I am singling out one company here, but consider it a universal question…
In my past life, one of the most frustrating things about placing online media was deciding if your brand should be placed on a great property even if they site did something anti-consumer/anti-user experience.
Take bhg.com / lhj.com both great sites. Good content, loyal audience, etc. However, at least 3 times per visit you are bombarded with subscribe now pop-ups or interstitials. It is akin to the annoying cards that fall out of magazines that 90% of people hate.
Every time I asked why? I was told, it was a business department decision and they perform well “believe it or not”. I asked, at what cost- to no answer.
With articles about listening, social sites, consumer control…
My question to you, and others like you: In the age of social marketing, if users had the ability to easily and immediately comment on your tactics, would you still do it?
For example, on a facebook fan page, would you start every post with subscription requests? change your status 10 times a day with subscription offers? tweet 50 times a day about subscriptions?
The follow-up question would be – who should be able to decide what equals a good user experience and can veto tactics that aren’t? I vote nay to the guy who reuses the annoying magazine card tactic… thoughts?
the world according to schmogel. 