Commentary
Just an Online Minute... No More Pop-Ups on AOL
- by Masha Geller , October 15, 2002
According to the announcement, AOL’s new policy will take effect as the company works through the inventory of ads and merchandise promotions it is already committed to run, and will continue to use pop-ups to notify members about key features of its service, and on a limited basis, to advertise special offers from parent company AOL Time Warner Inc.
The decision not to accept any more pop-ups was based on what consumers want. AOL’s new chief Jon Miller, who’s on a much-publicized crusade to make the company’s customers happy, said yesterday, “The most important thing we offer advertisers is the chance to be part of a service that consumers love, and we've determined that pop-ups aren't the best way to do that.”
He added, "By ending third-party pop-ups and merchandise sales we are giving our members what they want -- which in turn will make AOL an even better vehicle for our advertising partners."
AOL is not the first to eliminate pop-ups. At the end of July, popular women’s online destination iVillage Inc. announced that in response to specific quantitative and qualitative feedback from its visitors, the company would eliminate pop-up advertisements on its network of sites by the end of the third quarter of 2002.
This move was based on an iVillage/Vividence survey showing that 92.5% of iVillage women found pop-up advertising to be the most frustrating feature of the Web. In addition, while research on the effectiveness of pop-up advertising shows that they can generate high brand awareness, it is not always in a positive way. iVillage studies have shown that, while women on the iVillage site are receptive to various forms of advertising, such an intrusive ad can actually negatively impact the advertiser.
Maybe this is the beginning of the online world's return to sanity? What do you think?
