What's the point of adverts?

[Rival]

So YT has decided you cannot use adblock or you will be struck off.

This is absurd because I've just had 4 or 5 minutes worth of ads before a video. Ads before a video is fine, but 5 minutes? I use these videos to study to, how the hell am I meant to study with this blaring in the background every so often?

But more to the point, adverts... they seem to be aimed at persuading you to buy a product. I've kind of just figured this out. It took me forever to understand why 'hot' women are used in adverts aimed at men because I think too literally and understood that the woman does not come with the car so why is she on the ad.... apparently the car is meant to attract the woman. This is my first problem, manipulation in advertising. Given the above, it goes over my head thank God.

I thought the point of an advert is to inform you a product exists and if you need it you can buy it, for example, an advert should look like:

L'Oreal has released a new anti-dandruff shampoo.
It costs £2.99
Available at most shops.

That's it. That's all the information you need. No manipulation, no sex, no persuasion.

I hate adverts because they try to manipulate you into buying stuff, instead of informing you a useful product exists and where to find it.

If your product works you don't need to persuade folks to buy it, they will find it themselves.

If it does not work, do not sell it.

Or have I just destroyed the market?

 

[Glaurung]

 

[ChristineM]

If your product works you don't need to persuade folks to buy it, they will find it themselves.

If it does not work, do not sell it.

Or have I just destroyed the market?

I'm with you on this and always have been. I see the sexy woman and other pushy ads as nothing more than spam equivalent to unwanted email spam.

I know what i need, i assume other people do too so using force, in my view only puts people off.

Or maybe I'm just odd... After all these ads seem to work otherwise why continue them

 

[SalixIncendium]

I've just been manipulated by the OP into thinking adverts are manipulative.

I also have the sudden need to try Coke Zero first.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Seriously, it's the way advertising works. It's meant to have a hook...something you'll associate with their product so when you're in stores you're thinking about their product, whether it be a jingle, a hot girl, a fast car, or a juicy burger that's being eaten seductively by a hot girl.

Are you more likely to remember the name of the dandruff shampoo name and the price by itself or the hot, wet, naked dark skinned girl rubbing it provocatively through her hair?

 

[SalixIncendium]

I'm with you on this and always have been. I see the sexy woman and other pushy ads as nothing more than spam equivalent to unwanted email spam.

Advertising is what keeps things like YouTube (and this very forum) free.

 

[ChristineM]

Are you more likely to remember the name of the dandruff shampoo name and the price or the hot naked dark skinned girl rubbing it provocatively through her hair?

I think it probably depends on how shallow you are.

Or maybe a male thing.

 

[ChristineM]

Advertising is what keeps things like YouTube (and this very forum) free.

I paid for this forum to remove the ads.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I think it probably depends on how shallow you are.

Or maybe a male thing.

Advertisers wouldn't do it if it didn't work.

So, yes, much of the population must be shallow.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I paid for this forum to remove the ads.

And if you pay for YouTube Premium, you will remove ads as well. Same thing with just about every streaming platform.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I think it just plain silly to use a free platform and complain about the advertising revenue used to support it. If you find the ads problematic, the solution is as simple as paying for premium service to remove ads or not using the platform at all.

 

[ChristineM]

Advertisers wouldn't do it if it didn't work.

So, yes, much of the population must be shallow.

That's what i said in post #3

Not necessarily much of the population but enough.

I read some years ago that internet advertising relies on between 0.1% and 1% click through and far less for completion rate.

 

[ChristineM]

And if you pay for YouTube Premium, you will remove ads as well. Same thing with just about every streaming platform.

Correct. Though i don't use YT enough to warrant premium.

I think it just plain silly to use a free platform and complain about the advertising revenue used to support it. If you find the ads problematic, the solution is as simple as paying for premium service to remove ads or not using the platform at all.

Who's complaining? Just giving my view. As i said, they seem to work.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I read some years ago that internet advertising relies on between 0.1% and 1% click through and far less for completion rate.

And a platform such as YouTube, that gets 122 million views per day, that's 12.2 million clicks per day. That's quite the reach.

 

[Rival]

Seriously, it's the way advertising works. It's meant to have a hook...something you'll associate with their product so when you're in stores you're thinking about their product, whether it be a jingle, a hot girl, a fast car, or a juicy burger that's being eaten seductively by a hot girl.

Are you more likely to remember the name of the dandruff shampoo name and the price by itself or the hot, wet, naked dark skinned girl rubbing it provocatively through her hair?

Well, when I see the manipulation I see it, so I realise they're trying to get me to buy a product and that alone makes me refuse to. You're using my baser instincts and I find that, well, evil. It's relying on selfishness, ego, etc. and I believe the whole purpose of our existence is ego-death, to get rid of the false notion of self.

So that hot girl needs to put her clothes on and become a monk.

I also expect honesty as a rule of thumb.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Who's complaining? Just giving my view.

I wasn't singling you out.

It's the premise of the thread.

 

[ChristineM]

And a platform such as YouTube, that gets 122 million views per day, that's 12.2 million clicks per day. That's quite the reach.

Yes, as i said it seems to work

 

[Rival]

I think it just plain silly to use a free platform and complain about the advertising revenue used to support it. If you find the ads problematic, the solution is as simple as paying for premium service to remove ads or not using the platform at all.

It's not the ads, it's where they're placed and how loud, distracting and ill-thought out they are.

If they were at the start and end of videos, that's fine.

But I have ADHD and use these ambiences to concentrate and having ads halfway through might well ruin my study for the night. It's too much for me.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Well, when I see the manipulation I see it, so I realise they're trying to get me to buy a product and that alone makes me refuse to. You're using my baser instincts and I find that, well, evil. It's relying on selfishness, ego, etc. and I believe the whole purpose of our existence is ego-death, to get rid of the false notion of self.

So that hot girl needs to put her clothes on and become a monk.

I also expect honesty as a rule of thumb.

Not everyone is astute at picking out the manipulation as you are. Most are slaves to their ego and baser instincts.

As far as evil goes, I think society has proven the Almighty Dollar trumps honesty.

 

[SalixIncendium]

It's not the ads, it's where they're placed and how loud, distracting and ill-thought out they are.

If they were at the start and end of videos, that's fine.

But I have ADHD and use these ambiences to concentrate and having ads halfway through might well ruin my study for the night. It's too much for me.

That's one thing that does annoy me is the intentional increase in volume over whatever it is you're watching. Many, many times I've had to turn the volume down during ads and back up to hear what I was watching. Manipulation through video is something I can simply look away from, but having to manually adjust volume to not wake up your napping baby is just plain inconsiderate.

Here I agree with you 100%.