• by August 14, 2000

Seeing that we're celebrating 3 full hours of Just an Online Minute today, I have a confession to make: I love reading my email. I'm one of those people who are disappointed if the morning email load doesn't number over 300 messages, and that's because the email I get from our readers is simply a great source of information in itself.

Take Friday, for example. My makeshift questionnaire on the value of web measurement numbers (from Media Metrix and NetRatings) inspired a number of responses, three of which I simply have to share.

David L. Smith, President of SF-based Mediasmith, Inc., said the ratings are "nice as a frame of reference but really should not have a lot to do with whether to advertise on a site." Bigger factors, he wrote, are including the actual demographics or product usage/lifestyle date as reported by @Plan synch up with the client's goals. Also, he wrote, it's important to consider how is the site priced, what experience you have as an agency with whether the site delivers what it said it would when they make deals and how does the site perform in post click metrics.

A more daring response came from John Maher, Associate Media Director at FCB Southern California, who said, "Last time I looked, Media Metrix and NetRating were surveys. They are not a census. Consequently, research professionals, when faced with anomalies, will tell you the projected numbers may have "statistical bounce." These same professionals will also tell you the numbers are "subject to interpretation," which is shorthand for "lies, damn lies and statistics." Bottom line: Research is one of the tools we use to formulate plans. It provides direction, insight, a relative snapshot of a particular marketing or media situation. Research is not infallible or absolute. It's not meant to be."

And, Neil Monnens, former VP of Consulting Services at AdSmart (now Engage Media) said web publishers place too much emphasis in touting their numbers to advertisers. Web measurement numbers are important to investors, but not to media planners. He explained that in print numbers are important. For example, "if PC Magazine has 1,000,000 subscribers and I place an ad in their magazine, I have the potential to reach 1,000,000 people. Consequently, if PCMagazine.com gets 10,000,000 impressions per month and I place a banner buy for 10,000 impressions, I am not going to get the potential to reach 10,000,000 people. Online measurement numbers would matter if the site offered targeting such as geographic or demographic because then it is more important to advertise on a larger site as you have the potential of purchasing all their impressions in a certain zip code, or users that use a certain operating system, etc."

This is just a small sample of what I have the privilege of looking forward to every day, so today, with 180 minutes under our belt, allow me to extend a big thank you to all of our readers for suppor