Comments on: Wanna buy an ad on my nose? http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/ by Jeff Jarvis Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:55:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Chad Pensiero http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86412 Chad Pensiero Fri, 07 Jul 2006 01:36:17 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86412 When I started my first paper three years ago, we sold a full front page ad on the cover. It didn't take long to realize that we couldn't give the paper away (it was/is a free weekly). We stopped selling the front cover, and designed the cover around the lead story in the paper - like most alternative weeklies do. The papers went much better and faster. So yes, selling ads on the cover is a sign of weakness by desperate publishers. It won't take long for the advertisers inside to realize that nobody is picking up and reading a paper with a giant ad plastered on the cover. Bad, desperate move that will accelerate the decline of the papers. If they wanna sell the front cover, it better be a direct mail/shopper type paper. When I started my first paper three years ago, we sold a full front page ad on the cover. It didn’t take long to realize that we couldn’t give the paper away (it was/is a free weekly).

We stopped selling the front cover, and designed the cover around the lead story in the paper – like most alternative weeklies do. The papers went much better and faster.

So yes, selling ads on the cover is a sign of weakness by desperate publishers. It won’t take long for the advertisers inside to realize that nobody is picking up and reading a paper with a giant ad plastered on the cover. Bad, desperate move that will accelerate the decline of the papers.

If they wanna sell the front cover, it better be a direct mail/shopper type paper.

]]> By: Jeff Jarvis http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86317 Jeff Jarvis Thu, 06 Jul 2006 19:15:35 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86317 Foreheads were done. Chests were done. I believe butts were done. I'm looking for a cold relief sponsor myself. And I have a big nose. Eddiepoo, Uh, yes, I knew my readers knew that. That's why I chose those the nose. Invaluable contribution as always. Foreheads were done.
Chests were done.
I believe butts were done.
I’m looking for a cold relief sponsor myself.
And I have a big nose.

Eddiepoo,
Uh, yes, I knew my readers knew that. That’s why I chose those the nose. Invaluable contribution as always.

]]> By: Ed Rusch http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86315 Ed Rusch Thu, 06 Jul 2006 19:08:39 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86315 feh. Last summer a sales rep for a minor-league baseball team held an ebay auction for ad space on his forehead. BFD. Already been done. feh. Last summer a sales rep for a minor-league baseball team held an ebay auction for ad space on his forehead. BFD. Already been done.

]]> By: ellen foley http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86305 ellen foley Thu, 06 Jul 2006 18:30:35 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86305 Two college-age women in Madison, Wis., have already offered their foreheads for sale as ad space. We should check back and see it the business model holds. E. Two college-age women in Madison, Wis., have already offered their foreheads for sale as ad space. We should check back and see it the business model holds. E.

]]> By: adslfan http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86267 adslfan Thu, 06 Jul 2006 17:02:47 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86267 they need ads on news anchors. larry king's forehead would make a great ad. come on for 1 hour ...stick a dot com on his head. would get a lot of attention. they need ads on news anchors. larry king’s forehead would make a great ad. come on for 1 hour …stick a dot com on his head. would get a lot of attention.

]]> By: Ed Rusch http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86262 Ed Rusch Thu, 06 Jul 2006 16:57:00 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86262 Cover wraps are a dime a dozen, Jeffy, and front-page ads on smaller dailies and weeklies have been around for longer than you've been alive. Sorry, Jeffy, but this isn't nearly as much a sign of the apocolypse than you'd like us all to think. Cover wraps are a dime a dozen, Jeffy, and front-page ads on smaller dailies and weeklies have been around for longer than you’ve been alive. Sorry, Jeffy, but this isn’t nearly as much a sign of the apocolypse than you’d like us all to think.

]]> By: Rex Hammock http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86230 Rex Hammock Thu, 06 Jul 2006 15:52:22 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86230 I'm with Jon on this. I think foreheads are a better use of body advertising. I recall Chris Pirillo sold space on his chest, however, I can think of others who may offer better ROI than Chris in that niche. Also, in the B-to-B magazine arena, how come it's a common practice to sell a "cover wrap" -- For example, AdWeek always runs an "Ad" on the cover of most issues. They've been doing it for decades, so it's barely a "desperate" move. It's clearly an ad. Indeed, you have an ad floating in this post, however it's clearly an ad -- isn't an ad inside the edit well of a blog "crossing the line" from an ad over in the right-hand column. Of course not -- but I can't tell you why. If the cover of a consumer magazine (and I think the shoputainment magazines are a unique category of entertainment rather than journalism) wants to run an ad on the cover -- and call it an ad -- so what? If readers (shoppers) don't like it, they've got about a half-dozen other clones to choose from. I’m with Jon on this. I think foreheads are a better use of body advertising. I recall Chris Pirillo sold space on his chest, however, I can think of others who may offer better ROI than Chris in that niche. Also, in the B-to-B magazine arena, how come it’s a common practice to sell a “cover wrap” — For example, AdWeek always runs an “Ad” on the cover of most issues. They’ve been doing it for decades, so it’s barely a “desperate” move. It’s clearly an ad. Indeed, you have an ad floating in this post, however it’s clearly an ad — isn’t an ad inside the edit well of a blog “crossing the line” from an ad over in the right-hand column. Of course not — but I can’t tell you why. If the cover of a consumer magazine (and I think the shoputainment magazines are a unique category of entertainment rather than journalism) wants to run an ad on the cover — and call it an ad — so what? If readers (shoppers) don’t like it, they’ve got about a half-dozen other clones to choose from.

]]> By: Jon Fine http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86199 Jon Fine Thu, 06 Jul 2006 14:29:52 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/07/06/wanna-buy-an-ad-on-my-nose/#comment-86199 Jeff: An interesting headline, but noses are too small for effective ad messaging. How about your forehead? Jon Jeff:

An interesting headline, but noses are too small for effective ad messaging. How about your forehead?

Jon

]]>