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Toxic Buzzword of the Week: “Alternative Media”
By dave_pasternack | March 27, 2008
One of the great ironies of the number-driven online ad biz is that nobody can agree on the numbers. How much click fraud is there? Nobody can agree. How much must marketers spend to achieve a given goal? Well - it depends. Is Google being affected by a secular economic downturn? Who knows (even Google’s CEO doesn’t seem to know). This industry can’t even agree on the definition of a click without launching a 5-year study group to confer on the program. If the government worked this way we’d be in deep trouble (actually, the government DOES work this way, but that’s a whole other issue).
Now it turns out we can’t even agree on what to call this crazy business. Is it “online media?” “Performance-driven media?” “Interactive Media?” “New Media?” Well, according to AdAge.com’s Jonathan Lemonnier, we’re all in the “Alternative Media” business. Well, thanks, Jonathan - that really clarifies things for us, and in return we proudly award you our Toxic Buzzword Award for this week.
Topics: Toxic Buzzword of the Week |
2 Responses to “Toxic Buzzword of the Week: “Alternative Media””
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April 29th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Hey, Dave, you do realize the article speaks to more than just the internet? Alternative media in the article you mention (but don’t link to) includes digital out-of-home, experiential and integrated marketing (as in branded entertainment).
It’s alternative as in not Broadcast, print or regular out of home.
So yes, that would include the internet and Click through rates, but is far from limited to them…
April 29th, 2008 at 9:11 am
The main problem I have with this buzz word is that it’s so imprecise (Remember “Alternative Music?” - what the heck did that ever mean? What does it mean to have an “alternative lifestyle?”) Even “non-traditional” is more descriptive than “alternative.”
There must be some alternative term that could be substituted for this fluffy one…