drops the packet
fees to compensate for the increased bandwidth (whatever we may actually
get),
will watching a banner be that costly? Does the average user today even
realize
what each banner costs because of those packet fees? Or are they just
browsing
away blissfully unaware?
Jon
Received on Mon Sep 4 04:14:03 2000