Jun 27, 2009

Porn, Kittens & Your Remote

Mike Arauz had a cute post up last week, reminding people that their online work needed to pass the "I'd rather be watching porn" test. (Or, for the less pruriently-oriented, the "I'd rather be looking at pictures of kittens" test. (In other words, remember, there's a lot of stuff people would rather be doing online than looking at your brand-sponsored content-- ads included.) It's a basic message, but given how frequently it's ignored, it's well worth repeating.

To that end, I'd like to introduce the corrollary: if you've created a TV commercial, all it needs to do is pass the "I really need to find the remote" test: if it's not awful enough to make the viewer go scrambling for the remote so s/he can change the channel or fast-forward, well, then you've got yourself an impression.

Bottom line is that despite popular perception in certain quarters, it's much tougher to make a splash online. Your competiton's much stiffer.

No comments: