There is an assortment of media and marketers who are losing their way in adapting to models of engagement that fit with user behavior. As an example, Yahoo is one media platform that is thwarting my efforts to consume their content in a natural way. What is really hindering this is the presentation of AdChoices to look almost exactly like all the real article summaries.
A general media platform like Yahoo serves as a good source for casual leisure reading when I want to take a break from something. Their content curation is getting pretty good. But when the ads are disguised to look like regular content, it makes it harder to just peruse. Now, it forces me to keep my guard up so that I am not duped into reading ads. I am taking a break to cull the headlines and find new and interesting stuff, not to read ads.
While I am in complete agreement that marketers must travel along the path of their customers, I am not a proponent of hiding in the bushes. By pretending to look like something else, the deceit just creates an obstruction to the regular content review that I want to do. This type of disruption does not feel all that different in its effect, than the pop-up banners that have been beaten down quite drastically from the early days. To me, these in-line ads which look like genuine content just feel like disguised pop-ups. But, I actually have to scan it. Conscientiously determine that it is an ad. And then move on. And that is annoying.
As I say, I don’t feel hostile to an ad being in-line. But it must be instantly distinguishable from real content. Let’s not pretend. No-one likes to be conned. Visitors on a website are not there to be subject to a bunch of parlor tricks. The real outcome of using these tactics is the opposite of trust. Visitors to some extent are forced to keep their guard up so they are not duped into giving their attention to something that they are not interested in. And if a visitor is constantly forced to keep their guard up, it becomes a tiring process and eventually they stop visiting. I would say that is the wrong result for all involved.
We are in the midst of transformation in content consumption, and it is the content consumers that are taking control. If content is going to be put in front of them, it has to fit with their expectations. Content is content. Ads are ads. Visitors will always show up for the content and avoid the ads. While content needs to work hard to convince the visitor that they have something new, interesting or meaningful to say, ads must march to a different drummer. Ads must work with that ever slightest amount of attention and put all their effort in communicating one thing. If there are 2 things, that is too much to process and there needs to be second ad for that other thing.
Unless everyone suddenly decides to pay premiums, content and ads will always be joined at the hip. But they can never be treated the same. The resulting confusion just messes everything up.